No money for Christmas gifts? Try these instead

You can spend almost nothing on the holidays and not get called a Grinch. Try these 12 creative, joyful and frugal ideas over the next 12 days.

1. Use up gift card balances

You have them stuffed in drawers, buried in emails and taking up space in your wallet. Grab your gift cards — partially used and fully loaded — and use them to put toward your holiday needs.

2. Re-gift it

OK, so definitely nothing from the personal hygiene department, but basically everything else that still has a tag on it is fair game for re-gifting. Just be thoughtful about how you do it. Don’t re-gift the same thing back to the person who gave it to you and if you’re giving a gift card, make sure the value isn’t something wonky like $17.56. Ensure it’s rounded to an even number.

3. DIY Decorate

My mother-in-law is the queen of this. She’s super creative and makes all her decorations at home. So, rather than buying any new decorations, see what you have in your storage tubs first, then craft away. This is an especially fun thing to do if you have young kids. My toddler is obsessed with making ornaments from tongue depressors — the sticks doctors use to check your sore throat. We have dozens at home. Isn’t that a sign of the times we’re living in?

4. Make Secret Santa a trading game

Secret Santa is where you just get a gift for one person rather than for everyone. Now, imagine you and everyone else make that gift something you already own, like a cast iron pan you don’t use. Make it something that can be traded; you can trade and steal from people who are participating in the exchange.

5. Sell things you don’t need

Raise a bit of money by clearing out the clutter in your home and selling what you don’t need. I recently sold a work-from-home compilation — monitor, ergonomic keyboard, mouse and webcam — for $250. This works the other way around, too. You can purchase some amazing presents second-hand, too. My son is getting some hockey gear from Santa this year and it’s used. He won’t know the difference.

6. Libations taste better when they’re on sale

Look for deals and coupons on alcohol, including buy one get one free. Also, use up the last dribs and drabs of bottles you have kicking around the house before buying more.

7. Do your returns

Have you been sitting on a return or two? Now is the time to get your refund or exchange the item for something or someone on your holiday list. If you’re past the returns policy date, see if you can still get store credit.

8. Cash in your points

Last week I tallied up the value of my loyalty points and they’re worth $251. What are yours worth? It’s the perfect time to use your points toward anything you need this season. BTW, it’s OK to use some of these points on yourself, especially if it’s for self-care — this season can be pretty hectic. So grab that bubble bath or beard oil and relax between your Zoom calls and social-distance carolling.

9. No list, no leaving

Don’t leave your house without a list. This will instantly put money back into your pocket because you won’t impulse buy. And a fun little pro tip on impulse buying. When the urge arises this season, grab your phone, go into your mobile banking app, move $10 from your chequing account into your savings account. That urge to buy reindeer ears for your dog will have subsided by the time you log out.

10. Discount shop for your groceries

You can shave 20 to 30 per cent off your holiday grocery bill by shopping with a discount grocer. This can also be done through local markets where you’re purchasing what’s in season and from local growers. Always make a meal plan first, then get your ingredients. Price match and use coupons. If you’re hosting a few people, make it a potluck so you’re not on the hook for the whole cost of the meals.

11. Do stockings and no gifts

During lean times it’s sometimes impossible to buy gifts. Why not focus on stockings filled with homemade items — hello shortbreads and Mason jar snow globes! My brother made me the most beautiful bookends a few years back and they’re pieces of art. Even if you fill the stockings with lower-priced items, they’ll still be a fraction of the price rather than trying to buy gifts for everyone.

12. Bring your holiday experiences home

Do things a bit closer to home that cost nothing — baking, crafting, skating, walking, tobogganing and even going to holiday markets during non-peak hours when entry is free.

Even if you pick and choose just a handful of these ideas, you’re going to save money on the holidays and you’ll set yourself up for a prosperous 2022.

This article was originally published in The Star. Lesley-Anne Scorgie is a Toronto-based personal finance columnist and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star.