How to Ask for Money for Christmas: Wording Guide

The holiday season is a time of joy, love, and giving. It’s also when many of us look forward to receiving gifts from our loved ones. But what if there’s only one thing that you need….money? Which brings us here: how to ask for money for Christmas? Or precisely, how to politely ask for money for Christmas. After all, it can feel challenging to ask for cash. We see plenty of people setting up funds to raise targets for money, and we know that most people do like the idea of giving money, especially if it will be valued and appreciated. However, it can still feel a lot nicer to give vague instructions such as “I’d like a new top or some shoes.” Simply asking for money for Christmas to buy shoes you haven’t seen feels more tricky. 

The Importance of Thoughtful Money Requests for Christmas

While traditional presents are wonderful, money really can be the most practical and appreciated option. We all hate the idea of waste, so it makes sense to get comfortable asking for what you really want, in a way that makes people feel good. In this guide, we will help you overcome all the awkwardness with some phrases to help you. Let’s jump in.

Dispelling Common Misconceptions of Asking for Cash

 Okay, let’s start here: what will people think of you when you ask for money?

• You don’t trust them to get the right present for you themselves.
• You are greedy and get a lot of money from a lot of people!
• You are expecting a present, how cheeky!
• You are only interested in cash and not in a thoughtful gift.
• You will spend the money on things that they may not necessarily agree with. 
• Giving money is very impersonal; you just want the spoils and not the thought.
• You will want a big chunk of cash, but times are hard.

People do worry that requesting money is seen as impersonal or greedy. We know there are so many valid reasons for doing so, such as funding a special project or saving for future goals. The key is to communicate your intentions thoughtfully and show that your request is genuine and well-thought-out.

Assessing Need: Is Requesting Money Right for You?

Let’s not beat about the bush; people are less keen on giving money, especially those of older generations. While your parents, siblings, and friends may all find it quite easy and simple to pop their details into an online payment portal to fill up your Collection Pot for that big dream holiday or adventure you have planned, getting this over to distant relatives, neighbours or family friends can be tricky. 

Our first question would be (as this is a tricky subject) – are you sure you need to ask for money this Christmas? 

For example, if you are saving to go to a foreign country for a gap year or to take for your university term after Christmas, is there something that they could potentially purchase you that would support this without asking directly for cash? It might be something like a series of books, some stationary, a pair of flip-flops, a money belt or even a gift card, which feels less like cash, with a distinct purpose for the money to be spent.

What are the ways that you could get money from relatives, friends, neighbours or distant relations? 

The first is physical cash. Whether notes or coins, this is a very traditional way of receiving money, and it may bring back childhood memories of a grandma pressing a few coins into your palm as you leave. While we all love the nostalgia of some cold cash, the practicalities can be tricky. However, once you reach a certain point, you may want to deposit that cash into the bank. This is not always straight forward and may require you to arrange a meeting at the bank to arrange your drop off. Alternatively, many banks have now installed machines which take cash piece by piece, which although might mean less paperwork, doesn’t guarantee losing any less of your valuable time to travel and banking admin. 

Then there are gift cards. We mentioned previously that you may be saving for a project or an adventure, in which case gift cards are typically given. You may have found this when purchasing a wedding gift for a couple who are saving for a honeymoon or want a balance paid off with a travel company. Gift cards are fantastic, and they do show people that you are saving towards something rather than simply asking for money for a future idea. However, it does limit you to your retailer. As we have all seen with various collapses of high street department stores, having a lot of money with one company and one gift card can feel risky.

The solution? A Collection Pot!

A Collection Pot is here to offer the opportunity of choice.

A Pot boasts the simplicity of being able to withdraw the funds directly into a bank account without all the hassle of sorting physical money. The beauty in creating a Collection Pot is that it also offers the Pot creator a chance to explain why they have created the Pot in the Pot description and detail what they hope to use it for. It is here where any doubts in dubious contributor’s minds, as to where their money is going to end up can be quashed!

Additionally, a Collection Pot’s total can also go straight onto a gift card. There are over 70+ retailers to choose from, and best of all, it can be split across several! If it is clear that it would be preferable for the Pot to go towards a a gift card, the recipient still has the joy of choice and ability split the balance as they like across various cards.

Crafting the Request: Tips and Sample Phrases for Polite Communication

Want to know how to politely ask for money for Christmas? Here’s where to start. 

The following examples can be used for inspiration and allow you to create your own based on what you want the funds for!

