by ALISON LEVIER Section Editor
With Christmas just around the corner–nineteen days to be exact–many women all around the world are struggling to decide on what amazing gift to get loved ones. Once that is decided, another question comes into play: how will I afford this?
One of the greatest things about Thanksgiving is the day after – Black Friday! Even though it has already past, hopefully you were able to get out and do some major damage, to the stores, of course, we would not want you spending ALL of your money. If you missed Black Friday, do not stress! Cyber Monday deals are still available on some websites, so be sure to really scour the web.
The first step to a Christmas on a budget is planning. It is the most important step, and it will save you great amounts of time and money in the end. It is important to plan out what you are getting all your family and friends, and decide how much you are willing to spend on them (it is said that you should not put a price on friendship, but desperate times call for desperate measures).
So, how do you decide who to get nice gifts for? Should you give a gift to your hair dresser? Probably not. If you are really trying to be frugal, cut out the acquaintances.
Of course, if it is really important that you do get this person a gift, make it an inexpensive one.
Go to Bath and Body Works – they have great sales this time of year – buy one of those gift sets and break it up! Give a lotion and shower gel to one person, and give someone else the perfume and body butter. It is a great gift that costs you five dollars per person.
Another fantastic gift idea is food. People love food, especially the sweet kind, so if you have some time to spare and know how to read the back of a box, baking cookies or brownies is the perfect gift. Plus, if it is for a party, you can eat them too.
One of the best ways to wrap an edible gift is with a nice, preferably holiday-themed box, then maybe decorate it with a ribbon and attach the recipe on it. You could also give utensils or ingredients, and make it something they can try themselves.
“I love baking so I’m definitely using this idea!” said sophomore Krystle Danza.
On another food-themed note, an adorable gift is a mug filled with packs of unmade hot chocolate and marshmallows inside. Totally thoughtful and inexpensive, if you find the right mug. Try Target or even a nice dollar store, they sometimes carry Christmas-y mugs.
Now, of course, the most important people to give gifts to as a teenager are our parents. I am sure you have the most money set aside for them, but what if I told you you could split that in half and just get a joint gift for both your parents? Great deal, right?
As we all know, parents love pictures. Anywhere you go, they just want to capture the moment in a cheesy picture. Put the pictures to use! Go to Target, get a $10 picture frame, get a nice picture of the family printed at CVS and there you are! The perfect thoughtful gift for the people who are always there.
“I love this idea! My parents love taking pictures of the family so this is perfect!” said sophomore Anne Ballman.
Happy shopping!