The gift-giving season is almost here. And with it comes the obligation to spend a lot of money buying gifts for kids, friends, relatives, co-workers . . . the list can be pretty long. How do you avoid spending too much money at this time of the year. Here's one tip: Set a limit on the cash you'll spend on gifts. Even if it requires you buy many cheap gifts, that's a sacrifice you should be willing to make as long you fulfill your obligations.
I limit myself to family and the friends that basically count as family. I think it gets pretty silly when people feel obligated to give gifts to so many additional people. If you enjoy making lots of cookies and want to give a small plate to many people, that's fine, enjoy doing that. But it's crazy for others to have to feel obligated to do something like that. Gift giving should be something the giver enjoys as well as the receiver. If you feel under pressure, step back and re-evaluate. Don't let other people's ideas force you into spending too much or getting overburdened.
What if you get gifts from many people? Say a number of the people who you work with get you gifts. Of course you aren't obligated to buy them gifts in turn but supposing they send you gifts for 2 years in a row, wouldn't you be forced to at least buy get them something no matter how cheap it might be?
