How I budget my money
I don’t have a specific amount of money that I spend on each person. Instead, I include gifts under my discretionary money category when I budget money. I set aside money every single month for discretionary expenses and this needs to cover everything that is not bills, college expenses, or groceries. This allows me to buy gifts year-round and save money for the holidays throughout the year.
Other people might use a cash envelope system or have a separate bank account for holiday expenses. What matters is choosing a system that works best for you.
If you are expecting or getting a gift from me please skip this blog post. Unless I already gave you your gift.
Family
Mom
- Puzzle sorter tray 8
I bought this for her at TJ MAXX because she loves doing puzzles and this way she can organize her puzzle pieces without the cat trying to sit on everything.
- Bertucci’s gift card 25
I bought this for her because this is one of her favorite restaurants
Sister
- Christmas Winnie the Pooh Squishmallow 12
I bought this from TJMAXX because I saw them on Instagram and I knew that my sister would love this. Since she loves Winnie the pooh and this would be her first squishmallow
- Cubic Zircona diamond earrings set 11
My sister was asking for small earrings that she could wear to work so I found a set of three at TJMAXX
- Thin Mints 5
This is because my sister loves girl scout cookies, especially Thin Mints
My sister expressed interest in this blanket from Box Lunch so I decided to get it for her.
- Long plaid skirt 30
My sister asked for a long plaid skirt that she saw on Amazon. However, the shipping is delayed so it won’t arrive in time. Instead, I’m going to print out a picture and wrap that up for her.
Brother in law
- Books 36.49
He asked for books so I bought him The Sandman Book Two and Gideon the Ninth
- Bertucci’s gift card 25
He likes going to Bertucci’s with my sister so I decided to get him a gift card also. They were doing a gift card promotion so I added the 10-dollar bonus gift cards.
Uncle
- Golden Knights Baseball Cap 40
My Uncle loves the Las Vegas Golden Knights so I bought him a hat when I was in NYC this summer at the NHL shop.
Friends
Secret Santa
I do a gift exchange with my friends every single year. This year I got one of my friends who love animals. So I decided to create an animal-themed gift basket. We set a 20-dollar gift limit every year.
- Face Masks set 8
I went to Target with the person that I had for Secret Santa and she was eyeing the face masks. So I went back later to buy them
- Dark chocolate Peppermint Bark 3
I noticed she liked this chocolate so I bought some more for her when I went back to Target
- Sandwich stasher bag 9
I bought a stasher bag because she is into sustainability and we had a conversation once about the stasher bags that I use. So I wanted to buy one for her to try and she if she liked it.
Friend B
I bought this Lucky Charms Slime from Parakeet Slimes when there was a black Friday sale because she likes slime.
Friend C
- Calico critters Panda Family 15
This friend loves pandas so I found a panda family set on eBay for her
- Panda Japanse erasers 8
I found this Panda Japanese eraser set when I was in NYC this summer and I thought that she would like them.
Friend H
- Dinosaur earrings 15 from Spooky Dinosaur
I bought these dinosaur earrings from a small business at a cosplay convention. The reasoning is because this friend loves dinosaurs and wears earrings a lot.
Friend A
- Wooden Spoon 9
I bought this for them at a cosplay convention because they love baking and the spoon says “this is not a spoon” which I think is funny.
- Tiny leather journal 14
They also love watercolors so I thought this journal would be really cute. I bought it from a small business at a cosplay convention.
Other
Webkinz Secret Santa 15
This year I participated in a Webkinz Gift Exchange online. So I bought the person I had a Webkinz Poodle new with an unused code on eBay. Since they had it on their wishlist.
Before I end this blog post I wanted to answer some questions you might have
Do you prefer to shop online or in person?
I like shopping both in person and online.
Liz when do you do your holiday shopping?
I do my holiday shopping year-round. I keep a memo on my phone and google Docs with my family and friends’ interests. Then when I see something I know they will enjoy and use I might buy it. Then I store it until it is their birthday or Christmas.
Do you give people experiences?
Yes, I do enjoy giving people experience gifts. This year for a close friend’s birthday I bought them a ticket to King Richard’s Faire so we could go together. However, it depends on the person if I give them experience gifts or not based on their interests.
Do you really give gifts to people that are used?
Yes and no because I do buy gifts from thrift stores. But I only buy items that are brand new or are in the packaging as gifts. I also only give gifts that are from thrift stores if I know the gift receiver is okay with it. Since I like to focus on the value of the gift, not the price.
But what about getting a gift for Insert Person?
It is up to you and your budget to decide who you give gifts to. There are some family members where we don’t exchange gifts because we do not feel the need to.
When do you do your holiday shopping?
