Holiday Gift Giving: Tips for Extended Family

A guide to giftgiving in large families, including ways to cut costs, while keeping the spirit alive. Hints for young and old alike.

The spirit of giving can turn into a feeling of dread in the months before the holidays, and even all year long when you have a large extended family. With all of the in-laws, Aunts, Uncles, brothers, sisters and children, you might be expected to present thirty or more people with a gift. Today's average exchange will cost $25 not counting the wrapping paper. That's a lot of money. Considering too, that you probably want to give a bit more to your own spouse and children, it is no wonder that so many people go into credit card debt every December.

So, what can you do? You don't want to be a "scrooge". You may have to scale back, though. A large family knows that it is large. Everyone is in the same predicament. Discuss the issue with them. You may have to discuss it every year for a few years, but soon your family will develop new traditions. Suggest that everyone exchange gifts as family units, rather than as individuals. A family gift might be a fun, family geared board game, or gift certificates for a pizza and video rental night, a snowman in a box kit (provided the family lives where it snows!) that you make yourself, complete with hot chocolate mix and marshmallows to warm up with afterwards.

Young couples in your family? You may want to get them something to emphasize the together time they need. Such as: a cozy blanket for two and a pair of best selling books, or the makings for an intimate dinner for two.

Get creative with your gift giving for the single folks too! A young bachelor might appreciate some easy to follow recipes of favorite family meals, along with the basic ingredients. College students might enjoy a practical gift, such as a new laundry basket stocked full of detergents, dryer sheets and a couple of rolls of quarters!

As a large family, you might decide together that it would be a good idea to draw names for gift giving. Each family member then has one person to lavish attention and gifts on. The name picking should be done early on though, possibly in September for the winter holidays. This way, those early birds won't get ahead of the game and be left out.

An alternative to cutting names from your gift giving, is cutting down on extravagance. Homemade gifts are charming and cherished, from canned jellies and jams to handstitched quilts - recipients know that it is the time you spent that adds meaning to the gift.

Simplicity can be the key to making gift giving easier. Decide on a theme and apply it to the names on your list. Music? Choose an appropriate artist for each person. Books? Something for everyone there, from fishing guides to the creepiest vampire stories, it's all a matter of taste. The idea is to think of the person and choose a title that reflects their interests. It really is the thought that counts.

People are touched by a gift that shows an understanding of themselves, no matter what the cost. Cutting back on costs doesn't have to mean cutting down your gift giving, but the spirit of giving is the JOY in giving. If getting the joy back means that you won't be buying your third cousin his traditional neck tie, then maybe it is for the best!