Although the anticipation of the year’s most beautiful holiday should bring joy and positivity, we often experience a lot of stress instead. Social pressures and high expectations create stress around gift-giving, leading to last-minute shopping, overspending, and, starting January, feeling the financial pinch. What can we do to enter the festive season joyful, calm, and fully prepared?
It’s the thought that counts, not the price
“Pre-holiday stress is amplified by the flawless images of perfect presents and festive tables on social media and in advertisements. Then we start to ask ourselves: why doesn’t my Christmas table look like that? Last year, I noticed a new trend on social media: sharing authentic holiday moments, with simple, cosy, and warm festive tables. It was nice to realise that this is the true essence of luxury,” says Viktorija Bartkutė-Vyšniauskienė, medical psychologist, psychotherapist, and founder of Anima Psichologija, an emotional health clinic.
The expert emphasises the need to stop comparing yourself to others and worrying about their opinions when planning your Christmas presents. Everyone’s financial situation is different, so the key is not the price of the gift, but thoughtfulness, which money can’t measure.
“If I receive an expensive pair of shoes and bake cookies for that person, they are equivalent gifts because both are given with thought for each other,” she explains. “One person may have searched long for those shoes, while the other may have tested many recipes to perfect a delicious cookie.”
Best to plan ahead
Bartkutė-Vyšniauskienė emphasises that once a gift budget is agreed upon with family or friends, it’s crucial to stick to it: “Breaking the agreement is disrespectful, especially after working together to find a solution that works for everyone and agreeing to it.”
She also advises against last-minute Christmas shopping, which often leads to impulsive and excessive spending and a tough January. “The earlier we start planning our holidays and gifts, the more time we have to consider each person and what would truly make them happy. From an economic perspective, we can save money by preparing for the holidays in advance – for instance, November offers significant discounts, making it the perfect time to find the best and most cost-effective deals,” says Bartkutė-Vyšniauskienė.
Making sure you’re not late with gifts
According to Karolis Kanapinskas, Head of Logistics at the international parcel company Venipak, shipment volume data shows that some people start shopping for gifts in advance and seek better deals, while others delay until the last minute and risk facing added stress.
“The holiday season is a busy time for both retailers and parcel companies, and we begin preparing for it well in advance. However, buyers need to keep in mind that when shopping online, it’s not just about delivery – if it’s a handmade gift, it also has to be created, packaged, and handed over to a courier beforehand. This becomes especially important as order volumes increase and the countdown to Christmas grows shorter,” says Kanapinskas.
Kanapinskas recommends that, when buying Christmas gifts online, shoppers should ensure the seller has enough time to prepare the parcel and the courier to deliver it to your home or the nearest parcel machine. Always check that the seller has the product in stock and confirm how soon they promise to dispatch the goods before placing your order.
“While the best and calmest approach is to buy gifts well in advance, after careful consideration and weighing your options, many people still shop during the festive rush, which begins in early December and continues right up to Christmas week. During this time, our couriers also work at higher capacity, including evenings and weekends. In this case, it’s important to factor in a few extra days when estimating delivery times, so that you can be confident your parcel will arrive on time,” he says.
Prioritising budget over gifts
Jūratė Cvilikienė, Head of the Institute of Finance at Swedbank, agrees with both experts. According to Cvilikienė, the winter season is financially challenging for many, not just because of the festive season but also due to heating bills. Ideally, you should plan your autumn and winter spending six months in advance.
“When planning your Christmas gifts, the first step is to assess your essential expenses and income, and then determine how much you can afford to spend on gifts. Only then should you consider how many people you’ll be gifting and what you’ll give them. We often do the opposite: we start making lists and buying gifts without realising how much we’ll end up spending,” says Cvilikienė.
Cake night instead of gift-giving for teachers and colleagues
Another important tip from the financial expert is to resist social pressures from those around you. Healthy preparation for the festive season, she says, begins with awareness and finding alternatives to the cheap knick-knacks we often buy in an attempt to conform to social expectations and norms.
“Gifts are often bought for teachers in schools, exchanged by children in kindergartens, and shared among colleagues at work. A euro here and there, and before you know it, you’ve spent a substantial amount. I suggest reflecting on whether everyone really needs to receive that symbolic gift. Wouldn’t it be better to have a cake night and avoid overconsumption?” Cvilikienė asks.
Saving tips
Even when we’ve planned our gift budget, it’s often the case that we end up spending more than we intended. According to Cvilikienė, in such cases, one should not dwell on it, but recognise that festivities are not just about planning – they’re also about creating positive emotions.
“We should turn a new page and plan our budget for the next three months, considering what could be cut out. It’s a pity that in Lithuania, we don’t have the habit of including a purchase receipt with gifts so that we can return unnecessary items and replenish our budget after the holidays,” she observes.
Cvilikienė shares several strategies we can adopt if we want to avoid overspending during the festive season: “There are apps that let you spin a wheel to anonymously choose the person you’ll buy a gift for, and it’s a good idea to set a budget limit for the gift. Others agree to forgo gifts during the holidays, opting instead to gather for a countryside hike or a simple get-together. There is also a growing trend of donating money instead of gifts to someone who truly needs it. Another tip is to buy your gifts in advance. This way, purchasing gifts doesn’t strain your finances, as you spread the process over several months.”
