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Finals aren’t the only stressful thing approaching us all too quickly. The holidays are coming right up, which means that you’ll soon need to whip out a few dollars and buy gifts for your family and friends. You probably can’t get away with giving your dad a coloring book page anymore, and you definitely can’t be coloring outside the lines. It can be hard to get gifts for family- how much money should you spend? Why are cards so expensive? How did you manage to tie yourself to the present with the wrapping bow?- but we here at The Thrill are prepared to help you. Below are a few tips to get you through this troublesome activity.

• Spend an amount you are comfortable with: This will be different for each family, but do not feel pressured to spend an extravagant amount of money. Your family will not be expecting a new car from you, so don’t worry about buying one!
• Don’t buy pets: Pets make terrible surprise gifts, and they can be seen as more of a burden than a gift. Plus, you have to poke holes in the box so the animals can breathe. Forgetting to do that can mean answering a lot of awkward questions.
• Shopping online is totally fine: Amazon is your friend. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with picking something out on line and getting it shipped to you. It’s a lot faster, and you don’t have to deal with the hassle of waiting in line behind the lady who takes forever because she decided today was a good time to sign up for a consumer rewards card.
• If you buy clothes, make it an accessory: It’s a lot harder to guess wrong on someone’s size when you’re getting them a scarf. Family members are also less likely to return something small, like a fuzzy winter hat than a bigger item, like pants. Ties are okay to get for dads, but that whole thing is a little played out by now.
• Remember, they’re just happy to see you: For many family members, simply getting to spend time with you is the best gift you could give them. They miss you, and the holidays give them an excuse to be around their loved ones. Don’t worry about making their day with an amazing gift, you’ve probably already done it just by being there.