Feature Image by Lore Schodts

The holiday season can be stressful for a number of reasons, and gift giving is a big one. A recent report by the National Retail Federation found that the average American is planning to spend $920 on gifts this holiday season. If your list is long, it won’t only be hard on your wallet, but it can also be stressful trying to figure out what you’re going to get everyone.

But is it necessary to get every person on your list a gift? We talked to Jodi RR Smith, etiquette expert and president of Mannersmith Etiquette Consulting, to see what the etiquette is when your to-gift list is a little too much for your budget.

Do you really need to get every person on your list a gift?
“No,” Smith says. “But you can’t just show up empty-handed. There are lots of things you can do to change things up.” For instance, if you have a bigger group of friends or a lot of first cousins that are coming over for the holidays, suggest drawing names out of a hat a few weeks before the party. That way everyone is guaranteed to have a gift, and you’re only technically responsible for gifting that one person you drew. A white elephant swap is another good alternative to this. If there’s a way to group people in your list together, like by family, it’s OK to give just one gift for everyone. If it’s a family with children, some people will give one gift to the adults and then other smaller gifts like candy to the kids.

What’s the best way to budget your gifts?
“Start with a sky’s the limit list of everyone you would love to give to if you could,” Smith says. “Now prioritize the names in rank order. Look at your budget and then start assigning dollar amounts to gifts until you run out.” For example, if mom and dad are at the top of the list and you give them something worth $50, then your sibling might get a gift worth $25. After that, your cousins might get boxes of gourmet chocolate that are worth $10 each. You don’t have to go out to a store and purchase gifts either. If you’re invited to a holiday party by someone you’re friends with but not super close to, baked goods can make for a good alternative to an actual gift.

How do you prioritize who to gift during the holiday season? Let us know in the comments below!

xx, The FabFitFun Team