by Hope
Every year around this time, I get stressed a bit about balancing good financial choices and my desire to spoil my kiddos for Christmas. Add to that, the cost of shipping gifts across the country doesn’t exactly scream “budget-friendly.” With adult kids scattered around, I’m reminded that every gift also comes with a shipping label and a price tag that just keeps creeping up.
This year, my holiday budget is solely dependent on my $5 savings that I started early this year. I started back in January, putting aside those fives, and it’s added up! But even with my “$5 stash,” I am going to have to get creative about how to give gifts that don’t break the bank and still feel special.
Here are a few frugal, sentimental gift ideas to keep things meaningful without overextending. I hope they help you find a little balance too:
1. Family Recipe Book
My kids might live all over, but one thing that keeps us connected is the food we all grew up with. This is what I did last year and they all love it! I gathered our go-to dishes, from holiday cookies to comfort foods, typed them up, and added little stories or memories tied to each recipe. I even digitized it and shared with them (and my siblings) for them to add their own. This isn’t just a cookbook; it’s like handing over a slice of family history they can pass on someday. Plus, if you format it simply, you can email it and save on shipping!
2. Memory Jar or Journal
I know, this sounds a bit crafty, but hear me out: a memory jar or journal can be one of the most heartfelt gifts. I’ve done this a couple of times, filling a jar with little notes about memories we share, funny stories, pictures, or life lessons I’d like them to remember. When they’re having a tough day, they can pull one out and feel a bit of home no matter where they are. If mailing a jar isn’t practical (or affordable), you can use a small notebook or journal. It’s budget-friendly, and they always seem to love it! (I’m working on an alternative to this one for this year, but it’s still just an idea noodling around in my head.)
3. Plan a “Gift of Time” Day Together
Now that my kids are adults, they don’t expect things as much as they appreciate time and experiences. Instead of a physical gift, I’ll plan a day or activity for us to enjoy together whenever we’re able to be in the same place. (Like our New York trip a couple of years ago.) It could be anything from a coffee date, a hike, or even a homemade dinner of all their favorites. The memories from a day like that? Priceless. And the best part: there’s no shipping cost involved.
The holidays can be a financial struggle, especially when you’re balancing the desire to give meaningful gifts with a budget (that $5 stash only goes so far!). The small, heartfelt gifts remind me that giving thoughtfully can mean just as much as giving lavishly—if not more. The focus should be on connection, and that’s the kind of gift that doesn’t need wrapping paper or a shipping label.
Do you have ideas to add to the list?
Hope is a creative, solutions-focused business manager helping clients grow their business and work more efficiently by leveraging expertise in project management, digital marketing, & tech solutions. She’s recently become an empty nester as her 5 foster/adoptive kids have spread their wings. She lives with her 3 dogs in a small town in NE Georgia and prefers the mountains to the beaches any day. She struggles with the travel bug and is doing her best to help each of her kids as their finish schooling and become independent (but it’s hard!) She has run her own consulting company for almost twenty years! Hope began sharing her journey with the BAD community in the Spring of 2015 and feels like she has finally in a place to really focus on making wise financial decisions.
I would rather my mom not give me anything, she gives me way too much already. I think your kids must feel the same. The best gift you can give them is always making sure you’re OK. I love these sentimental / low cost ideas.