Happy Wednesday! 

I hope you're having a great week so far. The weather is starting to get really nice over here in Melbourne. Tj and I took advantage of it yesterday evening and went out for dinner on a nearby patio. The other night was warm so I slept with the balcony door open a crack, and I felt like such a Scrooge in the morning complaining about how loud the birds were, and then I realised how nice it is to hear the birds again (just maybe not at 5:00 am).

I have always enjoyed giving gifts more than receiving. There is nothing I love more than the 'Nailed it!' feeling I get when someone loves a present. I'm a big fan of getting people something they wouldn't buy for themselves. A gift is a good time to treat someone. But as I get older, I'm realising that more practical gifts can also be fun. Tj bought be some new gym socks the other week and I am loving them haha.

I don't like giving gifts just for the sake of giving someone something because it's Christmas, but I also don't want to not get them anything. So how do you balance wanting to spoil the ones you love and not breaking the bank?

Do a gift exchange - Set a  price limit and pick names out of a hat (or use an online name picker like Namedrawing or Elfster). I prefer secret Santa where you are buying a gift for a specific person, not a generic gift that can be stolen, but that's just me. 

Have a theme - Some of my cousins and I will do theme gifts every year. It’s fun and it makes shopping easy. You can save money by buying things in bigger packages - for example, I got a package of ten lip glosses and split them up by who would like which colours. Choose a theme that won't cost too much. Some other theme ideas: mugs, mittens, nail polish, pyjamas, accessories, socks, books! My girlfriends and I do a favourite things gift exchange every year and I always look forward to it. Bonus idea: combine a theme with the secret Santa gift exchange above.

Make something - Homemade gifts are so sweet and you can find so many ideas on Pinterest. My cousin Alice made me a pillowcase with my name on it when I was a kid and I still have it haha. My other cousin Taylor made me a recipe box and filled it with some family favourite recipes. Those things didn't cost a lot but they are very meaningful and also useful. You can even bake your best recipe and give that out.

Buy gifts throughout the year - I try to buy things all year round and put them aside. I’ll only buy it if it's something I know the person will love and if it's a really really good deal. It is nice when it's getting close to the holidays and my shopping is already partially done (just resist the urge to top the present off with more presents — don't go overboard).

Shop the Boxing Day sales - I've found the last few years there are actually pretty decent sales leading up to Christmas, but if there are some people you aren't seeing until after Christmas, then you might be best to see what goes on sale on Boxing Day.

Do a treasure hunt - You don’t have to buy big expensive presents, sometimes the experience can be part of the fun. Why not hide the present and leave clues so they can find it. Or wrap something small in lots of bigger boxes so it’s a game.

Give to someone in need - Sometimes it’s nice to give to someone in need. Tell your loved ones that this year you don’t want to exchange presents and help out someone else instead. Our church has a tree with gift ideas for people in the community. The bridal salon where I got my wedding gown was collecting items for dogs in shelters. And my friend’s business does a snowsuit drive every winter. When my brother was little my mom would take him to the toy store and let him pick out one toy he really really wanted for himself. Then she’d have him donate it. Presents aren’t a mandatory part of Christmas, and if gift giving is feeling like a chore, made giving back will give you some holiday cheer.

Re-gifting - This one might be the most controversial idea on my list, but I am not opposed to some creative re-gifting. The reality is that sometimes you will get something that you don’t need/already have/don’t have space for/doesn’t fit or for whatever other reason, you’re just not going to use. In some cases, I think it’s perfectly reasonable to re-gift that item to someone who will use it. Just be sensitive about who it was from, who you are giving it to, and what condition it is in.

I hope these ideas will help you stay within your budget when buying gifts this year!