The holidays can be stressful for many, especially when you’re pinching pennies. For years, my husband and I have set a $50 limit, and we fill up each others’ stockings. It’s just a fun way to feel like we’re still giving and receiving without breaking the bank.
One woman on TikTok had an even more brilliant idea: killing two birds with one stone! She gave her partner a “honey-do” list as her Christmas list, reminding us all that Christmas gifts do not need to cost money!
“My boyfriend and I decided not to spend money on each other for Christmas because we’re trying to save money and we have a baby,” Jess Tatem explains in her video before noting that, originally, the plan was to create more homemade, sentimental gifts. Then, Jess “had an even better idea.”
“This is genius. I might do this literally every single year. I made a list of everything I want to be done in the house and that’s what I want for Christmas.”
Her Christmas list is as follows:
What I want for Christmas:
- Black mirror hung in guest room
- Entryway table (in box in guest room) put together and placed in the entryway
- White shelves hung in Ella’s room over her couch (let me approve location before putting holes in the wall pls)
- Finish putting my vanity together and assembling the lights
- Move all of your random toys out of the window in our bedroom so I can make it cute
- Fit the CrTTV in the guest room somewhere ?? It’s so ugly
Jess is right. This is genius! My husband and I have so many small, tedious home projects that we need to complete (e.g. cleaning out the garage, hanging the light in the guest bed, taking stuff to Goodwill, etc.)
It would relieve such immense stress to have all those little tasks (that add up to big stress) gone and out of my life.
Tatem continued, “Like, this would make me so happy if all of these things got done. This is all of the stuff that I literally will never do. And we’ve been very busy. Like, it’s not his fault he hasn’t already done them. There literally hasn’t been a single second to spare it basically. So, it’s going to be tough for him, but I believe in him.”
TikTok users commented on the video, sharing that they also don’t go for the traditional gifting style when the holidays come around.
“I’m a necessity kind of person lol stock me up on TP, picks, detergent and nonperishable food,” one user wrote.
Another replied, “Fr 😂😂 toothpaste & cleaning supplies might send me over the edge with excitement.”
We love a sensible Christmas!
