“俭”圣诞――假期送礼,节流有方|俭节则昌
时间：2019-01-08 03:17:54 来源：柠檬阅读网 本文已影响 人 
对于欧美国家来说,圣诞节意味着家人团聚,也意味着要花上一笔存款购置礼品馈赠亲友,在这个千疮百孔的经济环境下,要拿出这么一笔钱还真是不容易。如何过一个省钱又尽兴的圣诞节呢?来听听作者的建议吧――两个月后就是新春佳节,我们也该学习学习,在购置年货的时候派上用场!
How can a person save the magic of Christmas from the grim[严酷的] reality of a wrecked[毁坏] economy? Instead of going into debt buying gifts for the holidays, with a little planning, gift-givers can spend money wisely,
enjoy the holidays, and still stay afloat[不欠债的] financially. Here are ten ways to cut costs this Christmas.
1. Establish a Price Limit. Establishing a price limit means that everyone knows exactly how much to spend. There is no pressure to keep buying and buying,
which saves time and money. It also avoids
awkward[令人尴尬的] exchanges of unevenly priced
presents. Set and stick to a limit.
2. Establish Gift-Giving Ground Rules. While some may opt out of[决定不参加或退出] gift exchanges altogether, there are less extreme measures of cutting costs. In fact, there are all sorts of ways to tailor gift-giving to one’s particular situation.
For example, small families might set a price limit for each person. Whereas, larger families can cut costs by buying gifts for kids only. Or, they could choose names so that everyone is buying for one other person with an agreed upon price limit. Another variation[变化] is to decide to give $25.00 worth of stocking stuffers[填充物]
instead of more expensive gifts and then actually stuff them in stockings. An even more creative variation is for everyone to buy one unisex[不分性别的] gift, pile the gifts together, and use them as prizes for Christmas game night.
3. Don’t Buy for Yourself! Focus on buying for others. All of those holiday deals make it easy to adopt a “one for me; one for you” mentality. Set a rule that you’ll only shop for the people on your list � and not yourself. The pay-off[回报]: less stuff in your house and more money in the bank.
4. Make a List. Santa knows what he is doing. By planning
out who will receive gifts, givers know how much to
budget per person. Then check the list twice. Not to judge, but to look for gifts that can be bought in bulk[批发].
For example, teacher and co-worker gifts can be
similar. Lots of money can be saved by divvying up[分开]
items (a package of Christmas ornaments[装饰物] or specialty coffees, for instance) for several people.
5. Consider What You Have Stored up. You may have something you bought the other day when you were wandering in a store, and yet still haven’t got a chance to use. This is it! It might be a pretty dress, a delicate necklace, or even a bestseller. Consider whether it could be suitable for someone on the list.
6. Create the Packaging. Christmas gift sets are hard to refuse, but these eye-catching, fun, and handy samplings come at a price. Do-it-yourself packaging �
a mug[马克杯] filled with fuzzy booties[战利品], a package
of deluxe[华丽的] cocoa, peppermint[薄荷油] sticks, marshmallows[棉花糖], and a paperback book � is equally fun and more cost effective, especially if the same gift works for several people.
7. Pay in Cash. Using a debit[借记] or credit card is convenient…and a convenient way to lose track of[失去联系] how much has been spent. Buying gifts with cash means shoppers know exactly how many
pennies have been pinched[精打细算].
8. Don’t Forget the Dollar Store. Dime and dollar stores are perfect places to buy tissue paper, wrapping paper, holiday tins, gift bags, gift tags, and gift boxes.
9. Watch for Sales. Forewarned is forearmed.
Because stores are pulling out all the stops[全力以赴] to encourage shoppers through their doors, gift-givers can save a pretty penny by doing their homework. Comparing prices between stores or with online options means when shoppers finally part with their money, they know they are getting the best deal possible. When there is a planned purchase, it is easier to say no to last-minute items.
10. Think Playful and Practical. This is not the year to give porcelain[陶瓷] tchotch-
kies[源自斯拉夫语,小玩具], but no one wants to find a bottle of dish soap under the tree either. The best gift is one that puts the fun in functional. Books, magazine subscriptions[订阅], colorful throw blankets, food and clothes are presents that bridge what people need with what they may not buy for themselves.
And a bonus:
11. Spend Time Instead of Money. Giving homemade gifts is another way to cut Christmas costs. A tin of homemade cookies, a scrapbook[剪贴簿] of the year’s highlights, and knitted hats and scarves[围巾] all make welcome presents.
There is no need for a bleak[阴冷的] mid-winter. Scrooge[吝啬鬼] should be the only bah-humbug注. With planning, everyone can honor both the spirit of holiday gift-giving and the necessities of a dwindling[缩小] bank
account.
