If your budget is a little low this holiday season from buying gifts for your immediate family, you’re probably not singing carols. But, there’s a group that college students often forget because we’re away from home and don’t see them as often. Your extended family, which includes everyone from grandparents to cousins, should also be on your Santa’s list this year because they’ve supported you so much over the years. But no need to worry, a new twist on the tradition of the round-robin gift exchange will be easy on you and your family’s wallets. The practice of buying everyone an el-cheapo gift is ancient news. The trend this season includes your extended family meeting at a restaurant or a family member’s house before Christmas and having each person buy one uni-sex gift. Each present will be labeled with a number, and all the family members will draw a number from a hat that corresponds with a gift. Then you have a Merry Christmas for a family, and a college student, on a holiday budget. Your family can choose the price range that each family member will spend on the gift and whatever type of restaurant they want to eat at since they’ll be munching off Christmas dinner for a while. But, the hard sell may be getting your parents to ditch their holiday tradition for a money-saving trend. Here are a few tips to sell your family on the latest trend in holiday budgeting:

• The Object of Money: You spend under $50 in buying the gift and your dinner at the outing
• Skip The Cooking: Since some of your family members probably won’t come over on Christmas Day because they’ve already fellowshipped and exchanged gifts, your mom doesn’t have to stay up all night making the perfect dinner for Christmas.
• Avoid the Bad Gifts: Since your family’s money won’t be spread as thin, you can get an upgrade from those cheap socks and your dad can stop getting t-shirts from your Aunt Nancy.
• No Turkey Just Yet: By going out to eat, you get to prepare yourself for not having anything other than turkey and pumpkin pie for the next week or so.
• Cut Down on the Visits: Since you’ve seen just about everyone already, it’s okay if you miss a house or two on Christmas Day as long as you call.

Simplifying your holiday with the new trend on gift giving will not only make things easier for your purse, but it’ll also help your family’s Christmas Day schedule. Enjoy your winter break, and use some of the money you save this holiday to enjoy your time off. Merry Christmas!