A commonly asked question I receive: “How can I cut back on gifts to those I don’t see, don’t know very well or don’t care to spend my tight budget on?”
While it may be too late for 2018, get a jump on 2019 by broaching the topic at the family gathering this year. Say something like, “Our families are growing, and I suggest we change things up a bit next year. We are going to gift to the kids and perform an act of kindness in honor of the adults. Would you like to join in?”
It’s a polite way of saying, “We are cutting back.” Additionally, you can set boundaries by simply sending smaller gift cards or a holiday card in lieu of a gift next year. It doesn’t have to be anything formally stated, just do it.
In the Good Day Austin clip below, I share a few holiday tips for this and other holiday dilemmas.
You may also like Planning Your Holiday Gift Giving. For more of Diane’s etiquette tips, read her posts on Inc., subscribe to her articles on Huff Post, “like” The Protocol School of Texas on Facebook, and follow her on Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter. Buy her new book, Modern Etiquette for a Better Life.