While most Americans plan to spend record amounts on the holidays this year, some PNW students have developed unique strategies for finding the perfect gift affordably.

Consumer holiday spending is expected to reach a record $902 per person on average across gifts, food, decorations and other seasonal items, according to a new National Retail Federation consumer survey.  But students who are often strapped for cash have found ways to squeeze maximum value from every dollar they spend.

Those strategies often do not involve commonly expected deals.

“Black Friday is not as appealing because the prices don’t go as low,” said Gali Velazquez, a junior [study] major. “There’s a lot of sales that go on throughout the year that tend to be better than Black Friday. 

“Let’s say you’re getting a pair of shoes for someone and throughout the whole year they’re $20, and then as soon as November hits, they hike them up to $35,” she said. “Then when Black Friday comes they mark them down again and say ‘you get $15 off,’ but essentially you’re still paying the same price.” 

Instead of waiting until Black Friday, Velazquez does her holiday shopping early, giving herself enough time to return items if needed. She also has a whole other gift-giving strategy that does not involve shopping at all.

“I like to make gifts because I feel like if I can make people something that’s meaningful, it’s better than something that’s nice but they’re never going to use,” she said.

Making gifts can be a good option to save money during the holidays – as long as it is done right. Junior [study] major Alexander Dyrkacz believes the value of a gift comes from how much it means to the recipient, not how much it costs.

“I have given handmade gifts in the past. Just make sure it’s genuine and good,” he said. “If …you actually put [in] effort and it looks somewhat decent, I’m sure anyone will accept it, but if you put five minutes into a gift and it looks bad, definitely try and refrain from doing that.”

But some students stick with time-tested approaches. 

“I like giving gifts, so it’s not an obligation for me,” said Chloe Belford, a senior [STUDY] major. “I order online.”