Christmastime is a season full of memories, laughter, and quality time with family. At the same time, it can be stressful with all the party planning and gift shopping. With kids, it can be hard to keep up with the latest trends in gifts, especially when you are on a budget. Christmas shopping on a budget is easy when you can plan ahead.

Without proper planning, it is easy to overspend and impulse buy. I want to share with you the ways that you can keep Christmas gifts and party planning within your budget and make it fun for the family.

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Christmas Shopping on a Budget 101

Set a budget for your gift purchases. Before coming up with a final number, you will want to calculate a breakdown of gifts. You can create a spreadsheet to keep track of the people you are buying for and the items you plan to buy. It’s best to not only come up with the number for your spending but also decide what you will buy as well. Without knowing what you want to buy, it is easy to be led into temptation by holiday sales.

Here is an example spreadsheet for Christmas gifts:

Kid 1	$100	Dollhouse, dresses
Kid 2	$100	Bike, shoes
Spouse	$100	Camping gear
Parent 1	$25	Shirt
Parent 2	$25	Jewelry
Sibling	$25	Book, mug
Teacher	$25	Gift card
Boss	$25	Gift card
Friend	$25	Book

1. Don’t Impulse Buy on Holiday Deals

Stores make a major profit off their Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Black Friday has become such a profitable time for businesses, that it has gone from a one-day sale to nowadays a week-long sale or even longer.

Seeing big-ticket items go on sale can cause impulse buys from purchases you would not have made otherwise. Don’t be tempted by big sales. Stick to your original spreadsheet and what you plan on purchasing. If one of your gift items goes on sale, then this is the perfect time to buy. If it’s not on your list, don’t buy it.

2. Use Cashback Rewards

There are many great apps for cashback on everyday purchases, like Ibotta and Rakuten. Around the holidays, they tend to have even bigger cashback rewards. Download the apps ahead of time and set up your cashback rewards before you shop. I wrote about cashback rewards and other shop n’ save tips in my thrifty shopping post.

If you have unused rewards built up on from credit cards, now would be a great time to use them if you are Christmas shopping on a budget. Depending on the credit card, you can purchase gift cards with rewards or apply them toward statement credit.

3. Break Out Those Unused Gift Cards

You probably have a stack of unused gift cards you forgot about – we all do. Now is a great time to put them to use. You can apply them toward gifts you plan to buy or even regift them.

This is especially a good idea if you don’t shop at the store that you received a gift card to, but a family member or friend might enjoy. Gift cards typically don’t expire, so no one will know!

4. Purchased Gently Used Gifts

There is nothing wrong with buying gently used gifts - especially for kids who will outgrow them. Facebook Marketplace has a lot of great deals for electronics, sports equipment, baby gear, and more. If you see something you want to buy, be quick to respond and meet up. I have sold items on Marketplace before and have had multiple people reach out at once about what I’m selling.

I personally love shopping at Kid to Kid. It is a store for secondhand items just for kids. I can always find good purchases at great deals. I bought a Radio Flyer wagon which was $90 off the original price. I walked out of the store as a proud mama that day!

5. Plan to Buy Only for the Kids

If you are hosting or attending a Christmas party, talk to your family about just buying gifts for the kids. Instead of wondering who will buy you a gift and if you should be them one too (aunts, uncles, cousins), talk to them about just buying for the kids. Oftentimes we feel obligated to buy gifts for relatives, but don’t need to. You might find that they are on the same page as you. After all, it’s easy to buy the things we want. There is nothing like seeing the excitement of Christmas in a child’s eyes.

6. Set Up a Secret Santa Gift Exchange

You may not have kids at your holiday party, so a Secret Santa may be a better option. This will help you limit your shopping for extended family (or coworkers if it is a work party). Ask your group to fill out a list of things they like (favorite color, beverage, activity, etc.).

Draw names out of a hat that you will assign to each person at random. The list of things they like will help the gift giver so they’re not shopping at random. Each person (Secret Santa) will buy for the person they were assigned. This way, everyone gets to give a gift and receive a gift. Giving a gift to others is optional.

7. Focus on Creating Memories

While some people enjoy giving and receiving gifts, not everyone does. Some people prefer quality time together. Get in the Christmas spirit with your kids and keep gifts to a minimum. Teach your kids about the real reason for Christmas and focus on the traditions your family has created.

I had an interesting discussion with a group of moms who had asked their children what they remembered from the previous Christmas. The kids didn’t mention the latest and greatest gifts that they received. What was mentioned though, was the funny memories from a crazy uncle, or a memory of grandpa reading A Christmas Story every year. This goes to show that the bonding time is what is most memorable for a child at Christmas.

More than likely, your kids won’t regularly play with every toy you bought them – and some may even end up unused. Keep in mind that less is more this holiday season. From one mom to another, I know that the holidays can be a busy season, and I know that you want things to go smoothly for your family. But remember that cherished time together is the gift that keeps on giving.

Thank you for Reading 7 Easy Ways for Christmas Shopping on a Budget!

Thank you for reading my post, Christmas Shopping on a Budget. If you have any other suggestions for Christmas saving tips, please leave a comment. I would love to read them!