Frugal Holiday Hacks: Budget-Friendly Gift Ideas That Actually Wow!
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Hey, everyone, i'm gene chat sky. Thank you so much for joining me today. On her money, are you marking your calendars for black friday or cyber monday? They are coming up fast.

And by the way, so a week at her money, we are marking our calendars. Me personally, maybe for a little self gifting my work tote bag, which I spurge on literally twenty years ago and have been advertising ever since. IT has had IT, and there are several replacements that I have my iron, but i'm not the only one doing a little shopping.

IT looks like folks are expected to spend more than ever this year, around seventeen hundred dollars per person. That's according to research from the yet. So we thought that might be fun to bring our pals joe syriana and James Smith cohoes of the frugal friend's podcast back on the show, answer some of your shopping questions.

We had jill chen on the show back in much of last year talking about how to have money. Conversations with your friends will link to that in the show notes. And they've got a new book called by what you love without going broke, transform your spending and get more of what money can buy.

Love that title. congratulations. Great to see you guys.

Yeah so much, jean.

Thanks for having this back.

Yeah absolutely before we get into listening or questions. So let me just ask about the book is about getting control of import spending. There is no more difficult time to resist import spending then the holidays. So what's your best piece of advice for someone who has a set budget, you know, a certain amount of money that they know they can spend, they don't want to go over and yet they can't .

seem to stick with IT every year? I think transitioning your mindset from how much can I spend to a what can I get mentality, I think that's going to be the best method for staying quote on, quote under budget. So often when we when our mindset is how much can I spend and how much can I get for the amount of money I have, we always try to edge that border. And what happens is something unexpected comes up, and then we go over budget because we were trying to get as close to that how much as possible.

Instead, when we reframe the way we think about spending is how can I get what I value? How can I get as much of IT as possible with spending as little as possible and not being cheap? But how can I just focus first on how can I have free experiences that really like meet my needs for tradition? How can I get free or low cost gifts that are meaningful, not tacky, and really choose the people I am buying for? And we can, when we can start thinking in that way and in those methods, then we don't just stick to a budget. We can go dramatically under budget.

I would also add to use last year as a guide to be able to look back at the transaction inventory that we had last year. It's going to be a pretty good indicator of what this year is gonna look like. And when we go back through that inventory, we can look at as much as we can remember because I was about a year ago, but one of these things actually gave me what I wanted.

And what of these things do I wish I would have done with out and use that as a realistic guide? Maybe this year, I really do just want to focus on the gatherings and bringing good food, or this year i'm going to focus on some really thoughtful gifts. But IT doesn't. We can value anything, but we can't value everything. And they think planning ourselves in reality, looking at our previous habits, what we want to shift this year can also be a helpful launching point.

I I like your description of meaningful and not tacky. Can you give me an example of what might fell into that category?

Honestly, no gift is Better than a tacky gift, and you can make more impact and bring more meaning with just a really well written letter telling somebody like how much they have meet you over the past year that you have thought about them, asking them, thought for questions that goes way further than something that you just picked up because IT was on sale and you wanted to let somebody know that thinking about them, but they don't know how you're thinking about them.

And that gift is most likely gone to end up in a third store pile come january, right? So it's not always the thought that counts. Sometimes it's the intention.

But I think we can do a lot more creatively when we give ourselves parameter ers. So I am a huge proponent for second hand gifting, even regifting. If you know the gift is going to be loved by someone else more than it's gna be loved by you.

Big proponent for posh mark ebay, like all these second hand places. If you know somebody really need something, or is gonna love something, then that money well spent. But if you don't, then maybe it's we write a letter this year .

or even giving them something that's yours, right? Some of the things that I have, some of the best gifts i've ever received, have just been things that have belong to other people that I care about, where they ve realized that I maybe I like a more than native and have passed them along. And i've tried to do some of that in my life as well.

All right, let's dig into these listener questions, and let's start with a fun one. They came from a member of your frugal friends community. What are some frugal holiday gift ideas that people will actually find? This listener adds? I'd also love some ideas that don't take a ton of time on my end. Why is frugal gifting always equal crafting, something that takes a lot of time in my mind?

It's so well, I couldn't tell you how many times I I D received handmade ornaments from somebody and that might be you coming from my, like five year old navy. But I don't need that for my adult friends. So at one of the lines are parameters that I will give myself, especially if I ve got a lot of people that I want to give a gift to consumer ables are a great way to go, but not just your classic cookies.

