The holidays are such a fun and magical time. We're surrounded by Christmas cheer, snow days, and a sense of spirit that we often forget about the rest of the year. It’s also a great time to show appreciation and love to people, and the most familiar way we do this during the holidays is with everybody's favorite -- gifts! 

Now, if you know one thing about the team at Bomber HQ, it's that we like to party -- and our holiday celebrations and traditions are especially festive! However, many people don't realize that the tradition of gift giving did not stem from spending oodles of money, but rather spending time and effort on something to show appreciation for someone. You don't have to spend gajillions of dollars on gifts unless you want to—you can stick to a budget during the holidays and still show your appreciation for all of your loved ones.

Here are a few of our favorite ways to save money on holiday gifts, from gifts whipped up with a little elbow grease to inexpensive stocking stuffers and budget-friendly gift ideas -- like our favorite, the Bomber Eyewear Clearance Section! 

Six Ways to Save Money on Holiday Gifts

1. Make Some (Handmade) Memories: A photo album is a great gift for the sentimental one in your life, especially those who are likely to get misty-eyed over those baby pictures with Santa. A scrapbook-style photo album can be put together with a dollar store booklet and a pharmacy photo order -- what really matters is the time, love, and attention you put into choosing your curated memories. (And yes, if they're embarrassing memories for your siblings or cousins, they DEFINITELY need to go in.)
2. Bring Your Loved Ones Closer: Another excellent gift that only requires time and effort is a heartfelt video for someone who can’t make it home for the holidays, like a gift for someone in the military or a gift for college kids unable to make the trip home. They’re missing home like crazy and a video of all their loved ones wishing them the happiest holidays is sure to make them feel loved and supported, no matter where in the world you've ended up.
3. Just Be There: There's a whole "thing" about people these days, especially Millennials and Gen Z, enjoying experiences more than objects. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just be there for someone. Spending the day together, as simple as it sounds, is a wonderful gift to give -- just remember to turn off your cell phone! You can go an inexpensive route with tickets to a community event (pro tip: community improv shows are usually like $5 per seat, and you'll laugh your a$$ off). You can also take a trip to a local park with a holiday lights display, or walk around your neighborhood to look at everyone's holiday decorations. For the kiddos, a scavenger hunt in the snow followed by some hot chocolate is an amazing, fun-filled, and low-budget gift for children.
4. Show Your Love Through The Stomach: Food is another way to someone's heart. Whether this means hosting Christmas dinner at your house or spending time making latkes with your grandma, you can show your love with deliciousness. Even if you can't foot the grocery bill this year, offering to cook the family's holiday dinner would be such a relief for those family members who are always in charge. (Unless that's like, their "thing", in which case you'd be giving them a gift by just getting the hell out of the kitchen.)
5. Get Crafty: If cooking isn’t your thing—and don’t worry because it’s not always ours, either—then tap into your creative side. There are thousands of giftable projects you can make from home. Creating a photo collage, hosting a holiday photo shoot for the whole family, performing a song, writing a poem, building a “family recipe” book, painting a picture, making Christmas ornaments…the list goes on and on!
6. Look For Those Sweet, Sweet Savings: If you've got your heart set on putting gifts under the tree this year, it's important to remember that holiday gifts are never about the price tag. You can find attention-filled, thoughtful presents for your family on a budget. Do this by shopping holiday deals and specialty savings, like the Bomber Eyewear Clearance Section! Keep an eye out for flash sales, limited time offers, and sign-up bonuses for email and text message campaigns. (For example, sign up for Bomber's emails and texts and we'll give you 15% off your first order!) You can also cash in on rewards points if your favorite retailer (like us) has a rewards program. Those points add up FAST!

We’d love to hear more about your creative gift-giving skills! Whether you're gifting Bombers to the whole fam or just hanging out in your gear this holiday season, be sure to follow and tag us on Instagram @BomberEyewear to show us how you show appreciation to your loved ones during the holidays.