Money Matters: December spending is like your kid hopped up on caffeine with a new Nerf gun - absolutely no self-control and everyone gets hit.

But the chaos ends here.

This is your guide to gifts that lower your bills, stretch your budget, and keep paying you back long after the tree is down and someone keeps discovering glitter that no one remembers using.

Today, let’s look at gifts that keep saving you money long after the wrapping paper is out there making the landfill look festive.

Survey says: 

• 62% of Americans go into debt during the holidays, and most take 3–6 months to pay it off.

• The average family spends $1,482 on holiday gifts — but 37% say half of those gifts weren’t even used past February.

• 48% of parents say they “regret at least one major holiday purchase” every year.

• One in three households pays for Christmas with credit cards and spends $120+ in interest by spring.

• 71% of Americans say they overspend because of “gift pressure.”

Here is what on that portioned plate today:

😎 Our Favorite Resources
👍 Gifts That Pay You Back Guide
👌 5 Gifts You Should Absolutely NOT Buy This Year
🤷‍♀️ What’s up for next week

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Cool Links

Our favorite resources

💵Apps

Christmas Gift List Tracker (iOS) - Set a budget per person, track every gift, and stop spending like you’re auditioning for a Hallmark movie.

GiftTracker — Gift Lists (Android) - Your holiday spending babysitter. Tracks ideas, purchases, wrapping status, and budgets so you don’t accidentally go broke trying to “even things out” on Christmas Eve.

Giftster (iOS, Android, Web) - A shared family wish-list system that ends duplicate gifts, panic buys, and the dreaded “What do they even LIKE?” spiral. The best cure for unnecessary spending is… knowing what people want.

Honey (Browser Extension) - Auto-applies coupons and price drops, so you never overpay for gifts again. Saves money even when you forget to try.

👀ICYMI

Retailers sprinkle “Buy Now, Pay Later” offers like holiday glitter—shiny, everywhere, and impossible to ignore. Protect your wallet with our issue The Secret Debt Trap Families Are Falling Into This Holiday.

📜Quote

“A bargain is something you don’t need at a price you can’t resist.”
- Franklin P. Jones, Saturday Evening Post

Today’s Main Event

Gifts That Pay You Back

Gifts for the Kitchen

USDA says the average family throws away $1,500 in food annually — these kill that number fast.

1. Airtight Pantry Storage Set

Keeps cereal, snacks, pasta, and half-open chaos from going stale. Cuts down on food waste and stops “mystery bags” from dying in the back of the cabinet.
Annual Savings: ~$150
Link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=airtight+pantry+containers

2. Meal Prep Container Kit

Turns leftovers into real meals instead of biology experiments. Encourages eating what you already paid for.
Annual Savings: ~$200–$300 (fewer takeout nights)
Link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=meal+prep+containers

3. Vacuum Sealer

Freezer-burn preventer. Costco-enabler. Turns bulk buys into long-term savings instead of frozen regret.
Annual Savings: ~$250–$400
Link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=vacuum+sealer

4. Silicone Food Saver Lids

Replace plastic wrap, save leftovers, and keep cut produce fresh way longer.
Annual Savings: ~$100
Link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=silicone+food+saver+lids

5. Silicone Baking Mats

Reusable, non-stick, and reduce wasted parchment foil + burnt cookies.
Annual Savings: ~$50–$80
Link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=silicone+baking+mat

ENERGY SAVERS

(Save $120–$350+ per year)
These reduce electricity costs quietly in the background.

6. LED Smart Plugs

Kill phantom loads. TVs, consoles, chargers - they all sip electricity when “off.” Smart plugs shut that down.
Annual Savings: ~$30–$60
Link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=smart+plug

7. LED Light Bulb Pack

Lasts years, runs cool, costs pennies. The fastest ROI in the energy game.
Annual Savings: ~$60–$100
Link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=led+light+bulb

8. Programmable Thermostat

Set-it-and-forget-it heating and cooling savings. DOE estimates 10% savings for most households.
Annual Savings: ~$150–$200
Link: https://www.homedepot.com/s/programmable%20thermostat

9. Motion-Sensor Night Lights

Automatic lighting = lower bills + fewer 11pm hallway light parades.
Annual Savings: ~$20–$30
Link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=motion+sensor+night+light

CAR ESSENTIALS

(Save $50–$300 per year on fuel, maintenance, and emergencies)

10. Digital Tire Inflator

Proper tire pressure = better MPG + fewer blowouts + fewer last-minute mechanic trips.
Annual Savings: ~$50–$100
Link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=digital+tire+inflator

