In addition to giving gifts for family and friends, gifts for your co-workers may be on your holiday shopping list. These are people you see every day, so it’s important to think of them this holiday season, but without spending large amounts of money and getting into lots of debt. Here’s how:
1. Gift Cards - Gift cards are great gifts and you can choose the price! Some 80% of consumers plan to purchase gift cards this holiday season, according to the National Retail Federation. Here are some gift cards priced between $20-$30 that your co-workers will love:
iTunes - A $20 gift card to Apple’s iTunes store can buy you about 20 songs or tons of different iPhone apps.
Coffee Shop - If one of your co-workers can’t start the day without coffee and they always walk into work with a coffee cup from a specific shop, buy them a gift card for $20 at that coffee shop – this is a useful gift without breaking the bank.
Movies - While a $20 gift card to the movie theater might only cover 2-3 movie tickets, that’s still significant, especially if one of your co-workers doesn’t go to the movies that often, but still enjoys the movies.
Also, new gift card laws just took effect – click here for a HelpSaveMyDollars.com summary of the new laws and how they will help you!
2. Baked Goods - If you like to bake, your co-workers might like a batch of cookies – wrap them up in cellophane, decorate the plate and it should cost you $10 in total, but it will look as if you spent $50. If baking is not your forte, try a small box of expensive chocolates such as Godiva or Ghirardelli, which should cost you under $20.
3. Holiday Cards - Always include a card with your gift – you don’t have to spend $4 by purchasing individual cards. Instead, buy a box of 20 or 30 holiday cards, which should cost under $10 and now you have enough cards for all of your gift recipients. By the way, there is nothing wrong with giving a holiday card as your gift!
Some companies participate in a company-wide “Secret Santa” or gift exchange, where every employee purchases a gift to give randomly to another co-worker. Some companies even stipulate that the gift must be under $10, which is a great rule to have, especially during these tough economic times.
The only important thing to remember is that getting into credit card debt as a result of holiday shopping spending is not an option. It’s the thought that counts and your co-workers should appreciate your gifts no matter how much you spend!
