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- As Christmas approaches, I feel my anxiety levels rise because I no longer want to count pennies to make sure everyone will be happy with their gifts.
- Though I don't believe it's wrong to not give gifts, I do think it helps to give family a heads up if you won’t be buying any.
- At the end of the day, what matters is that you get to spend time with the people you love.
I’ve decided not to buy Christmas gifts this year. No, I’m not the grinch, but I’ve realised that I give myself unnecessary stress every year as I count my pennies and try to make sure everyone’s happy with my gift choice.
It was easier when the kids in the family were all under five and still excited about toys. It’s harder when they’re teenagers and you still want to be seen as the cool aunt, but you haven’t quite reached rich aunt status.
I will admit that my family is not demanding, and they probably won’t care whether they receive a gift from me or not. But I also know that there are family members who will still get me a gift. Do I tell them in advance not to, or do I just take their gift, thank them and stand there awkwardly?
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It may seem like "nice life problems" but, as Christmas approaches, I already feel my anxiety levels rising.
Firstly, as a single person who has to run a home, pay bills and deal with the rising petrol prices, Christmas is the one time I wish there was someone else there to help ease the burden. When it comes to gift giving, I would usually buy individual gifts for each person in the family, but on the other hand, couples may sometimes give me a joint gift.
I have no issue with that, but it also means it’s more costly for me, the person who is single, especially if I’m the one buying four gifts for one family and getting back one joint gift from them. Again, before you judge me, this is not about the gift, it’s about how high the cost of living is. Right now, I would gladly accept a bottle of cooking oil instead of a pair of shoes. Or better still, a fuel voucher.
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So I’ve been trying to find ways to budget and get cost effective gifts without looking like a cheapskate. My other option was to leave out all the adults and just get gifts for the kids. But my gift giving circle is quite big.
In the end I opted for no gifts at all.
I know I’m not alone in this as I’ve spoken to friends who are going the same route. I do think it helps to give family a heads-up if you won’t be buying gifts. You may find that they were also thinking along the same lines, but were waiting for someone else to say something.
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Also, be kind in the way you break the news. You don’t want to guilt trip your family because of your financial situation. At the end of the day, what matters is that you get to spend time with the people you love.
It was not an easy decision because I love giving gifts. I love watching people’s faces light up as they unwrap their gift. But I had to make some hard financial decisions this year and cut out everything I considered a luxury. In the long run, I know it will be worth it. And there’s always next Christmas.
