If you want to put a cap on gifts why not encourage your family and friends to make it official through our Keep Christmas Affordable Pact tool. The KCAP tool allows you to send a friendly email to your friends and family so that you can agree to official spend a certain amount. The tool also allows you to agree to not to exchange a gift or to instead pledge your money to charity. This is all with the aim to keep Christmas affordable by not exchanging those 'useless' gifts that end up in the cupboard and are never used.
Here, we look at gift ideas for the children, for him and her and then some nice stocking fillers. And if you want more inspiration on how to save money this festive season, Moneybags, our sister website has an article on 25 ways to spend less.
For the little ones
With all the hi-tech gadgets, cell phones and console games these days, finding something fun and affordable for your children might be a little tricky. Here are some Christmas present ideas on how to keep the little ones happy without breaking the bank.
- Fill your children's stockings with mini Disney toys, such as from the movie Frozen or How to Train Your Dragons 2, from R52 to R75, click here.
- Get the new Maleficent DVD for only R99. There is also an assortment of other newly released DVD's on Takealotfor under R300.
- Christmas time means summer time, which also means lots of swimming. Get the kids a boat cruiser so that they can zip around the pool for R59, click here.
- Superhero's need super-bags, so why not get your kid a Batman backpack with a cape for R179, click here.
- Nothing is quite as cool as having a Spiderman race ride for the swimming pool this summer. The blow-up rice rider costs R142, click here.
Stocking fillers
These little stocking fillers are great gifts for everyone.
- Everybody needs a little bit more storage these days, especially with all the gadgets that we have. Fill the stockings with a 32GB Samsung micro SD card, with an adaptor for R299.
- Or spice up the kitchen cupboards with some Jamie Olvier vintage wine glasses for R200, click here.
- Everybody enjoys a good fine roasted coffee, now you can make your own with a Bodum coffee press that can make three cups of coffee for R287, click here.
- Maybe you just want to drown out some of the noise of the festivities and take a nap, no problem! Get some Shh! earplugs for R139, click here.
- Relax in the pool with a hydro-force swim tube, so that you can float off that Christmas lunch. The tube is R103,click here.
For her
Gifts are personal, and everyone has different tastes. But if you have some female friends, or some of your family who you don't know what to give for Christmas, then try some of these ideas.
- Christmas holidays are a time for good food, family and relaxing. Why not get the Jamie Oliver Comfort Food cook book for R290, click here. This way everyone can enjoy some scrumptious food, all neatly wrapped in one simple present.
- If you are really not sure what to get your partner this Christmas, sometimes a good perfume is the answer. Calvin Klein Secret Obsession perfume is selling for R299, click here.
- Jewellery can make a beautiful gift. This year get an Austrian crystal heart shaped pendant necklace for R194, click here.
For him
What could be better than a happy man over Christmas? Sports and good food- or male grooming products should go down well as gifts.
- Ever wanted to watch that replay of that amazing try again? Now you can with the greatest Springbok tries DVD for R99, click here.
- And couple that with the 100 South African sporting legends book R170, for a failsafe gift set, click here.
- If your man's into grooming then why not get the Philips GoStyler waterproof detail trimmer NT9141 pried at R199 ex Vat.
- When Christmas is over and everyone has to go back to work again, get the unruly hair a nice trim with a Philips hair clipper with DualCut Technology for R219 from Clicks or Dischem.
Remember that Christmas is only one day out of the whole year, and that as soon as the New Year comes around you will have to pay school fees, buy groceries, and pay for expenses before pay day comes around again. Try to rather enjoy Christmas with your family than spend too much money.