Tis’ the season to save money! Christmas Day is less than a month away and college students are thinking of every way possible to save a little cash, while still giving their loved ones decent gifts.
According to OnCampus Research, the average college student plans to spend roughly $425-$460 during the Christmas season on presents. Most students will still agree that is a large amount, especially after you consider the amount of money students spend on books, food and other miscellaneous things.
The best way to save this holiday season is by creating a budget and shopping list for the people you are planning on buying gifts for.
“You have to have a goal when you go out and realize you can’t buy everyone something. I think parents and your significant other is enough and with friends we normally do something like Secret Santa to save money,” said senior Political Science major Alison Hicks.
The idea of budgeting around the holiday season is not hard at all. Many students have found that when they are creative with gifts they mean a lot more for the person that is receiving the gifts. This can be done by giving someone a gift card to their favorite restaurant or by challenging yourself to put your creativity to work.
“What I do is…I’ll give my parents a little coupon book with different stuff like I’ll babysit one night for free, do the dishes for a week, or wash the car and they can redeem it whenever they want. They really like them and it cost nothing to do,” said junior Chemistry major Justin Smith.
Other students agree it is easier to stick to saving by hitting in-store sales or looking for bargains online.
Of course there’s a gift to give during the holidays that doesn’t cost a thing, which is spending time with family and friends. Sharing a day of laughter together is a memory that will outlast any purchased gift.
