8 Tips If You Are Broke This Holiday Season

[Anonymous]

Not everyone has heaps of cash ready and waiting for them to use for the holidays. Some people really do need to focus on paying down their credit cards, loans, bills, or spending what little extra they do have, on their smaller family. In the meantime, here are a few things you can do if you are strapped for cash this year.

1. Be honest

If you are broke, it is what it is. Most people have experienced that feeling at least once in their lives, and if that time is now for you, except it, and work on getting yourself out of that position, but don't try to fake it until you make it, when faking it means you run into more credit card debt or can't afford to eat next month. Simply tell people, I love you, but I'm broke this year and can't do gifts.

2. Offer an experience

If you are good at something...guitar, speaking another language, cooking, photography, dancing...offer friends and family a coupon for you to teach them a new skill as opposed to a tried and true gift. This gives you a chance to spend real quality time with family and friends and to get them more involved in what you already love to do.

3. Sell your stuff

If you need to do a little spring cleaning anyway, go through your stuff and find stuff worth selling on ebay, half.com, amazon, Craigslist, the local paper, whatever. This may get you a little extra cash for some smaller gifts if you are so inclined.

4. Make something

Whatever it is you can make or find on Pinterest to make, make it, and gift it.

5. Gift them with their favorite treats

Nothing says I love you, like showing up with a box of their favorite treats to last them a month. If they eat X candy bar or X favorite chips, hit up the dollar store and stock up.

6. Offer up your time

Offer to watch their kids, the dog, their house, whatever when they need some rest and relaxation or to go out of town so they don't have to struggle to find someone to do it.

7. Offer up a day road trip

Offer up a day long road trip to a nearby town/city so you can spend the day just relaxing, grabbing a lunch or bringing your own picnic lunch, and hanging out.

8. Do secret Santa

Have the family sign up to do secret Santa exchange where you draw a name from a hat or wherever, and you secretly buy just one gift for that person, and you only need one gift as opposed to "having to buy" for everyone.

[cupidkisses]

yeah we must all be honest when we are broke. It reminds me of my last brithday. i was broke n didn't have any money left. my friend asked me out to eat some cake for my birthday... instead of telling a lie i told him i am broke n he told it is my birthday n he will pay for me.

[Likes2drive]

Yeah there are a few good tips here and my kids know I don't have much this year because of my situation so making things is a good idea and things to sell on eBay could work. Nice take though

[vonasaurus]

being a student, this definitely comes in handy.

December is a very expensive month for me. my husband's birthday is the week before Christmas and i have about $500 in textbooks to buy for the upcoming term... my family already knows that they won't be getting expensive stuff this year (esp since they live across the country from me and it costs me an extra $20-30 just to send the package, on top of what i've already paid for the gifts themselves).

non-store-bought gifts aren't actually an option in this case, since i can't send cookies without them going bad or fly across the country on a whim... my mom told me not to get her anything, but i told her i can't do that; part of Christmas fun for me is spoiling the people i love.

[myTake Owner]

your mom definitely sounds like mine. Back in college she would not let me spend any money on gifts. She pre-emptively told our family that I was a broke college student and needed to use all her money for her education and living expenses. I'm so glad she did too, because it was true, and my family totally understood.

[Jxpxtxr]

Being broke is really no excuse for no gifts. You can always get something small and if it is only baking biscuits (which is a brilliant small gift idea especially if you're good at baking and costs virtually nothing!) or writing a personal letter to everyone.. just be creative.

[myTake Owner]

To be clear, gifts are not a requirement of life or to be friends or family with someone. Gifts are always optional, and if you aren't creative, you don't have any money because you're trying to deal with and handle your financial situation, than friends and family should accept that. If they don't, that says more about them, then it does of you. I've never been hurt or felt like I needed a gift from someone, if I didn't receive one from them at Christmas, which is why the time option is wonderful. Giving your time to them and hanging out and creating a memory and experience can be totally free and is and should be more valuable than something from a store anyway.

[Jxpxtxr]

Did you even read my opinion?
I was never talking about stuff you buy in stores to begin with

[myTake Owner]

... you said, being broke is not an excuse for no gifts as if gifts were mandatory. Whether you make or create or buy them or not, they aren't mandatory, nor does one need an excuse not to get someone an optional gift.

[Jxpxtxr]

"... as if gifts were mandatory."
That's an assumption YOU made. Truth is, I don't care if somebody gives me a gift or not but if they come up with stupid ass excuses like "I'm broke" it would anger me because there's so many things you can make into gifts that don't involve spending money.

[myTake Owner]

it's an assumption that is now seemingly proving true. I'm broke is not an excuse, but the truth for some people. And again, if one is not creative and can't make something, what is wrong with them saying, let's just hang out sometime? The focus should not be on gifts or making someone feel bad because they don't have any money or creativity for that matter to make you something.

[Jxpxtxr]

You don't seem to be getting the point of what I'm saying at all tbh..

[myTake Owner]

... I'd say exactly the same thing

[19magic]

Probably should this year, but it's something I doubt I'll end up doing around 350 in my grand overdraft at the moment. Got to pay out 425 at the end of the month and still pay for living expenses. Christmas prezzies and bday to but and trains home yay gunna be officially broke

[Mofunfour20]

This is good if you're broke or thriving. Great ideas

[Centurion20000]

Or buy every member of the family and friends a simple present like socks, a book in a particular genre or even a box of chocolate covered cherries.

Year of the Socks
Year of the Cherries

Those will make wonderful jokes and memories later down the line when you have more wealth and more Christmases.

[myTake Owner]

Good idea. One year I gave everyone a different themed calendar from the dollar store... and everyone said the same thing... we totally need one of these for home... office, wheverever, and now they didn't have to buy one. Only cost me about 18 dollars and some change for everyone.

[vishna]

Hallelujah, I needed this! SO broke, so stingy, so many bills, too many expectations.

[myTake Owner]

All at once, a! :o)

It's one day a year. Save your money and take care of the living you need to do first before you can spend what's maybe left over.

[Anonymous]

I do not think you know the true meaning of broke until there is a $0 amount in your wallet and you are unemployed with no money coming in. I would take a minimum wage job at this point

[Anonymous]

thanks, I needed this unfortunately. :(

[Adigelunar]

good take