Are you tired of browsing through holiday sales in search of the perfect gift? Maybe you find yourself impulse buying when deals hit just to have something to give your loved ones. I used to be the same way.
As the mother of two kids, I remember countless Christmases splurging on trendy toys, only for them to collect dust in a corner after the excitement had worn off. Now that my kids are 13 and 18 years old -- and thirsty for trendy gifts and the latest technology -- I found a way to give unique gifts that aren't discarded two months later.
If you're struggling to find meaningful gifts for your kids that won't cost a fortune, my approach might help you.
Create gift experiences
A few years ago, I began gifting experiences to my family. I've found that buying tickets for a trip or event creates a way to spend meaningful time together. My kids also tend to remember experiences more than opening a bunch of physical presents. As a bonus, it helps us cut down on unnecessary stuff that we'd likely toss a few months later.
The downside of an experience is you usually can't enjoy it right away -- so I've put a fun twist on this gift idea by buying my kids themed presents to accompany the experience.
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My daughter is a huge Moana fan and is excited about the latest Moana 2 release. She's been dying to see it, but the closest movie theater is nearly an hour away. So for Christmas, I'm giving her a Moana-themed gift basket with her favorite movie candy, a theater gift certificate, some microwave popcorn packets and a music box from Etsy that plays one of Moana's popular songs. Since we have a 3D printer, I'm also replicating the heart of Te Fiti from the movie, a gift I know she'll love for years to come.
I know a trip to the movies may not seem like the biggest gift, but I know my daughter will love it. When you live far from a theater, going to a movie is more special since it's not something we do often, and we get to enjoy the experience as a family.
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For my son, who goes to college in upstate New York, we're surprising him with a trip to the city. We're revealing the trip by letting him unwrap themed presents: a city guide, a metro card and a funny, New York-themed t-shirt that's just his style.
I'd rather spend the money on an experience we can enjoy together and take him to a restaurant or museum he's been wanting to visit than buy him an upgraded piece of tech when his current devices work just fine. Plus, I know he'll love figuring out what his experience gift is by unwrapping his "clues."
Not sure where to start? Here's my advice
My approach doesn't involve shopping big sales or scoring limited-time deals. It is important to still budget since experiences can be costly. I'd rather put our money towards gifts my kids actually enjoy and remember.
You don't have to spend a fortune to try this out. Maybe there's a day trip to a nearby city your child has been begging to take. You could buy small city-themed gifts to help reveal the surprise or skip the gifts altogether by wrapping up notes that give clues about what their big present is.
For my family, switching to experience gifts has helped us save money during the holidays. The real perk is how it's helped us grow closer and have more fun together.
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