This may be the year more people give in to their inner pragmatist and actually make – and stick to – a gift buying budget. Here are 12 smart ways to stretch spending without coming off like Scrooge
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This year let simple inspirations, not grandiose aspirations, be your guide as you shop for holiday gifts. To please everyone on your list while staying within your budget, look beyond the season’s hot items and focus instead on practical, yet pleasurable presents. And don’t worry; you won’t be alone in your approach. “Saving is contagious,” says Tim Henderson, consumer strategist for Iconoculture, Inc., a consumer research company in Minneapolis. In years past, “We went through aspirational buying, looking for the higher-priced item,” says Henderson. This season, he believes shoppers will prefer to give practical gifts: purchases the recipient needs, that promote good causes or that display the giver’s talents. So don’t be too quick to dismiss the adage,“It’s the thought that counts.” Think – and then find ways to give your loved ones simple, enjoyable gifts. Here are some ideas. Small Indulgences The Moisture Stick, a roll-on moisturizer to relieve dry knees, elbows, cuticles, lips and more, weighs half an ounce, is suitable for carry-on luggage and comes in five scents, including Rosemary Mint and Tangerine Melon ($5, Deep Steep). A battery-operated, stainless steel milk frother will whip hot milk into a foamy cap for coffee in minutes (Aerolatte, $10 - $30). Personalized Gift Baskets Amplify the impact of an assortment of practical gifts by assembling them in a themed gift basket. You can create a personal yet economical indulgence basket, following a tip from Jennifer Melnick Carota, a licensed therapist and gift-shopping strategist in the Pittsburgh area. Buy lotions and potions in sets and break them up, so one basket gets the lotion, another the dusting powder. Here are a couple of tantalizing suggestions: Extra Rich Shea Butter comes in floral and fruit scents as well as unscented ($7.50 for a 0.35-ounce tin, Mistral). An affordable set of body luxuries includes solid perfume, body butter, soy candle and a set of matches. The sets are available in one of four scents: Avalon Juniper, Mediterranean Fig, Tuscan Blood Orange and Hawaiian Ruby Guava ($12.95, Pacifica). Modest Gifts in Great Packages Make the wrapper as meaningful as the gift. For example: Buy a bag of ground coffee, put it in an attractive coffee mug and wrap. Add a measuring spoon to the ribbon. Buy a small ice bucket; set two Champagne flutes and a small bottle of Champagne in the bucket. Wrap. Pick up a pair of women’s socks in a fun color or pattern. Fill with nail polish and pedicure supplies.
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