Eight Christmas Gift Buying Alternatives

Rising costs and reduced income might contribute to your family’s significant financial stress. Living with financial insecurity can be particularly heartbreaking during a time of giving and gratitude. 

However, it should be emphasized that there’s no obligation to break the bank during the holiday season. Some of the most thoughtful gifts do not require a single penny. 

Here are some budget-friendly alternatives for families living through financial insecurity during the holiday.

Compile a Video Tribute

Discretely interview your family members about specific, special memories they hold dear to their hearts. Allow for some flexibility with this for even more variety and thoughtfulness! Feel free to ask people around for old tapes or newer smartphone videos to mix and match together. 

Once you’ve assembled all your videos, put them together and present them to your family around the holiday season. It’s guaranteed to initiate conversation, laughter, and happy tears.

Cook or Bake Something Special

Are you a talented cook or baker? Conducted strategically, creating a unique holiday food can cost little to nothing! If you’d like to make something for free, search around your kitchen to find out what you can work with. 

Otherwise, compile a list of ingredients and favorite foods for people within your family. Some popular choices that can be shared amongst large groups of people include baked goods like cookies and bread. 

If meals are passed down within your family, consider assembling these essential recipes and gifting them to your loved ones.

Write “Just in Case” Letters

Nothing is more thoughtful than a handwritten letter. In a digital world, receiving something so tangible and profound is rare. If you’re interested in adding an even more endearing flair to your gift, write several for specific situations and events.

Examples include letters labeled “Just in Case You’re Feeling Sad” or “Read This When Something Amazing Happens.” The process may be time-consuming and challenging, but it will be even more special for the person opening your carefully written letters.

Volunteer as a Family

Sometimes, the best way to give is by using that time for others within your community. Many volunteer events are free, allowing your family to do something thoughtful for the holidays in a budget-friendly way. Plus, it can feel nice to do kind things for other people!

Lead by example by ensuring everyone participates, whether serving at your local food kitchen or helping elderly neighbors complete their household chores. When you encourage your family to give selflessly, it teaches your children to do the same.

Create a Thoughtful Spotify Playlist

Let a loved one know how much they mean to you by creating a Spotify playlist in their name. Depending on who this playlist is for, this can range from being humorous to being more thoughtful and considerate.

Feel free to get creative with your song selections by adding music that correlates with inside jokes or makes you think of that person. If you’d like to take it a step further, search for an old cassette or burn the music onto a CD. This will add a retro and personalized effect to their curated playlist.

Host a Fun Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts can be inexpensive and enjoyable to hand out gifts while spending time with family! Feel free to set it up within your budget by including stocking stuffer items like candy, pre-made baked goods, or cards.

Otherwise, if you’d like to conduct the scavenger hunt without paying for anything, make the process fun by centering it around thoughtful clues. Examples include having your family take a picture in front of a place where they made a special memory.

Pass Down a Treasured Heirloom

Re-gifting something can be budget-friendly, but it can also be unthoughtful to certain people. Re-gifting can be a thoughtful way to show appreciation for a loved one, but it’s best to do so with introspection.

This is where passing down a family heirloom can be beneficial. These are often unique presents passed down from generation to generation.

Plus, they may have been expensive at the time of their purchase, adding to the significance of their historical value.

Come up With Considerate “Coupons”

Assemble a “coupon book” full of thoughtful and helpful tasks that can be completed well after the holiday season. These could say “Good for Cleaning the Bathroom” or “1 Free Day of Pet Sitting.” This can also include coupons you’d like from the other person.

Examples include “Good for One Family Picnic” or “One-on-One Dinner Night With Parent.” This can help you give back to your family members while allowing them to do extraordinary things for you. Here are five ways to have a budget-friendly Christmas.

About the author

Gerardo Campbell married into a blended family, becoming the stepdad to his wife’s two children. In 2011, he started Support for Stepfathers to reverse the nearly 70% divorce rate for blended families in the US. His website is to help and inspire stepfathers, aspiring stepfathers, and the women who love them. You can follow Support for Stepdads on Twitter and Facebook.