So you’ve been busy spending your saved-up allowance scouring bazaars for the perfect gift for yourself (and okay, your friends too) when you realize you totally forgot about getting something for your family…
Don’t fret! You can still give gifts to your family without spending a single cent! After all, “it’s the thought that counts!” Right? Right? Sure. *wink, wink!*
1. Clean your cave
If you want to make your ‘rents happy this Christmas, why not sweep and mop your grimy bedroom floor where all your comic books, crusty boxers, and empty pizza boxes have been lying around for the past couple of months? The thing about being a messy slob all year is, when you do get around to cleaning up, your parents treat it like it’s a big deal. Who knows, you might even receive more than just a hug from your mom.
2. Make use of your talents
Do you love to write? Then write Christmas poems for your dad, mom, and siblings! Can draw stick figures? Then make a family portrait! Always get a score of 90 and up during karaoke sessions? Then record your own version of a Christmas song! Know how to work the stove? Volunteer to prepare one dish for your Noche Buena!
And the list goes on! Cheesy? Yeah! But hey, desperate times call for cheap-ass measures!
3. De-clutter your closet
If you have siblings who have been nagging you to give them that cool band shirt you snagged at a concert, that rare action figure you got at ToyCon, or that limited edition what-not you bought online this year, then what better way to surprise ‘em without spending a dime than with that one thing they’ve been dying to have? You’ll definitely win the Best Sibling Ever award this holiday season.
4. Come up with gift certificates for your parents
This is an old trick you can never go wrong with. Make GCs of stuff you are willing to do around the house like washing the family car for a month or doing the dishes for two weeks. Volunteering to do more than your share of household chores will have your family asking what’s gotten into you, especially if you’re not that kind of person. Just make sure you put an expiration date on that thing or you’ll be doing chores for the rest of your life.
5. Be a better version of you
Running out of options? This one will last all year round, and even beyond if you stick to it. There is no better gift to your family than to become a better person than you were yesterday. Let’s face it, we’re not always a bundle of sunshine to our family so aim to be nicer, kinder, and gentler to each one of them. And make sure to add a little extra love, grace, compassion, and patience as well. Aww, you mushy care bear.
You may not always have gifts for them, but you are already a gift to them. Make sure you are a gift worth-keeping and remembering — before they kick you out of the house and disown you, you cheap bastard. This oughta teach you to set aside a budget for them next year!
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