For families with limited budgets, buying Christmas gifts can create dilemmas.
- Should you set a limited budget for each child in your family and stick to it?
- Should you listen to your child and provide them with the gifts they want?
This is a hard decision to make and there is no straight answer, considering children know that Santa has no budget.
Quality is always a good bet
Don't skimp on quality! It's better to spend more money on a solid, but sensible gift or toy, rather than something that will break within a few minutes or days.
Focus on One Good Present
It's always a good idea to buy one expensive and solid gift for each child, and then a few smaller gifts. Most children will be more than happy with a few more sensible secondary gifts, such as socks or sweaters, if the main Christmas gift that they receive is something they have dreamed about all year round.
Do not wait until the last minute
Toy stores traditionally will raise their prices, or at least do not offer the best sales as the festive season approaches, so if you have the funds available, the sensible move would be to buy the major presents in the off-season. Starting your Christmas shopping in July and August is often the best way to get good bargains. If you wait until the last week before Christmas to fulfill holiday wish lists, you may find yourself paying full price.
Do not discount second hand toys
There should be no shame attached in looking around for second-hand bargains in good quality used toys. Also, there are a lot of families with only one child who have outgrown some of their toys and may advertise them for sale in the local paper. Sometimes you can pick up a real bargain, make your child happy and spread your Christmas toy budget even farther.
Shop Online: Get deals and avoid the crowd
Take your time and thoroughly scan the Internet for bargains on toys. Once again, do your best to shop during the off-season, if possible. And, don't give those early purchased gifts to the recipients early! Wait until Christmas! Take into account such things as delivery charges and shipping times. Buying your Christmas toys online is a great way to save money and ensure that your budget goes even further.
Mike has been blogging about toys and has contributed several articles on the topics at http://www.toysparadise.com.au. Aside from blogging, Mike is a regular toys reviewer for various children magazines.