Although you could do that if you make some bomb cookies do that. But I also love the infused oils, the vanilla, the spicy plans, the cocktail mixes, the things that we are gonna use in our daily, weekly cooking. That might be a slightly higher ticket item for the majority of us in our grocery budget, but isn't going to break the bank for us to purchase IT in bulk.

Spend an hour or two once creating some of these different blends, tiring them up with some nice ribbon that, yes, you can find at the throat store, and giving those things. I also love living things like a plant, really just plant, don't give pets, but propagating some of the plants that I already have. I have ton of a pathos and iv and different things kind on my property that i'm able to, okay, where a couple weeks out from the holidays start now, let those things grow some roots, get some pots from the the local third store and give these things.

So like you're saying, gene, at something of yours, maybe even write, write a little note with the history of the plan. I know I have so many propagation that were given to me from my mother, my grandmother, amants people I visited in alaska. And i'm able to say, here's where this came from and now it's going to live with you and here's some care instructions and something just really meaningful and fun that can last through the beyond the holiday season or can just be eaten and that doesn't need to be thrown away.

Yeah, I mean, I do make some bomb cookies. I attend a there two that I fall back on at the holidays. I I make a really delicious lemon record, a cookie and a great chocolate gender snap. And they both feel kind of festive to me. Yeah, I would.

So yeah.

they're delice. But listening to you talk and thinking, maybe this is the year that I start feeding. I have look at ten year old sarto starter. And maybe this is the year that I start feeding IT actively now and make little jars of IT for people with with a recipe that's .

such a great idea. I would say, think about what you're known for, kind of look like you're known for feeding people or making shower do, or any of these things doing art. These are the things that you lean into for really meaningful gifts because it'll make the people think of whether it's like little doodles.

I I think i'm such a proponent for writing letters because I am a rider, right? If you don't like writing, maybe that's not your thing. Maybe it's making the spices or feeding the sarto starter and giving that out. So lean into what makes you special. And if you don't know, ask the people you love and that'll help you give really meaningful gifts.

Let's take another one. This one comes from my team at her money. This year, a ton of people have been affected by hurricanes in florida and north CarOlina.

I know you guys live inside, pete. I I hope that you're doing OK dealing with the clean up from the damage. So for people who are dealing with large unexpected costs, whether it's a hurricane or a medical issue or something else entirely there, there are two questions. Number one, what is the best thing to give to somebody who's under this sort of a stressful situation? But number two, how do you, if you are one of these people, let everybody in your world know if they don't already you're gonna soft panel the holidays .

a little bit. yeah. Gene, thank you so much for acknowledging that IT is definitely been a rough season for us living in saint pete.

I back to a lot of people living all the way up the east coast who have been affected. And IT is rough for IT to come right before the holidays. And maybe even if you did do the financial smart thing and save, you may have had to use those savings for other things.

So first, what do you give somebody who may be dealing with this stuff? And I think this is where we get into the more meaningful gifts like conversation, which work becomes even more valuable because there were a lot of things in the aftermath of the hurricane that money could not buy, like the stores were closed, the water wasn't drinkables, all of this stuff, you couldn't buy things even if you had the money. And community really did shine through IT really did show that there are things that are under valued that really should be brought to the forefront.

And IT also showed that when salt water gets in something, that makes IT a really easy decision to decode IT, right? So where we think about less of the thing. And more of the value like how can I show this person that I am supporting them? I am thinking of them because sometimes we don't need staff.

Sometimes we just need to know that like it's two months later in in, we are still struggling and people that are not struggling have not forgotten about us. And so it's using those really meaningful ways to give gifts that I think will be more profound. And I mean, what bringing IT back to the swade started, I think a lot of people who hear love swade like we lost power for six days and lost some stuff like that.

So it's it's kind of being cogent. What would I lose if the power went out for a week? And maybe that is a great gift.

To answer the second part of your question regarding kind of what how do they speak to others if were experiencing some catastrophe, hic, natural disaster or other individual life event that interprets our finances. And this is happening for us. You know, I live out of state for where I grew up, and usually I would go back to my hometown and visit.

And this year, it's not going to be possible with all of the extra expenses that have occurred as a result of this. And I think part of the key is, is in your question, gene, that it's important to tell people, I think any time we can get out in front of experiences to be able to set expectations around finances, around what what to expect from me, the Better it's gonna go rather than just not saying anything and hoping people get IT. IT is Better before IT happens to be able to tell people, hey, this year has been extra difficult and we're going to need to just lay low both financially but also emotionally.

