Holiday gift pools: five great reasons to opt for collective gift giving

There are a number of reasons, financial and otherwise, to team up with friends, family members or co-workers for your Christmas shopping. Here are five of them.

1. You save money
Pooling together to buy a gift is an especially good option when the recipient lives in another city. You’ll save money on the costs for packaging, transport and, if shipping internationally, then duties as well.

2. You save time
You and the others involved in the pool will spend less time figuring out what to buy by brainstorming as a team. You’ll also be able to divvy up the work involved in researching, purchasing and sending the gift.

3. You can give a more original gift
Make use of each person’s creative talents to craft a Christmas present that’s handmade or highly personalized. Or, if you plan to buy something from the store, simply put your heads together to come up with a truly unique gift.

4. You can give a more extravagant gift
Pooling resources means having a larger budget for the gift you buy. You’ll have the option of spending more to get something beyond what you could afford on your own. This might be a sophisticated gadget, a new home appliance or even a spa weekend

5. You’ll avoid giving duplicate gifts
There’s nothing quite as awkward as giving the same gift to Uncle Bob as your cousin Jane. Working together ensures that there will be no duplicates.