Do You Plan Your Gifts?
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One reason I like when friends had gift registries for their weddings and baby showers is that I know that I'm getting something that they really want and/or would need.
I especially appreciate this as I'm cleaning up the house and going through all of our rooms and closets, sorting everything that we seemed to have accumulated over the years.
My hope is to plan my gifts in a way that allow me to give my loved ones something thoughtful (while staying within my budget).
Saving Up for Gifts
While I've given gifts spontaneously (they're fun), some of my favorite ones are the planned gifts where I found JUST THE RIGHT gift for my loved one.
Having some money saved up and stashed away just for gifts has given me opportunities to pick presents up without stressing over.
For me, I find it incredibly easy to just set up transfers into my personal savings account to keep me on track.
Automation allows me to build my savings as I go about the rest of my finances.
Planning Gifts
Every once in awhile a friend or my family will ask me what I want and when I'm put on the spot I draw a blank.
I also hate when I'm looking for a gift for someone and I know they've mentioned at some point something that caught their eye and for the life of me, I can't remember it.
I found a simple and handy solution for both problems – creating gift sheets. I have a document on my Google Drive to handle both situations. Having it online allows me to check it where I go.
Another option is pinning on pinterest, it's quick and easy to set up a board just for gifts.
I prefer using a spreadsheet because I also make notes on prices to make sure I get a good deal. Even with planning, I still have a budget that I have to keep with.
Thoughts on Planning for Gifts
I like to hear from you about how your save for gifts. How organized are you when shopping for gifts? What gifts do you like to receive?
Your are doing great with gifts. You are very organized. Whereas I am not organized about gift. My wife take care of it. But we do not have any systematical system like you. We buy something that fits with your budget. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Thanks Kevin, but the truth is I have this semi-system because it helps me stay within the budget. I can get carried away sometimes with gifts 🙂
I don’t plan every gift, but I do like to start early. I already bought my first holiday gift a few weeks ago and have several more items planned. It makes the holidays a lot less stressful starting early!
I don;t plan all my gifts either, but with having some system helps me not go over my budget (most times).