Make a list and check it twice! This holiday season, hindi lang kung sino ang naughty or nice ang basis kung sino-sino ang magiging kasama sa inyong Christmas gift list. Whether it’s family, friends, or co-workers, it’s best to start making a gift list to avoid stress when you go shopping, and to help plan out your budget.

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1. Who are the people in your neighborhood?

Make a long list of all the people na gusto mong bigyan ng Christmas gifts. Be sure to include the people from the following groups:

• family
• friends (if you have children, include their friends, too)
• co-workers
• community friends (church, hobbies, etc.)
• those who provide services for you (tutors, teachers, therapists, school bus drivers, etc)
• charities

2. Determine your Christmas budget.

Figure out how much you can afford to spend for Christmas gifts. This is important because it will help you plan out how much you can spend for each person. It helps to make sure that you are spending available cash and not charging these purchases on your credit card.

Set a “buffer budget” for emergency purchases- so when a long-lost relative or inaanak comes knocking at your door, you’re ready for them. Don’t forget to include wrapping materials in your budget!

3. Make a shorter list.

With your Christmas budget set, have another look at your long list. See if you can trim it down to a more realistic list in accordance to your spending capability. If you are not sure kung magkikita kayo ng mga certain na inaanak this Christmas, or kung makakarating ka sa reunion or Christmas party, don’t prioritize these people yet.

4. Start assigning and budgeting.

Now that you’ve got a shorter list, and have checked it twice, even thrice, it’s time to start assigning gifts and the corresponding budget for each person. You can group people according to affinity, and then with subgroups. Under family, you can seperate them into age groups. Set a budget for each age group. For pamangkins, for example, you can start setting a budget for P30-P50 each, wrapping included.

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5. Stay focused and dedicated.

Relax, you can do it! Remember to stick to your budget and you can even challenge yourself to spending less than what you intend to actually spend. Starting early is important so you don’t have to feel pressured with last-minute or emergency shopping trips. If your budget is really tight, remember one important factor- creativity! With creativity, you can turn ordinary things into gifty ones with just a little touch of love and magic.

Don’t stress yourself out more than necessary this holiday season. Making lists help you stay organized. For easier access, save your lists digitally and update them yearly. You can even save your list in your phone so you can have a peek at your list wherever you go. Good luck and happy shopping!