How to NOT Pay for a Single Christmas Gift This Year

Christmas is a wonderful time of year when families get together and talk about old times and what’s new in each other’s lives. However, as the years have gone by Christmas has changed dramatically.

It seems like people are more interested in how many gifts they get or how expensive they are instead of spending time with family and good friends. It’s a shame really but you don’t have to fall into the spending money trap this holiday season.

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How to NOT pay for a single Christmas gift this year

• Get free stuff. Several websites such as Freecycle make it easy for people to find gently used items that can be given as gifts. Check out these sites in your neighborhood to see what you can collect and give away as Christmas presents. You can find a lot of great stuff this way that you can’t find in stores. And it’s free!
• Have a swap meet. Get together with other family members and friends and plan a swap meet. Have everyone collect clothing, toys, books, dishes and other items they no longer use. Set up a place and time for everyone to meet and bring these items with them. Then, swap out items you no longer want for ones you do.
• Participate in Rewards sites – this may seem time-consuming however sites such as Inbox Dollars, MommyPage, Pinecone Research, Reward Survey, Toluna, and Vindale Research can really bring in the extra money that you can use for Christmas vs your budget.
• Re-gift. There’s no rule that says you can’t give a present away to someone else. Many people randomly buy gifts for others without thinking it through. They may have had good intentions when they bought the gift but that doesn’t automatically make it something you can use. If you have new items sitting around the home that you don’t want or need, re-gift them to someone that could benefit from them.

• Join Ibotta– This app will put money back into your pocket on items you purchase already every day. Another option for these rebates is Checkout51. This can be banked and withdrawn just before the Holiday.
• Volunteer your time. Christmas is the time for giving, so why not give your time and services instead of buying gifts. Volunteer to help feed the hungry, teach someone a new skill or babysit for the new parents who never have any free time since the baby arrived. You can also give vouchers volunteering your time and the recipients can cash them in later when they’re ready for your help.
• Make your own gifts. Do you ever wonder why parents and grandparents are so proud of the homemade gifts their kids give them, even when they’re not perfect? It’s because they understand the time and love the child put into making that gift. Many people consider a homemade gift to be more personal and they have more meaning than any gift money can buy. Still stumped? You can give these Hidden Gift jars a shot.
• Enter giveaways. This may seem like a long-shot, but how do you know you won’t win? You might be surprised at how much free stuff you could get this way, but you can’t win if you don’t enter. So, start filling out those entry forms and see how many free gifts you can score and give away as Christmas presents.

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While giving and receiving gifts for Christmas is nice, it’s important to remember the true meaning of Christmas. Focus more on spending time with the ones you love and less on gift giving. It will make your holiday more joyous and less stressful.