Gift buying is never particularly easy, especially when it comes to kids. The 4 gift rule is an excellent solution.

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Maybe you’ve heard of the 4 gift rule, or even know a family that practices it. As we’ll explain in this article, it has many practical advantages.

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As you might have guessed, it ensures that each child gets the same number of gifts. It also helps teach them that they can’t always have everything they want, and inspire them to think about what they really need. (Two lessons that will serve them well as adults.)

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And it helps prevent you from overspending on Christmas gifts that your children might well forget about before long anyway.

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This article will tell you everything you need to know about the 4 gift rule, and help you give more meaningfully at Christmas.

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What is the 4 Gift Rule (Want, Need, Wear, Read)?

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The 4 gift rule is very simple: you get each of your children something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read.

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Depending on your kid’s age, you might ask for their input on some or all of these gifts, or you might choose them all yourself.

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Now we’ll go into more detail about each of the four gifts.

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1. Something They Want

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Pretty self-explanatory — ask your child what they want. This will usually be the ‘big’ gift that they’ve been talking about a lot.

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Ideally, ask them for multiple options, so when opening the gift, there will be a bit of a surprise for them.

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2. Something They Need

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Again, you can ask your child what they need, or choose something you already know they need, like a new wallet, phone, or perfume.

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If your child is too young to realistically decide what they need, you’re the best person to judge.

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3. Something To Wear

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Depending on your price range, this could be something more reasonably priced, like new socks or a jumper, or something a little more extravagant, like a new coat, trainers or swanky boots.

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4. Something To Read

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If you’re lucky enough, this gift might well overlap with gift 1, in which case you’ll treat them to even more books. (But we realise this is probably not a realistic scenario for most kids!)

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In any case, since books generally aren’t too expensive, it would be nice to get your child more than one book, like The Hunger Games series, or multiple books by their favourite author.

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This gift is especially important for younger children, to help instil in them the value of reading.

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Examples of the 4 gift rule

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Now let’s cover some examples of the 4 gift rule in action, covering a young child and a teenager.

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Young child

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Want: Dollhouse, new bike, Lego set, remote control car, craft set, colouring book

Need: Bike helmet, fun new bedding, art supplies

Wear: New coat, shoes, hat, pyjamas

Read: Picture books, Dr. Seuss books, activity or interactive books

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Teenager

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Want: New video game system, drone, smartphone, concert tickets, day out, cinema tickets, gift cards

Need: New headphones, hairdryer, laptop or tablet, new glasses

Wear: Sports kit, jewellery, jeans, clothing store gift card

Read: Graphic novels, fiction series, biographies, magazine subscription

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Why does the 4 gift rule work so well?

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As we said above, the 4 gift rule is great because it helps teach children that they can’t always have everything they want, and helps them to focus on things they actually need. 

It also teaches them about sustainability — since you’re not buying anything in excess, meaningful gift giving, and gratitude — since they’ll get gifts they’ll really appreciate. And again, also makes sure each child gets the same number of gifts, saving you the headache of deciding how many presents to get for each child this Christmas.

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Is the 4 gift rule for adults as well as children?

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Of course! The 4 gift rule is absolutely as meaningful for adults as it is for children. The adults in your family and friendship group could all agree to follow it.

It’s also something you can teach your teenager if they’re starting to buy and give their own gifts. In fact, if they’re starting to save money themselves, this guide should help them.

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Setting a budget for Christmas

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Setting a budget for Christmas is important, whether or not you plan on following the 4 gift rule. HyperJar’s Jars are a good way to stick to a budget because they let you divide all of your Christmas obligations and necessities into different pots, transfer the amount you want to spend on each category into them, and spend directly from your jars.

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Use HyperJar to save on the 4 gift rule spending this Christmas

You could set up Jars for each category of the 4 gift rule, for instance. Your balances will adjust in real-time, making your holiday spending easy to track. It is super easy & handy to use a prepaid card and gift cards to budget - Christmas is a notoriously expensive time of the year, so it could be the perfect time to try a new budgeting method!

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To help you ensure that you have budgeted for all Christmas expenses, make sure you check out our Christmas preparation planner.

We encourage you to extend this budget-conscious approach beyond Christmas. Keep track of your spending and practice setting budgets for all your purchases throughout the year.

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Try our cashback gift cards for Christmas purchases and earn money back instantly

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This holiday season, in the HyperJar app, get rewarded with our handy Cashback Gift Cards! We know how important it is to make every penny count, and that's why our app offers you a unique opportunity to maximise your savings while shopping for gifts.

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Ready to earn money back when buying gifts from a wide range of popular shops? Check out our handy guide on what shops we offer cashback per gift rule, making it super easy to have a memorable, yet frugal Christmas in your household this Christmas.

This holiday season, in the HyperJar app, get rewarded with our handy Cashback Gift Cards! We know how important it is to make every penny count, and that's why our app offers you a unique opportunity to maximise your savings while shopping for gifts.

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Ready to earn money back when buying gifts from a wide range of popular shops? Check out our handy guide on what shops we offer cashback per gift rule, making it super easy to have a memorable, yet frugal Christmas in your household this Christmas.

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4 Gift Rule (With Cashback)

Want

Amazon, Xbox, Currys, Buyagift, Not on The High Street, Nintendo eShop UK, The Entertainer, Cineworld, GoApe, H.Samuel, HobbyCraft, JD Sports, Love2Shop, Virgin Experince Days

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Need

Amazon, Boots, Decathlon, B&M, IKEA UK, ASDA, Clarks

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Wear

Primark, Superdry, Amazon, Foot Locker, Decathlon, Matalan, Sports Direct, Marks & Spencer, New Look, River Island, FatFace, ASDA, Adidas, Clarks, JD Sports, Mango

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Read

WHSmith, Amazon, Waterstones

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Don’t forget to use our app’s cashback feature when shopping for the holiday feast too! Learn more about how to save money on food shopping with cashback on our blog.

How to use our cashback offers to save money on the 4 gift rule?

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1️. Download our app, available for both iOS and Android devices, completely FREE.

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2️. Sign up. We've made the process quick and simple, so you can start earning cashback right away.

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3️. Explore an extensive list of shops where you can find the perfect presents for your loved ones. 

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4️. Purchase your gift cards directly through the app. No need to visit multiple websites or navigate through numerous apps; everything is conveniently located in one place.

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5️. Once you have purchased the gift card, receive instant cashback into your account. Happy gift shopping!

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Learn more about saving money this Christmas with HyperJar

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We hope you give the 4 gift rule a shot, and that you find it as useful and rewarding as I have.

And if you fancy learning some more ways to spend wisely on Christmas, here’s a post on saving money for Christmas, and one on cheap but thoughtful Christmas gifts.

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