It’s the thought that counts

As much as we all anticipate Christmas we are faced with the daunting prospect of how much money we will have to spend. I find myself budgeting what little money (*cough* overdraft) I have for various people: £50 on the boyfriend, £30 on the best friend, £40 on the parents, £30 on the siblings - the list goes on and on.  Once you have totalled this amount (£150), you find yourself a little less cheery than you were before. However, during this process you cannot help but unashamedly try to calculate how much money will be spent on you.

“Secret Santa” is a brilliant idea; you only have to buy one present and for one person. Yet this does not always solve all qualms; there is the universal dilemma of picking a “lesser” friend out of that hat and still having to spend the agreed amount on them, when you would much rather fork out for another. Of course you can always swap people, but if the original recipient was to discover this... well, I wouldn’t want to be you.

Homemade gifts are for fantastic for those with emptier wallets. Cooking someone dinner, making cakes or sugary treats, for example truffles and peppermint creams (look on www.bbcgoodfood.com for the recipes) go down very well, especially with the male sex I have found. Also, it transpires that the giver must have put a lot of time and effort into these thoughtful gifts and not just bought the first commercialised product off the shelf.

If all else fails, the best solution is to get each member of the friendship group (this can also include family or other halves), to write a list of items that they would like to receive; each agreeing to a maximum price to be spent, and choose and item off that list to buy. So essentially you will not be bamboozled as to what to buy, the recipient will like the present, and you can actually afford it!

It often depends on the nature of your social group, but if they are true friends usually whatever you have purchased or made for them, it will be appreciated.  After all, they are your friends, they know you. Whether it’s a joke present, or a sincere gift, remember: it is the thought that counts.