The following is a guest post from Jenna. Consideration was received for the editing and publishing of this post.
It’s fairly easy to maintain a budget if you put forth the effort. Budgeting your money simply means that you are not spending more than you make. Ideally, you are adding a little to your savings each month, but for many Americans this is a hard feat to do. With wages not increasing as quickly as our cost of living, it is easy to understand that many of us are barely making ends meet.
By staying persistent, you can achieve financial freedom and the stress-free life that comes with that. In the meantime, I want to address an added anxiety many of us face sporadically through the year. Gifts that come with holidays, birthdays and the random housewarming party or graduation can put a strain on an already tight budget. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Gifting for me can be a little bit easier because they often don’t expect much and are pretty satisfied with the happy wishes. This may seem a little stereotypical, but sometimes stereotypes are pretty dead on. {Ed. note: In my experience, their expectations may be lower because their wishes are so expensive as to be unrealistic!}
Women on the other hand, frequently expect – or at least hope for – something from the heart. We don’t necessarily need diamonds or other expensive presents to show that we have been in your thoughts on those special days where gifts are a natural part of the theme. We just want something that shows you care and that you took time out of your busy life for us.
Here are some simple gifting ideas that stay within your financial means to do exactly what we as women need to make an already great day even better:
The easiest way to achieve satisfaction is a card with a sincere message attached. This could be a message provided by Hallmark that expresses exactly what you are feeling in the moment or it could be a handwritten one. Either way, the smile on her face will let you know she appreciates the gesture.
Another idea is a gift basket. These are especially nice when they include items that your wife or girlfriend are fond of. They also work for THE most important woman in your life: your mom, you know, the person who gave you life. Shari’s Berries baskets for mom specialize in gourmet cheeses, nuts, chocolates, teas and fruits and come in a variety of arrangements and prices. They work for Mother’s Day, or any important day that is cause for celebrating a strong, devoted woman. As an extra bonus, there are coupons available online and they will ship the basket overnight.
My final idea that won’t break the bank but will show her that you appreciate her is a plant or a beautiful bouquet of flowers. This may seem like an obvious one, but there is nothing that speaks to a woman more than beautiful flowers. This is my go-to gift for my mom on all holidays. I tend to lean toward the plant, as it is a gift that keeps on giving for months or even years to come. As cliché as it sounds, women love greenery even if they don’t have the thumb to keep it alive.
There are many things you can do to show that special female in your life exactly how much you care. On an average day a simple thank you or I love you will go a long way, but on those special occasions we are almost obligated to take it a step further.
Staying within your budget is doable so long as you take the time and go about it the right way. Women are understanding individuals and will appreciate that while you couldn’t afford the most extravagant gift, you did get her something that she loves. It doesn’t matter if you are shopping for your wife, girlfriend, mother or daughter – women are fairly universal most of the time. There are always exceptions, but you can never go wrong so long as you go with something from the heart.
