“Help! I’m not ready for Christmas!”
From pinpointing last-minute gifts to setting a festive mood fast, our experts share tension-taming ways to celebrate the holiday!
Save on gifts Score many with one
A great way to save time and money? Buy a gift basket and repackage the contents into smaller presents, advises savings expert Trae Bodge. “You’ll find huge baskets filled with everything from beauty products to gourmet snacks at BJS and Costco,” she says. Not a member of a wholesale store? At The Home Depot, gift baskets are brimming with Ghirardelli chocolates for less than $30!
Send unique gift cards
A new free app is making it easy to send ultra-personalized gift cards in seconds. “It’s called Giftya, and it lets you choose a dollar amount for almost any merchant, even local businesses,” reveals Bodge. “Say your mom has a favorite manicurist in town— even if that business doesn’t have gift cards, you can text her a Giftya and she’ll be able to use it when she goes for her holiday mani.”
Head to the drugstore
“In the last days leading up to Christmas, you’ll find steep savings—as much as 50% off— on everything from decorations to cute teddy bears, at the drugstore,” says Bodge. And be sure to check out the photo department: You can create a photo book in an hour, even on the 24th, for as much as 40% off. “These gifts are so meaningful, and no one will ever know they only took an hour to make!”
Lift their spirits
An inspiring way to share the joy of the season and relieve stress? Pick up an inexpensive journal for a loved one and give it a “head start,” urges savings maven Jeanette Pavini. “On the first few pages, I write some of my favorite quotes and include an inscription, encouraging the giftee to finish the journal with their favorite affirmations,” she says. “It only takes minutes and I feel so much joy afterward.”
Make it easy Create a jolly ambience
It’s easy to make merry mood lifters in minutes. “All you need is pine greenery—in giveaway bins at home-improvement stores— and candles,” says savings pro Mary Hunt. “Nothing makes your home more beautiful faster than candles.” Another small touch? Just placing holiday hand towels from the dollar store in your bathroom shows guests how much care you put into the details, yet takes almost no time.
Follow your own rules
If it’s too hard to gather everyone on Christmas, consider a new tradition of spending the day after together, says Hunt. “It’ll give you more time to prepare and you’ll be more relaxed.” And rather than stress over time-consuming rituals, just flex your creativity. “One of my readers simply hid an envelope in their tree with a clue to where a gift was hiding— even when their kids grew into adults, this ‘ holiday hunt’ was their favorite ritual.” In the end, she notes, just being with loved ones will make you feel like you have all the time in the world.