Happy Holidays!
面对如今这个伤痕累累的经济环境,怎样才能在这个残酷的现实中挽回圣诞节的魅力呢?只需一个小小的计划,馈赠者就能逃离因佳节送礼而债台高筑的境况。聪明花钱,享受节日之余,无债一身轻。以下介绍十个妙招,让你在这个圣诞节
轻松省钱。
1. 设立价格限制。限制价格意味着大家都对花多少钱准备礼物心中有数,不必因为买了又买而倍感压力,这样既节省时间也节省金钱。同时,这也能避免在交换到价格不相当的礼物时产生尴尬。设立价格限制,并遵守协定吧。
2. 规定馈赠礼物的基本原则。也许有些人干脆不参加礼物交换,但你也可以选择一些没那么极端的省钱方法。实际上,还有许多不同方法,足以适应不同人的特定
情况。
比方说,小家庭可以为每个人设定一个限额。而比较大的家族则可以通过只给小孩买礼物来节省开支。或者,他们可以选择其中一个人,为其购买约定限额的礼物,使得每人都能收到礼物。另一个选择是决定只购买价值25美元的圣诞礼物,而不是其他昂贵的物品,然后直接把它们塞进圣诞袜里。还有一个更有创意的方式,就是每个人买一件不分性别的礼物,把礼物堆起来,作为圣诞游戏之夜的奖品。
3. 不要给自己买礼物!集中注意力为别人选购。所有这些节日优惠让人容易产生“人手一件”的思想。规定自己只给名单上的人买礼物――而不是买给自己。你将得到的回报是:家里少点杂物,银行多点存款。
4. 确定赠送名单。圣诞老人知道自己在做什么。计划好该给谁送礼物,馈赠者就能清楚知道分摊到每个人的预算。然后再次检查名单。不是判定孰优孰劣,而是看看能否批量购买礼物。例如,可以送相似的礼物给老师和同事。把多人的礼物分门别类可以省下很多钱(比如一份圣诞装饰或者特色咖啡)。
5. 看看自己有啥存货。也许某天你逛商店时买了什么东西,却一直没有机会使用。就是它了!可能是一条好看的裙子,一条精美的项链,甚至是一本畅销书。不妨想想这是否能送给名单上的某个人。
6. 自行包装。虽然圣诞礼品套装魅力难挡,但这些抢眼、有趣又方便的礼品精选是要花钱的。自己动手制作的包装――装满毛绒小物的马克杯,一袋包装华丽的可可豆、薄荷棒、棉花糖或者一本平装书――同样好玩又省钱,这种做法尤其适用于同样的礼物能送数人的的情况。
7. 用现金付款。使用借记卡或者信用卡付款很便捷……也很容易搞不清楚自己到底花了多少钱。如果使用现金付款,购买者便可精打细算,明确开销。
8. 别忘了“一元店”。廉价商店如“一角店”和“一元店”是购买零碎物件的最佳地方,你可以买到便宜的薄纸、包装纸、节日礼品罐、礼品袋、礼品标签和礼品盒。
9. 留意特价促销。有备无患。因为商店会全力以赴,鼓励顾客进店消费,只要做足功课,购买者就能省下不少钱。将不同商店的价格进行对比,或者对比实体店与网店的价格就意味着,顾客最终掏钱时,他们清楚知道自己达成了最实惠的买卖。只要有计划地购买,你就能避免临急抱佛脚了。
10. 奇思妙想,却不脱离实际。现在已经不是送陶瓷小物的年代了,也没有人希望在圣诞树下找到一瓶洗洁精。最佳礼品是将娱乐寓于实用的东西。书本、杂志订阅单、彩色薄毯、食品和衣物都是一些人们需要但不一定会买给自己的礼物。
额外附赠:
11. 花时间而非金钱来准备。馈赠手工制作的礼品是节省圣诞开支的另一个选择。一罐自制曲奇饼干、一本年度大事剪贴本、手工编织的帽子和围巾都是很受欢迎的礼品。
再也不用忍受寒冷的冬天了。守财奴才是圣诞节里最应该受到唾弃的家伙。只要有所计划,虽然银行存款有所减少在所难免,但是每个人都能继续发扬节日送礼的传统精神,何乐而不为?
节日愉快哦!
注:“Bah, humbug!”出自查尔斯・狄更斯的名著《圣诞颂歌》(A Christmas Carol,1843)。小说主人公斯克鲁奇(Ebenezer Scrooge)是一名商人,也是一个只知道攒钱的守财奴,毫无人性。他的姓氏Scrooge被用作“守财奴,吝啬鬼”的代名词,而其口头禅“Bah, humbug!”也常被用来表达对某些现代圣诞节传统的厌恶之情。
