Part of the joy of the holidays is in giving — there's nothing like seeing your little one unwrap her fantasy present on Christmas morning or handing your SO something they've been wanting all year. But if you're part of a big family and your gift list is so long that you're becoming more stressed (and broke) than merry, it might be time to reevaluate how you exchange gifts. We spoke to POPSUGAR's editors to find out how they keep holiday gift-giving manageable despite their large families. Check out their tried-and-true holiday hacks ahead.
Buy Everyone Variations on a Single Theme to Cut Down Shopping Time
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Blake Smith
Got a ton of nieces and nephews? Instead of finding something unique for each of them, which is exhausting and time-consuming, shop around a single theme.
"I find it's easier if I pick a theme or an item and buy from that for everyone on the list. So this year it's cute sweatshirts; not each kid gets the same sweatshirt, but it helps me focus my shopping so I'm not just looking randomly for something to buy. In past years I've done towels and personalized totes. This definitely cuts down on the amount of time spent shopping/looking for the right item!" — Lauren Turner, director, Editorial Operations
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Host a Secret Santa-Style Exchange For Adults to Limit the Gift Purchases
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Instead of spending money on a bunch of knickknacks, gift one big thing the receiver will really be excited about.
"The grown-up 'kids' of my family — plus spouses — do a gift exchange, so that eliminates a bunch of little presents for lots of people. That way everyone gets one nice gift, and we can focus on giving the kids and our parents lots of fun gifts!" — Shannon Vestal Robson, director
"We do not-so-secret Santas with a price range. Everyone picks a name at Thanksgiving, and has a $50 budget to buy them a gift. You can keep it a secret or not, but we do actually try to get each person something they'd actually want, so we're pretty loose on the 'secret' rule. The exception to this are kids — everyone gets the kids a gift." — Stacy Hersher, director, Social & Partnerships
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Use Technology to Track and Buy Thoughtful Gifts
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Get savvy by taking advantage of online resources to find and save great gifts. If you do it throughout the year, you won't feel that time crunch come December.
"Always check to see if the family has an Amazon wish list (instead of bugging parents). It's frictionless to buy straight from the wish list if they do, and they'll be pleasantly surprised you knew just what they wanted. I created a secret Pinterest board to bookmark the gifts my partner and I have gifted in the past or plan to give this year to the children in our family. We bookmark when we buy gifts, so if we forget we can reference the board. We also use it for inspiration from years past for the younger children." — Angelica Marden, vice president, Editorial Operations
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Eliminate the Adult Gift Exchange Altogether
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Blake Smith
When you're an adult, you pretty much buy yourself whatever you want throughout the year, eliminating the need for numerous gifts at the holidays — so simplify your gift exchange by eliminating the adults from it altogether.
"I'm one of five siblings, and all of us are married with kids — that could make for an insane number of gifts to buy each year. Luckily, we decided long ago that we'd skip buying anything for the adults and focus on the kids instead." — Laura Meyers, editor, Trending and Viral Features
