Date Night Club (November 2019): The Season of Giving

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Let's start with an icebreaker question ...

What was your favorite gift you received as a child? Why?

This month, I’m keying in on the holidays. It’s going to be more talking, less numbers. Receive this as your personal invitation to snuggle up by the fire (or a YouTube video of a Yule log) with your favorite beverage and settle in for some good conversation with the person you love.

MONTHLY BUDGET CHECK-IN

  • Did you stay on track this month?

  • Did any surprises come up - positive or negative?

  • Did the way you used your money align with your values?

  • If you got off track, what's 1-2 steps you can each take to get back on track again?

Check out this video to get the conversation started ...

Conversation:

Consider your and your partner’s approaches to gift giving using the questions below.

  1. What did gift giving look like in your family growing up:

    1. When did you give/receive gifts?

    2. How much did you give?

    3. How much effort was put into the process?

  2. What does gift giving look like for you today:

    1. When do you give/receive gifts?

    2. How much did you give?

    3. How much effort is put in?

  3. Has your approach to gift giving shifted as an adult?

    1. Are there times when you’d prefer not to exchange gifts?

    2. Did you enjoy giving gifts? Receiving gifts?


As we enter one of the most consumeristic seasons of the year, remember giving gifts is always a choice. It’s healthy to set appropriate limits or just say “no” to exchanging gifts. In this week’s blog post, I share tips on how to find your own healthy approach to gift giving as an adult.

Consider how you’ll approach the upcoming holiday season:

  1. Will you exchange gifts? If so, with whom?

  2. How much money do you have to spend?

    1. How much will you spend on each person? Does it have to be even?

    2. How will you set appropriate limits to avoid overspending?

  3. Do you have any creative gift ideas (an experience, time spent together, homemade gift, etc.) that may be more meaningful?


Check out this blog post from last year, to help you financially prepare for the holiday season.

See? That wasn't as hard as you thought!

Have questions about gift giving? Send me an email at: grace@classyfrugalist.com and let me know where you’re getting stuck.