New ideas for your gift exchange
Last week I covered how to rethink your holiday gifting for children, but the holiday festivities don’t stop there.
Families come in many forms, and that can mean multiple holiday get-togethers. Blended families, groups of friends, extended families, work functions, you name it.
Having a gift exchange of some kind for the adults is an entertaining way to celebrate your family gathering while not overspending.
However, if you attend many events over the holidays, the expense can add up. Here are some new, fresh ideas for a gift exchange that are still affordable.
Make it a game
Sometimes during the holidays, everyone needs to lighten up and relax just a little bit. I saw a gift exchange game that looks fun called Switch, Steal, Unwrap.
There are free printable game boards online that you can prep ahead of your event. Unlike your traditional white elephant, you start by handing out a wrapped gift to everyone.
Roll the dice to find out if you switch a gift with the player next to you, steal from another person, or unwrap the item in your hand. It’s a fresh take on present opening.
Give back
If you feel like the gift exchange thing has worn out its appeal, do an event earlier in the month of December and adopt a family as a group.
Spending $30 on a drawing gift likely won’t make the impact that a single toy will make in a child’s life on Christmas morning. If you choose this option, have one person organize the drive, and assign one or more items to each family member to deliver at the family gathering.
You’ll have an amazing time knowing you’re giving a family in need a wonderful Christmas.
Share memories
The holidays are truly about togetherness, and nothing fosters that feeling quite like storytelling. Instead of a gift exchange, have everyone in the family bring one wrapped item that reminds them of a family memory.
It can be a photo, an heirloom, a souvenir from a trip, etc. Form a circle and take turns sharing the story behind the item, then pass it around. No physical gifts, just the gift of laughter and good times together.
If the idea of another white elephant makes you cringe, put your dollars to better use this year. There are many affordable ways to share the joy of the season that don’t involve spending a lot of money.
Kat’s Money Corner is posted on Dollars & Sense every Tuesday. Kat Hnatyshyn, when not blogging or caring for her little ones, is a manager with CommunityAmerica Credit Union. For more financial chatter, visit http://communityamerica.com.
This story was originally published November 16, 2017 at 4:12 PM with the headline "New ideas for your gift exchange."