Obviously it’s not good when you get a Christmas present that you don’t really want. What are you meant to do, keep it? I know this sounds terrible, and people get really guilty about this, but how long are you meant to keep an unwanted Christmas present? My husband thinks I am mean. When I go to throw a gift way or sell it he says ” oh George gave you that..you can’t throw that away!” The problem is that after two years he agrees that we can finally get rid of the unwanted Christmas presents.

My children like turning over their christmas presents also. If they are not going to use it, they sell it and buy something they want.  Unfortunately I do not see anything wrong with this. Why be fake and say the gift is great when it’s clearly not. Why not appreciate the thought and move on. 

Why not sell you unwanted Christmas gifts and turn them into cash. If they are left in storage, soon they will be worth absolutely nothing! And all this because you feel guilty.

What about giving the gift to another friend?

Am I crazy or is there other people out there that do the same thing?

We all like to spend money on our friends and family at Christmas time and there are few things as satisfying as being able to buy and give a gift you just know the recipient will love. However, if you need to tighten your belt a little this year in the Christmas gift department, or you’re just looking to curb your consumerism here are a few tips to help you save on Christmas gifts.

1. Make a list, and check it twice

Obvious? Yes. Predictable? Yes. Pointless? No. Making a list of the people you need to buy gifts for, and working out what you are going to get them before you leave the house means you are less likely to overspend on a person. How many times have you gotten carried away collecting the perfect gifts for your sister, only to realise your brother’s present now looks too small and you need to spend even more on him now too?!

2. Make a budget and stick to it

This should be done when you make your gift list because it allows you to see just how much you are spending on the festive season and chances are you’ll be inspired to curb your spending and set a limit. Setting a limit also stops you from over spending because when you reach the budgeted price ceiling, you know you need to stop shopping. If you are struggling for csah and are going to use your credit card, consider applying for a 0% purchases card before you spend. Its going to save you some serious interest.

3. Do not wait the last minute

Shopping earlier than December can save you money on your Christmas gifts. Firstly, there is more demand for all kinds of gifts and their prices increase and their availability decreases leading shop assistants to say things like ‘I can get it in before Christmas but you’ll have to pay the extra rushed shipping costs…’ Secondly, shopping in the Christmas rush is expensive for parking, petrol and incidentals like coffee and lunch breaks in your shopping marathon, but if you pace yourself, you can save on your entire gift buying experience.

4. Shop for Christmas bonuses

If you are shopping in the Christmas rush you can still save on gifts by seeking out those great seasonal bonuses. Around Christmas time many retailers will package up products and gifts to offer gifts with purchase. While you may be tempted to boost the original recipient’s gift, you can instead use this gift with purchase as a gift for someone else on your list.

5. Make and bake

Making gifts is a sure fire way to save money so if you are handy with a sewing machine why not whip up some Christmas stockings for your nieces and nephews, or if you want to give out hampers, bake the cookies and make the jam yourself, there are hundreds and thousands of free festive recipes online.

6. Secret Santa gifts

Instead of buying gifts for all of your friends and family, why not set up a Secret Santa draw within your gift buying groups. This is as simple as putting everyone’s names in a hat, and each person draws out one name, and buys one gift, with a budget set for the gifts by the group.

7. Shop online

This is another way to save on the parking, petrol and snack costs of Christmas gift buying because you don’t have to leave the house. Plus, you can often find the same products from the stores in the mall, in online stores for much cheaper because online stores have lower overheads and staffing costs – savings they can pass onto you.

8. To wrap up…

Skip the expensive wrapping paper. Glossy Christmas patterned paper can add hundreds of dollars to your final gift budget but simple brown or white paper with coloured ribbon can make an equally impressive gift – the paper will just be ripped and recycled anyway. Or you can use non-traditional gift wrapping tools as part of the gift – why not wrap gifts in tea towels or bath towels, or make a ‘Santa Sack’ from a pillow case?

Written by Fred Schebesta. Fred writes at Savings Account Finders. He offers advice on how to compare savings  accounts and make the most of term deposit accounts

Do you love or hate Christmas?  I personally love it!!  My tree is up in November, hey you spent the money you may as well enjoy the tree for longer than one month!!  My husband loves it too (amazing hey!) he actually went out and bought like 10 trees so we have a forest – only one tree is special and is decorated and visited by Santa but all the rest add that great Christmassy feel!!

My tips for Christmas shopping is start early.

Last year I purchased water guns for all my nieces, nephews and brothers-in-law for only $4 during winter!  These guns were worth $30-40 new and by the time Christmas came around (and it was summer) they were back in the shops again at full price!!!  Didn’t I look like a great Aunty buying these expensive presents!!

Keep on the lookout for items that may be discontinued but still look like fun!  Search through the toy items at the stores like Target and Kmart.  Sometimes items might be lost in the stuffed toy section and be reduced in the computer.  I purchased a Barbie fairies outfit for only 0.04 cents once that I found hidden behind other toys!!

Have a list and write the names of all the people you need to buy presents for at Christmas and when you do get that bargain write the present next to their name – that way you’ll know you have something for them already!

Purchase goods at the Christmas sale for the next year.  We all know to buy our decorations, cards and wrapping paper in the after Christmas sales but what about other items?  In January I purchased chocolates for half price that don’t expire until June next year!!  I have put them away in my Christmas containers so when I break them out in December I will already have choccy’s waiting to eat or gift (the kids can even use them to hand out with their Christmas cards)!

Look through Crazy Clark’s & Sam’s Warehouse!  We all like to give and receive nice gifts and unfortunately these stores don’t conjure up those images  of quality gifts, but dont’ write them off.   One year I got Spiderman web throwers for only $14.95 each and the exact same toys were in Kmart for twice that much!!  So every now and then they get some good stuff so check it out, and if you are able to get it in the middle of the year most people won’t even know where you got it from!!

But if shopping early is a real turn off and you don’t want to think about Christmas early let alone shop early wait until the week before Christmas, the shops tend to reduce items the few days before Christmas – there isn’t always alot of decroations items left but hampers and the like are always handy to have around (especially if you have an unexpected relative pop in for a visit!!).  I remember one year Kamrt had 50% all Barbie items the week before Christmas – a bargain if you have little girls to buy for!!

If you see a decoration you really want you are best to buy it in those few days before Christmas as it usually is already 50% off, but if it isn’t I hope you are one  of the lucky few that can get to the after Christmas sale and buy soemthing that at 50-60% off, that isn’t broken!

Summer clothes are aways on special around January so that is also a good time to put some away for the kids for next summer and Christmas presents – especially babies who don’t care what they look like!!

I store all my pressys in a container in my wardrobe up high in the hopes the kids will not look there – I always warn them that I can return them if they look but this isn’t so easy now that Kmart and Target have changed there return policy to 28 days, but Big W hasn’t done that yet so…

Load up with Xmas Gifts early