•  “Dear Jane, thank you for your message. My mum said that you had been asking after me this last term. I have had such a fantastic first year at university. She also mentioned that you would kindly look to pick me up something for Christmas and ask what I might like. That is so kind of you to offer, and I really appreciate it; as a hard-up student, I promise I haven’t been spending it all at the student bar! A group of my friends and I are planning to head to Greece to work and enjoy a bit of sunshine, and this is something that I am gathering all my funds for. I have a Collection Pot set up online (you can click the link here!) If that is something you would like to help towards, please feel free to just put in even the smallest amount; this will be greatly gratefully received and will help towards my sum of fun. I can’t wait to see you guys soon and hope the rest of your year is happy and healthy. Best wishes, NAME.”

• “Trisha and Andy, thank you so much for asking what I might like for Christmas; what would you like?! It is always so hard at this time to choose, isn’t it! It was so much easier as a child, and I just wanted the brand-new Polly Pocket! I do have a Collection Pot set up, where I am collecting funds for a gap year. I only expect to raise £100 or so, to spend on my travel between countries, and you don’t have to contribute at all, but that would make a really fantastic present if you did want to contribute. Likewise, please let me know what you and the family would like this year!” 

• “Hi Auntie Helen, how are you? I hope you are doing well. Excuse the out of the blue message; I was preparing for Christmas and thinking about what you might like. I don’t know if you also plan early; however, this year, I wanted to request that if you were planning on getting me something, please don’t feel you have to! It might be easier to add just a small amount into my Collection Pot. This is a Pot of funds I have been building slowly. I hope to do a few more experiences, see a few bands, and just get out there and enjoy things next year. Of course, if you already have something in mind, I cannot wait to see what it is, but I thought this might help you out, and it means one less person to shop for! If you have something you’d like, please let me know, or if you want me to make a charitable donation, or perhaps we could see each other in the run-up to Christmas, do let me know.” 

• “Hi Mum and Dad, I hope you are well. I was just looking around my room at some of the beautiful things you have bought me for Christmas over the years that I still treasure. I feel very blessed that I have so much from you. As you know, I have been trying to downsize some of the things I have in my life and go a little bit more minimal where I can exclamation mark. As such, I have asked this year that if anyone would like to purchase a Christmas present, it will be greatly received. However, I do have a Collection Pot set up. This allows you to put in just a small amount of funds if you wish, and what I would be planning to do is spend those on events, experiences and tickets to come and see family members. Perhaps we could meet up in Cornwall or Norfolk and enjoy an amazing afternoon tea like we did once? Just an idea. We could create an experience together and a new tradition, let’s chat about it. I will give you a call on Sunday. Lots of love.” 

Expressing Gratitude: The Importance of Saying Thank You

As you can see in the examples above, they are long paragraphs. Not everything in life can be distilled down to something short and snappy, and especially when you’re asking for money. Changing traditions or asking people to step outside of their comfort zone, it is best to do it in a warm, generous and thankful manner.

In the examples that we have given, whether as a child, relative or friend, it is key that you are expressing that even if they disregard your wishes and still pick up a present, you will still be grateful. You will notice that many of the examples also ask what they might like as well, it is important to put yourselves in their shoes and know how they feel!

Presents come from a place of love, and never intentionally are trying to clutter your house or create waste. Especially with older generations, physical gift giving may be a key part of their Christmas routine and something that they really look forward to. However, hopefully they may have been desperate for you to say something about what you might like! Who knows how many shopping trips they’ve stood aimlessly staring at a shelf, wishing for a spark of inspiration about what to get you full stop? This could be the message they’ve been waiting for. Asking for money for Christmas could be a gift to them too! 

Using Collection Pot for a Christmas Pot

Christmas will be here before we know it, and now is the perfect time to set up your Christmas Pot. We hope you now know how to politely ask for money for Christmas. With our messages, the instruction is simple: you would like a small cash donation into your Christmas Pot; here is the link and how to do it. The results? You get the money you need, and the recipient feels they have done something special. 

One thing we didn’t add, is that you can make note of how they can personalize it. In the beginning, when we talked about some of the reservations about just giving cash, we noted it felt a little impersonal and cold. Tell them that by using a Collection Pot, they can leave photos, messages and even gifs. 

Don’t forget that many people may not have used a platform like Collection Pot before, especially to make a Christmas Pot, so send a screen grab, share an example or head over to their home and get involved. It can often be helpful to say outright “I was worried that you might think that I was being selfish or unthoughtful when I asked for this, but I hope you see it for how useful and it can be!”

Address the elephant in the room, have those difficult conversations, and you could be looking forward to Christmas for many years to come, with no waste, less time spent staring at those shelves and hopefully, everyone coming away feeling good about themselves, just as they should at Christmas.

Don’t forget it’s completely free to set up a Collection Pot so you can set yours up today. Set a target and a deadline, and let people add what they wish. How to ask for money for Christmas? Get the ball rolling and set up that Pot!