11. Car Emergency Kit

One avoided tow = gift pays for itself ten times. Add jumper cables and you’re basically a roadside superhero.
Annual Savings: ~$100–$200
Link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=car+emergency+kit

HOME BASICS THAT SAVE REAL MONEY

(Save $150–$500 per year)

12. Water Filter Pitcher

Kills bottled-water spending instantly. Makes teenagers drink water voluntarily (results may vary).
Annual Savings: ~$250–$350
Link: https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=water+filter+pitcher

13. Reusable Dryer Balls

Cuts drying time by 20–30% and replaces dryer sheets forever.
Annual Savings: ~$50–$100
Link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=dryer+balls

14. Laundry Detergent Sheets

Better dosing = no wasted soap = lower cost long-term. Also great for travel.
Annual Savings: ~$40–$80
Link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=laundry+detergent+sheets

15. Portable Power Bank

Prevents $20 airport chargers — the most evil upcharge in modern history.
Annual Savings: ~$30–$60
Link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=portable+power+bank

FAMILY ORGANIZATION + BUDGETING HELPERS

(Save $100–$400 per year in “oops” spending)

16. Cash Envelope Wallet

Behavioral finance in a wallet. Helps stop “how did we spend $400 at Target?” moments.
Annual Savings: ~$150–$300
Link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=cash+envelope+wallet

17. Family Whiteboard or Calendar System

No more missed appointments, late fees, or “I forgot the field trip money.”
Annual Savings: ~$100–$200
Link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=family+whiteboard+calendar

18. Instant Pot or Slow Cooker

Cooks cheap ingredients into good meals while you live your life. The anti–drive-thru machine.
Annual Savings: ~$200–$300
Link: https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=instant+pot

KID MONEY BUILDERS

(Long-term ROI: priceless - but realistically $50–$300/yr depending on habits)

19. Save/Spend/Share Piggy Bank

Teaches kids how to divide money, plan money, and stop surprise “Dad, I need $20!” attacks.
Annual Savings: ~$50–$150 (less impulse kid-spending)
Link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=save+spend+share+piggy+bank

20. Rechargeable AA/AAA Battery Kit

The single most valuable parenting gift ever invented.
Annual Savings: ~$80–$120
Link: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=rechargeable+battery+kit

5 Gifts You Should Absolutely NOT Buy This Year

Because your budget deserves better than landfill-bound nonsense.

Some gifts look cute on the shelf… and then spend the rest of their lives collecting dust, eating batteries, or quietly judging you from the corner.

If you want your money to actually work for you this year, avoid these financial sinkholes at all costs:

1. The “Funny” Novelty Gadget

Yes, it’s hilarious for 11 seconds.

After that, it’s just a $19 reminder that impulse purchases have consequences.

Budget rule: If it lights up, spins, or screams when you push a button, don’t do it.

2. Trendy Kitchen Tools No One Actually Uses

That avocado slicer-only-used-once?

The mini waffle maker shaped like a narwhal?

They’re clutter disguised as “thoughtfulness.”

Budget rule: If the person didn’t ask for it, they won’t use it.

3. Mystery Subscription Boxes

Pay $40 a month for surprise trinkets nobody needed?

Congrats, you’ve invented a recurring charge that outlives your excitement by 5 billing cycles.

Budget rule: Subscriptions should simplify life, not turn your house into a museum of questionable life choices.

4. Overpriced Candles

If the wick costs more than dinner, it’s not a gift - it’s a financial red flag with a fragrance.

And 90% of people are too polite to burn them anyway.

Budget rule: Scented candles are allowed. Premium, artisan, “smells like Icelandic fog” candles are not.

5. Anything That Requires AA Batteries You Don’t Already Own

Because nothing says “holiday joy” like discovering the gift costs more to operate than it did to buy.

And yes, your kid will demand to use it immediately.

Budget rule: If it needs batteries… go rechargeable or go home.

Bottom line:

If the gift ends up in the junk drawer, the closet, or that weird cabinet above the fridge, it has officially become “heirlooms,” which is a fancy word for “stuff nobody wants but can’t throw away.”

Until Next Time

What’s Up Next Week

So that’s the plan: give gifts that save money, skip the ones that belong in a landfill, and avoid financing Christmas like you’re buying a used Honda.

Go forth, shop smart, and may your January credit card bill be so boring it puts you to sleep.

Next week: we’re switching gears to something you’ll definitely want to know — whether you’re budgeting, planning, or just trying to survive December with dignity intact.

— Jim & the MoneyHoot Team 🦉

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DISCLAIMER: None of this is financial advice. This newsletter is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. Please be careful and do your own research.