Practical Application: Combine Gift-Giving Funds

I've said it on here before. Gifts can be a budget buster! Everyone likes to be generous, but when you are blowing your budget, that's considered fool-hearty instead of generous.

A great way to keep your gift giving at a reasonable level, is to go in on a group gift. This is guaranteed to keep your budget because the idea is to name your price, such as "I'll go in $10." No extra expenses - just a 10 dollar bill to put on top of whatever she is spending. If three people go in on a gift $10 each, the combined buying power is $30. Whoever volunteers to be the shopper knows not to spend more than $30 unless she wants to pay the excess.

Recently, a friend asked me to combine a gift with her. I told her if she'd do the shopping, I would provide the gift bag and bring the gift to the event. It was a perfect trade since I have dozens of mint condition appropriately themed gift bags lying around and she can't attend the event.

Now in my checkbook register, I will have a $10 expense instead of a $16.95 expense ($6.95 for tax and gift bag), and I don't even have to go to Target with my 2 year old!