The holidays seem to bring out the best in people. We try to be more generous and giving, and that goes a long way, but we also tend to spend more than our budgets allow.

by Maya Carpenter

Being generous, however, doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune to show you want to give. Here are some tips and gift ideas to help make your season brighter on a budget.

If you are a parent with a child in college, don’t spend money on trips and cars this season. Give something more substantial for Christmas that could benefit your baby after college. Open a certificate of deposit at a bank to help them after college. It doesn’t have to be a lot, but it’s something to start with. After all, it’s not always what you give, but how you give it.

As people of color we need to educate ourselves, and what better way by reading? Books on diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and hyperglycemia, all of which afflict the black community, are great gifts to give. And, of course, everyone should enjoy books to be read for pleasure.

Making gifts is another option to minimize spending for the holidays. It can also add meaning to you take the time to make a gift instead of muddling through the mall to buy something that lots of others have, too.

For example, Ashlie Kittleson recently made a painting for her mother out of an old table; for her sister she spiced up some wooden pens with acrylic paint to make a dazzling gift. And for her grandmother, Kittleson created something straight from the heart: she wrote her a poem as a gift. Altogether she spent only $50, which gives her more opportunity to buy other things for other people.

“It’s worth more when you take your time to make someone something,” Kittleson says. “You made it with your own hands.” Searching for the perfect gift is hard, and not everyone is a talented artist, but whether you’re shopping or creating, it’s essential to find the gift that works for the person your’re getting it for. Think about their personality, not yours!

Happy Holidays!