We just need a peaceful kind of quiet holiday season. This is the script that I am using with my own family. With that said, of course, I want to spend time with these people.

I want to show my current value. And so I I am inviting people to come to me if they would want to. And I am also planning on setting aside some more time for the the face time calls and the opportunities to connect with people, even virtually.

I think we saw through covet that well, not ideal. We can still stay connected with people through some of the through the internet, through having these video calls and finding ways to be able to still share with one another to connect with each other. Because those are the important things, at least that i'm finding, especially through some of the the loss and devastation that has happened. We wanted know that we're still cared for, that there's community there, whether or not we can still give all of the gifts or spend all of the money on the plane tickets. And what I have found is that people are very, if nobody wants me to go broke over, coming to them for the holidays, they would much prefer that I am well cared for, that I am able to be in a position of recovery and will see you in a couple of months when ticket are less expensive.

I absolutely such a good answer. And I think IT applies pretty univerSally in in any emergency or any tragic situation. We're gna take a very quick break and will be back with more of your questions and more answers from jane and cell.

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Just a reminder, they've got a new book you're gonna want to check IT out. It's called by what you love with out going broke. Transform your spending and get more of what money can buy.

All right. Here's a question from the her money community. Vivian asks, i'm thinking about opening a credit card to pay for my holiday gifts this year. Which ones make the most sense and offer best rewards?

If i'm not able to pay the baLance in full for a few months, what are good low interest options? I will let you tackle that in just a second, but let me just save if you are not able to pay IT off within a few months. I think you really need to be questioning spending the money to begin with.

My rule has always been etta paid off by february. And if it's an amount that you can't pay off by february, that you just have to flash the budget and try to do more with less. And i'm sure that you guys have a lot of ideas about that.

Yes, jim, that is exactly what we would say as well. We are never going to recommend that somebody put their Christmas on a credit card. The amount of money that you have in your checking account should be the guideline for what you are able to spend.

So not advised to, again, go broke over giving gifts this holiday season. And something I want to say, jane mentioned IT already to about the parameters. That's really what we're talking about here is the limitations of finances.

And yet, when we want to be celebratory, when we want to be generous, when we want to engage in the holiday season and do all these fun things, we can often see these parameters in limitations as deprivation. And I think one of the things we wanted do is shift that mindset to say that our parameters and limitations can actually be the context for creativity. That parameter res limitations are not bad things.

They tell us what's in bounds and what's out of bounds. These are our boundary lines, and a lot of really good things can happen within the boundary lines. One of the things that we talk about is the study that was done by harvard business review, where they looked at companies, a handful of companies, that they were given a problem to solve with unlimited resources, time, money, resources that they were unlimited, go and solve this problem. And another group of companies, they gave these teams limited resources, limited time, realistic, but still limitations in what they found is that the teams that had the limitations actually produced more creativity, Better output, Better results in solving this problem than the teams without limitations. And I think this just underscores the reality for all of us, what we might perceive to be really awful and stifling.

What if we looked at IT as but what can I get and have an experience? And how can I value my own needs and wants with the the parameters of of this context? How can I exercise my problem solving abilities, my creativity, to still engage, still have fun, not opt out, but within these confines? So I feel you, Vivian, but I would recommend to engage in this season without putting IT on a credit card if you can't pay IT off.

Yeah exactly. But if you do have the money in your checking account and you do one optimize rewards on a credit card, then this is a great season to do IT, especially if you're planning ahead to summer vacation. So whether it's a flight to somewhere a hotel day, look at where you want to stay in the area or who has the most points.

Friendly flights, sometimes the cheapest fights does in automatically equate to most optimized via point. So make sure you check that. Or you can do just like chase reward points, which are very flexible, they can transfer to a lot of different partners.

So if you're not hundred percent sure, maybe you want to to get the best of points, return on that card and then dictate your travel based on that. Or if you're like, I don't want to go to wear this summer, I just want to save get a little cash back on groceries, then you pick the one that gets the most back on grocery. So kind of think about how you want to use the rewards. And based on that, choose a card that most optimize for the next season for yo.

Yeah, I think that I think that's great advice that does seem to make sense to plan about six months out, particularly if you're booking airline tickets. Since moving to philly, we've leaned away from the delta cards that we used to optimize for and into american airlines because that's what you've lie from here most of the time. And it's been it's been a pretty good strategy.

okay. One more if this one comes from Megan, I love this Megan, a member of our her money community. I love IT because it's something that I struggle with myself. What do you do for work gifts? I got promoted earlier this year and now overseas, several departments, including the one I over previously.

