Not all hostess gifts come equal… While you may bring a good bottle of wine or a designer scented candle to a dinner party, you’ll want to splurge a little more if you’re staying with someone for a few days to a week.

If you have no idea how much you should be spending on a hostess gift, a good guide to follow is to estimate how much they’re spending on your dinner/stay/etc. If you’re ravaging their fridge and wine cellar every day for a week, it might warrant a bigger present than if you were simply crashing their couch, and drinking their tap water for two days.

Keep your budget in mind while shopping too. While you might want to splurge on a nice gift for a friend who’s hosting you over the Holidays, there’s no reason to open a credit line for it. Make sure you’re comfortable with what you’re spending, and that goes for all gifts. CONTINUE READING AT SAVVY HOME