Many of us feel an intense pull during Christmas because of the pressure to find the perfect gifts for our loved ones—but your budget needs looking after, too
December often calls for careful planning and restraint. It’s true that you may indulge a bit more in food, drink, and spending—but embracing this season doesn’t mean surrendering to excess. There’s a fine line between enjoying the holiday spirit and unbridled indulgence, and that distinction largely depends on a strategic approach. Certainly, one option is to spend freely and face the consequences in January…potentially starting the new year with regret. Alternatively, you can set yourself up for a smoother start to 2025 by following MEGA Style’s plan to help you navigate the holidays without overspending.
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Establish a Limit
Setting a budget for holiday gifts may seem obvious, but it often proves challenging. Begin by reviewing your bank balance and deducting your “needs”—essential monthly expenses such as housing, food, and other fixed costs. Assess the remaining amount: realistically, how much of it can you allocate to gifts?
Avoid spending on gifts in a way that incurs debt or adds to any existing debt. The goal is to work strictly within your current available funds—not relying on your next paycheck, an expected bonus, or hoped-for savings from the coming year.
Avoid Under- or Over-gifting
There’s a pre-holiday conversation that people skirt around but might be essential: “How do we want to handle gifts this year?” One of the trickiest aspects of gift-giving is managing expectations to avoid imbalance. When everyone agrees on a spending cap—whether it’s PHP 2000, PHP 500, or another amount—it makes the process more enjoyable and less stressful.
There is also the group-gift approach, such as pooling funds with siblings to get your mother the bag she’s been eyeing, organizing a Secret Santa exchange with cousins, or contributing collectively to a family outing. Often, splitting the cost of a short out-of-town staycation may bring more joy to everyone involved. After all, most people appreciate a practical approach to gifting—even those with higher incomes have their own financial responsibilities and goals.
Make Your Own Naughty or Nice List
It might help your gift-giving approach to separate your recipients. For the sake of the holiday spirit, you have the naughty and nice: for the former, you select a variety of lower-cost gifts for a broad circle of people. For the latter, select a few for whom you allocate a higher budget.
For example, you might choose five people—such as immediate family members or significant others—to include in your “nice” list. Then, the “naughty” ones might include friends who will receive a book, a plant, or something general and foolproof. The strategy here is to define the size of each group, assess your current funds, and calculate what the budget is per category. By establishing how many people fall into each list, you can determine how much money you have to spread around between them.
Gift an Experience—or, Time
Experiences can create lasting memories and deepen connections in a way that physical gifts often don’t—they’re also intimate and don’t cost much. Whether it’s a concert or a cooking class, experiential gifts show thoughtfulness and give the recipient something to look forward to and cherish.
Remember What the Holidays are Really For
Don’t buy extravagant gifts simply to impress others. After all, the value of a gift isn’t measured by its price tag, but by the thought and care behind it. Focus on presents that reflect your relationship with the recipient, rather than feeling obligated to outdo expectations.
Photos and Featured Image: IMDB, SGPRESS, MUBI (via Website), GLEE OFFICIAL (via Instagram)