I can't afford to give every single person in all of these areas a gift if I only give gifts to my direct report, i'll be omitting some people I work closely with. I've taken the department out for lunch or happy hour before, but IT ends up costing a lot. No natured has the same impact. What would you do?

This is a tough one. This is actually a chapter of our book where we just talk about money and community, money and relationships, money with co workers. This one particularly is interesting because you've got the nuance of being in a position of leadership and having others below you who you might kind of feel a little bit obligated to, which might be different from just co workers, where you might have a little bit more flexibility in how you communicate and set expectations. One of the things I would be curious about four meggan is what the company as a whole policy is around this.

Are they getting gifts from the company itself? As an employee myself in the past, I never expected for my supervisor to give me a gift out of their own. I certainly did expect some sort of gift from the company that I work for, but never was that honest on one particular individual.

So I think I I would look into that aspect. First of what is the company doing this holiday season? And in what ways can I add value to those efforts and share my appreciation for those who I work alongside with?

I would also say, similar to what jen said at the top of the episode, just about writing a letter, if you do feel as though you want to show deep gratitude to those that you work with. The words that I have received from leadership and supervisors in the past have gone so much further than any tangible. I honestly can't remember a tangible thing I ve received from a previous leader.

I can remember encouraging words though, so whether that's writing IT down or putting in an email beyond that, if he does need to come from your pocket and you do feel obligated to do something, I would say some sort of gathering, whether that's within the office or at a nearby park. And I don't think that needs to be expensive. Maybe you get a couple of pizzas or you just have some lemonade and ice and you get to kind of talk about what went well over this past year. Come with a couple of questions that might be bonding with one another as a team that time together is gonna be what stands out to people.

yeah. And again, think about what makes you unique if you are somebody y's supervisor writing a letter of recommendation for the people underneath to get promotions or doing something that will help them further their career is something only you can do for them. Their friends are not gonna be able to give them that. So just having that as a Christmas gift, hopefully IT also brings loyalty to the company, right?

If we're doing stuff like that and trying to help our employees Better themselves and to improve and then if it's people know above you, I think if you're trying to climb your corporate ladder and that's something that you really have a goal for, some of these gifts could almost be seen as investments in your career. I don't think you should like buy your way to advancement. But to an extent, if there is a way that you can gain favor with somebody who you've been trying to connect with, but you've never maybe had the courage to connect with them. And this is a way, this is an opportunity to connect in network. Then this that could be a really good use of funds and seen as an investment.

ExcEllent answers, great advice. And and a lot to think about, you know, was thinking about what we did last year at her money. We are remote these days.

Since covet, we've been remote. We now have people scattered all over the country and getting together. Last year, the holiday season was just not happening.

We sent everybody a gold bill gift card and had them ordered their own holiday party snacks. And then we had a zoo where everybody saw a brother, their own, whatever. And IT was kind of fun to see what everybody had chosen to order. So even in a remote way, these get togethers can be something to experience.

Yeah, when I was my last position, my old bus. But a gift certificate for like the continuing education credits that I was required to take. But in my he didn't necessarily wasn't in my contract that he had to pay for them, right? And so that was a gift that only really only he could give me because he, you know was the only person that knew when I needed them, right? So yeah, it's great.

That's incredibly thought about actually really, really, really nice. Jane je, thank you so much for coming on the show. What are you looking forward to getting this holiday season and and you know is particularly coming out of this stressful time in your lives. How are you going to treat yourselves some peace?

And that's what I hope. Anyway, I don't look at IT truly though. Time with people is my favorite.

And i'm realizing that more and more as I get older, last year, my husband and I hardly gave gifts to anybody, but we did exchange a few gifts with each other. We ended up returning every single gift we got for one another. And we're just like done i'm done with that. I'm not even doing gifts this year, but what I will do is have people over and have some really amazing food, and I I cannot wait for that.

Sounds sounds fantastic.

yeah. I would like to go on a date night with my husband away from our children. It's a lot because we're out of school and daycare for almost two weeks and we were like bouncing from house to house to find air conditioning and water for bathing and all of that inside.

I'm still kind of recovering, and I would like to just have a night away from them. I love them. I would also like to get away from them.

absolutely preferably in some great hotel. I wish both a very happy holiday season and a very successful book .

launch much. Thank you.

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