Illustration by Lillian Durand
The holidays are here, and in the time of cold fronts, early evenings and vacation time, the expectations of exchanging gifts sit heavily on the minds of many.
Gift giving, whether for Secret Santa, Christmas or Hanukkah, is one way people express gratitude or love for one another. Budgeting or not, gifts are meant to be thoughtful.
Here are different ways people can budget for the holiday, from steps they can take to make gifts to inexpensive gift ideas.
In budgeting, the first step is to set an overall budget and decide who to give gifts to this holiday season. Write out a list of people, the ideal budget or max to spend and gift ideas.
Psychology sophomore Brianna Aguirre Garcia said she budgets by planning out what she wants to get for her family. Since she tends to give multiple presents, she said that she estimates the costs and tries to buy the presents individually.
“It can be hard, but I usually just try to plan it out ahead of time,” Aguirre Garcia said.
Ideally, she said she tries to spend under $100 per person. For students preparing to get gifts, she recommends that they plan ahead and don’t do it last minute, she said.
“Really think about the presents you’re gonna give,” Aguirre Garcia said.
When it comes to acquiring gifts, it can be challenging to find the best stores and prices. Take advantage of student discounts and annual deals. Many stores offer students discounts or promotions and have sales or coupons available to people on their email list.
“I really like going out and buying presents, because it’s a very fun time, and I like to see their reactions,” she said. “I feel like that’s what matters most in the end.”
For craftier people, there are alternative options for the perfect gift. Handmade crafts like bracelets, pottery, blankets and paintings are a unique way to express gratitude during the holidays.
Using resources available to students on campus, like the FaLab, which gives students access to various equipment and training, gives students the opportunity to make personalized art and crafts.
For the holiday season last year, Isabel Garcia, education, math and science junior, said she learned how to crochet and sold her crocheted crafts at markets around Dallas to get her immediate family gifts.
For others, she handmakes gifts or does a nice gesture.
“I can give you my time, because that’s the most valuable thing I have.” Garcia said.
She uses resources like Adobe softwares for drawing and creating posters. For students, she recommends finding crafts that a student might be good at or trying different mediums like crochet and painting.
“You just got to try and keep trying,” said Garcia. “You’re gonna mess up, sure, but it’s really about making the gift for the person and catering it to them. It’s not always about how much you spend on somebody.”
@atclements03