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Are you among the group of people who plan to spend an average of $929 on gifts this holiday season?* Or are you on the other side of the fence thinking that is a lot of money? You don’t have to spend almost a thousand dollars there are plenty of ways giving gifts on a budget can happen. If your husband’s primary Love Language is receiving gifts you may feel a bit pressured to ensure your gift is just right in return driving that price tag up. But there is hope! There are ways to indulge your man who likes getting presents while giving gifts on a budget. It just may require a shift in your thinking if you feel like you have to spend a lot of money on gifts.
3 Secrets to Remember when Giving Gifts on a Budget
#1: It’s the best investment
To know that your hubby is going to feel loved when you give him a gift means you know that gift is like an investment into your relationship.
Gary Champan said it best when he said,
If you are to become an effective gift giver, you may have to change your attitude about money.
We often find money for the things we deem important. “Low energy. Must get a coffee.” “Another meeting… better grab a quick drive through lunch.” “I just don’t have anything to wear to this event. Have to go shopping.”
When we make choices and small changes in our budget to make sure we can purchase small meaningful gifts for him we are investing in our relationship and filling our husband’s love tank!
If you are wanting to find a few extra bucks to help you with giving gifts on a budget check out the latte factor. Ryan and I recheck our latte factor ever few months to make sure we are staying on track with our general budget.
#2 Gift of self
Giving the gift of self is simply being there for your spouse. Spending time with them or being there for support. This gift typically takes no money at all! This is a gift because our men understand we are giving up our time to be there. Simple ask your man when is a time that you could give the gift of self.
You could also take it a step further. Do something with him that he enjoys that you don’t typically do with him or particularly enjoy yourself. You would rather not watch the football game, fish, play golf or be under the hood of a car. But what would it mean to your guy if you gave him the gift of doing something he enjoys doing and doing it together. Of course, you get to come at this as a true gift. Committing to doing it and then complaining the whole time would not be a gift at all.
#3 Free gifts
Gifts don’t have to cost anything! Gifts are to be meaningful, but that does not mean they have to cost. You can make something for him. Pick him flowers. Find a free sample of something he might like. Recycle something. There are so many options other than store bought items!
Another way to giving gifts on a budget using free gifts would be use gift cards you have laying around or redeem reward points on any reward programs you use. You could get real creative by trading something you have or services you can provide for a gift. Smaller local places or start ups might be up for this.
I hope these 3 secrets helped you to think of ways you can do giving gifts on a budget for your husband. Our budget is very important, but so is making our man feel loved. In the end though, I believe there are plenty of ways to give meaningful gifts that our men will love without spending close to $1000!
Extra Tip: I use Ebates.com and Dubli.com for all my online shopping to help save money. I have a little tool bar that is installed so anytime I am on a website that has cash back option it alerts me. I then receive a check every quarter from my savings! I use this money to then buy gifts.
What is an inexpensive gift you have given or made for hubby?
Until Next Time- Truly Love,
Cassie
My husband’s birthday falls right around Christmas, so I feel like I have double the gift pressure this time of year! My husband loves to go fishing and I’m not as big a fan so I go with him as a gift in the brrr winter. Also, I’ve given him a painting of our home, and I am NOT an artist. But he keeps it up still in his office!
Very good ideas Pam! Those are probably some of his best gifts!
Thank you for the suggestions! Hubby’s birthday is in January so it is time to really start planning all the gifts. While gifts is not either of our language of love, gifts were always big in my family. So now it’s time to carry on the tradition!
Same for us. Gifts are not either of our love languages either, but I try to not over look them. Have fun planning the gifts, Chloe!
I have a friend who’s husband neither gives her gifts nor the gift of his time and their marriage is now in crisis! So what you’ve reminding us to do here, Cassie, is so very important. I also feel like you’ve reminded us that it’s not about the gift so much as the love that is behind the gift. Great thoughts and thanks for sharing them at Wedded Wed!
Knowing and speaking your spouse’s love language is a crucial part of making the marriage work! Thank you for providing a great link up!
Those are awesome tips and quite true. My kids had a special piggy bank that had a section for spending money, a section for saving and a section for charitable giving. I think that’s a great approach to holiday budgeting, too.
Gifts for close friends and relatives are a given. Gifts for extended family and acquaintances are great if you have the wherewithal. Gifts for complete strangers seems an extravagance, but you are truly blessed if absolutely nobody in your personal social circle is in genuine need. Some folks are and they’re grateful for the kind consideration of strangers.
An unexpected gift of food launched Tony Robbins on a lifelong crusade to feed more and more people, year after year. You just never know what the seeds of your kindness will blossom into!
I am with you, Rob. You get to have some kind of budget and rules or the spending would never end. Our family enjoys budgeting to do extra random acts of kindness to people to bless them close to the holiday season. Obviously this can happen any time of the year, but around Christmas feels even more special when you know some families are struggling or working extra hours to try to create a Christmas for their families.