It’s that time of year… time to start thinking about and planning for the holidays!

It was my great joy to put together these gift idea lists to help you to shop for everyone on your list this Christmas season! Knowing that there are many reasons for potential shipping delays this year, it’s not a bad idea to get an early start on your shopping lists for Christmas gifts. I hope the following gift guides bring you lots of inspiration as you are preparing your own wishlist or shopping for someone you love!

Gift Ideas for Everyone on Your List:

Tips for Saving Money This Christmas

Just because it’s the holiday season and we’re used to giving presents, it doesn’t mean that over-spending should be the focus of the season! Here are a few quick tips for ways to save money this holiday season:

Make a Budget
Honestly, this is one that you should really have set for the entire year! My husband and I tend to set a budget that we can build towards over time and make sure we aren’t overspending around the holidays. It might fluctuate a bit from year to year, but it’s so helpful to know how much we are going to spend at the max and be careful not to exceed that budget overall. If you’re looking for a great budgeting app, we LOVE using the YNAB app!
Shop Early
It’s been all over the news that there will likely be unprecedented shipping delays for items this year, so shopping early is almost a necessity. But shopping early can also keep you from needing to pay extra for expedited shipping just to get something to arrive on time.
Look for Sales
Be ready with your wishlists early so that you can keep an eye out for holiday sales and take advantage of something when you see it at a good price! I wouldn’t be surprised if we see even EARLIER sales pop up this year, not just around the typical Black Friday shopping time!
Use Coupons
If you are an Amazon Prime member, you have likely seen all of those green “clip coupon” links whenever you are browsing or shopping on Amazon - don’t forget to click on those! You can find some amazing deals when using coupons. This also goes for any other stores that you shop at frequently - pay attention to your rewards, coupons, deals of the day, and so on - and purchase something when you see it’s a good deal.
Pay Attention to Price Match Guarantees
Many stores are offering their Price Match Guarantees at this time of year. Some of that goes for shopping at different stores and then finding it at a better price where you tend to shop most often, but it can also mean getting money back if you purchase something and it later goes on sale within your price match guarantee window. Always read the fine print!
Browse Thrift Stores or Facebook Marketplace
Just because you may be shopping for specific items, doesn’t mean they always have to be brand new - especially when it comes to toys for young kids! Consider checking out local thrift stores or browsing Facebook Marketplace for some of your “big ticket” items that might be on your list this year and give it a new life in your home (and maybe a really good cleaning, too). Items that are great to find on FB marketplace or at thrift stores are power wheels cars, play equipment for kids, furniture, or play kitchens. The opportunities are endless when you have some time to browse for good deals!
Create a System for Gift Giving with Extended Family
The larger your family grows, the more expensive the gift-giving can become! On my husband’s side of the family, the siblings (all grown adults) now do a gift exchange where we are only shopping for one sibling or spouse (but not your own spouse), rather than shopping for everyone in the family. This is a great way to keep your shopping budget in check and still be able to find something meaningful for everyone. Most years we just literally pulled names from a hat and put it back if it was our own name or our spouse, but we have also used an online gift exchange service. You can check out Giftster.com for an online name exchange option!