Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin - Holiday Gifts That Won’t Break the Bank

Episode Date: December 1, 2021

When it comes to giving around the holidays, it really is the thought that counts— so be thoughtful about the gifts you’re giving, while also being thoughtful about how much they cost. Stick to your spending plan, and try Nicole’s five gift ideas that won’t break the bank. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Well, it doesn't. Charge for wasting our time. I will take a check. Like an old school check. You recognize her from anchoring on CNN, CNBC, and Bloomberg. The only financial expert you don't need a dictionary to understand. Nicole Lappin. My dear money rehabbers, I've given you a couple warnings now.

I've been telling you that the holiday season is fast approaching with disruptions in the supply chain. It's taking more time to get gifts on your list, or rather, it's taking more money to get the gifts on your list on time. Are you getting tired of me sounding this alarm? Well, fine, but have you actually finished your holiday shopping? A few weeks back, I was on Ryan Seacrest's radio show, and I gave him these warnings too, so you're not alone. He said something along the lines of, hey, Lappin, I hear you, but I know myself, and I know I'm still gonna wait until the last minute. Hey, I appreciate the honesty, Rye, and the self-awareness, sir.

I know there are holiday procrastinators out there. Are you one of them? Let's be honest. Let's embrace the self-awareness too, because here's the thing. Blowing money on expedited shipping is a big no-no in money rehab. You're essentially just flushing money down the drain that you could have put toward your essentials or your endgame. So ditch those shopping carts that are promising whopping shipping fees and instead consider these five gift ideas that won't break the bank this holiday season. Number one, become a coupon master. No, I am not talking about taking scissors to fucking magazines and saving a mile-long coupon list at the end of the receipt at the pharmacy. I'm talking about giving a coupon as an act of service. You can bring sexy back to coupons. Is it coupons or coupons? Whatever.

You know what I'm talking about. You can DIY this in a zillion different ways. Do your in-laws hate shoveling their walkway, for instance? Give them a coupon for your sweet shoveling skills. Does your best friend need a night out with the hubs? Give a coupon for some babysitting services. Are you racking your brain for something to give your bae? Make a coupon for a little sexy time treat that you guys have been wanting to partake in. You use your imagination. The best part? These coupons do not cost a dime. Number two, swap, don't shop. Make a plan with your pals to ditch exchanging gifts and instead exchange the stuff collecting dust at home. Here's how it would work. You decide with your friend group what's fair for the swap. Maybe you do a book swap. Maybe you decide on a clothing

swap. Maybe anything is fair game. But you decide on the gifting parameters. Then decide on a time to get together with your besties, either in person or remote, whatever you're comfortable with, whatever is possible for you guys, and shop what they want to swap. This move is helpful in two ways. First, you get to do a little spring cleaning early. And second, even though you're shedding some junk, you're not shedding any dollars. Number three, get some tax love. Give a gift that gives back and make a donation to a charity in the name of whoever is on your gift list. When it comes time to exchange gifts, write a note like, you've made such a difference in my life. I wanted to pay it forward and make a difference in your name. I mean, hello, how

adorable and memorable. And not only are you actually funding important projects with your donation, but that good karma comes back to you on tax day. Yes, because you get to write off your donation. Donations to organizations like the Sierra Club or UNICEF? Totally tax deductible. Get it in before the end of the year! Talk about win, win, win. Number four, get crafty. This doesn't necessarily mean you got to get out the loom and weave a scarf.

Although if that is your jam, rock on. I will take five, please and thank you. One time, a girlfriend bought a bunch of cheap vodka and infused it with fruits and spices. When the holidays rolled around, she gave all of her friends a little bottle of her special one-of-a-kind holiday cocktail. It was such a crowd-pleaser, as you can imagine, and cost her next to nothing. If you're a wizard in the kitchen, make a batch of something somewhat shelf-stable like granola or sourdough that you learned how to make during the pandemic or some CBD something. Even if you're not crafty or a chef extraordinaire, there's a ton of stuff you can make. There are also cheap kits that you can buy to make things like soap, wine stoppers, candles, ornaments, beer, centerpieces, spice mixes, coasters, and so on and so on. Plus, if you decide to go crafty, you can buy the ingredients in bulk for a lower price

tag and give everyone on your list the same gift. If you're giving a handmade gift, no one's going to give you grief for gift repeating. Number five. Bundle up for the holidays. Another holiday hack is to package together small treats that don't cost too much and make them into a beautiful gift bundle. I think the best gifts are the ones that feel intentional. Gifts where you can just tell that someone put thought and time into putting them together. Did you notice that money doesn't make the cut in that laundry list? Nope. I didn't say you should put thought, time, and money into the gifts you give this year. You can get away with just the first two.

Like the coupons, you can go in a ton of different directions with your gift bundles. You can do something like put together a cozy night in bundle where you package together popcorn, hot cocoa, and fuzzy socks. You could put together a little spa bundle where you have a candle, some lotion, and nail polish or whatever. The possibilities are endless and inexpensive, but it won't feel that way when your loved one opens the gift and sees the thought you put into curating a gift bundle just for them. For today's tip, you can take straight to the bank. I know that holiday shopping can feel stressful, but remember that it really is

the thought that counts. So be thoughtful about the gifts you're giving while also being thoughtful of how much they cost you. Make a budget for how much you can spend on gifts and use the list in this episode to help you stick to it. Money Rehab is a production of iHeartRadio. I'm your host, Nicole Lappin. Our producers are Morgan Lavoie and Mike Coscarelli. Executive producers are Nikki Etor and Will Pearson. Our mascots are Penny and Mimsy. Huge thanks to OG Money Rehab team Michelle Lanz for her development work,

Catherine Law for her production and writing magic, and Brandon Dickert for his editing, engineering, and sound design. And as always, thanks to you for finally investing in yourself so that you can get it together and get it all.