Saving Dimes By Frugal Gift Giving
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Shopping on a budget may seem difficult to some, but there are so many things you can do that will cut your costs in half and the gifts will still be great! It’s easy to whip out your credit card and charge all the gifts you find, however you’ll be dreading the day your statement arrives in the mail. Well its time to take charge and buy only what you can afford and you’ll be saving dimes for sure!
There are also those few who save a little every month to cover holiday expenses but before you do, why not consider giving a gift from the heart, which can still be special to the gift getter.
Let’s start off with greeting cards. Instead of purchasing expensive cards for friends and relatives why not write a letter that wraps up what the purpose of the greeting is. If you are sending a lot of cards for the holiday such as Christmas you can design your own letterhead with a computers design expertise or make own design. This way you can create a lot of letters and it’s less expensive. If you are sending one card you can also personalize e-cards which you can send to all your friends and family if you have internet access and an active email account as well as them having both internet and email. There is a lot of e-greeting card websites that allow you to personalize a card for free. This is the short and quick way to get your message out and it means no stamps or licking envelopes!
Take time to think about each person you are shopping for and what he or she would like as a gift. It will be easy to think of great gifts that anybody might want such as a new car but that isn’t being realistic. Think about what each person does, their hobbies, and other interests. Do you know anyone getting ready to go to college? Why don’t you put together a “care package”? Fill it with basic necessities a college student might need. Such as cookies, snacks, toiletries, socks, college guidance books, etc.
Are you gift-giving to someone at work or who has an office? You can create an “office pack”. The key is in how well you present it. Find a fitting container and fill it with office supplies, mouse pad, personalized pens or coffee mugs, magazines, a calendar, etc. Baskets are a great giving idea, because you can fill them with so many different things. Don’t spend money at the mall buying one filled with overpriced goods, instead make one yourself. You can find baskets at any discount store. Then, simply put something to cover the bottom of the basket, whether it is cloth, tissue paper, or something creative. Then just organize whatever items you have and put a bow on it or decorative piece.
If you don’t know what to put in the basket you can find all types of arts & crafts ideas in books at your local library or on the Internet. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Cookie Basket
Homemade cookie variety, toppings, napkins, cocoa mixes
Coffee Lovers Basket
Assortment of coffees, mugs, stirrers, crème assortments, something to read
Traditional Jelly Basket
Small jars of homemade jelly, muffin/cornbread mix, spatula, butter & knife
Sweet Tooth Basket
Brownies, cookies, small jars of candy, cocoa mix, chocolates
Pasta Lovers Basket
Jars of various pastas and sauces, parmesan cheese, pasta ladle, strainer
Fire Starter Basket
Pinecones, long stick matches, starter blocks, candle scents/oils, ash shovel
Some other Great Gift Ideas
Brownie/Candy Jars
This is an attractive gift, perfect for friends, co-workers, and neighbors. A large sized jar filled with either brownies or candies. Attach ribbons or bows to the lid and decorate with puffy paint or be creative. Homemade Decorative Cookies Homemade cookies are a great teacher or babysitter gift. Use a fun cookie cutter pattern; add some colorful icing and a few ribbons. Add a nice card and its a special holiday gift.
Framed Collage
This gift is perfect for any occasion, and is great for friends or family. Gather pictures of the person you’re making the collage for. Look for pictures of various places you’ve both been and good times you’ve shared. Once you have your pictures, organize them to make an eye-catching display. Glue them in place, decorate the frame and you have a gift that’s a lasting memory.
Homemade Ornaments
Get a recipe for hardening clay from any holiday crafts book or use a burnt out light bulb and paint it. If using clay, a child’s’ foot or hand imprint decorated makes excellent gifts for grandparents or relatives. Family/Children Portraits Pictures with a nice picture frame always make a great gift and are lasting memories.
Magazine Subscription
Magazines are reasonably priced so find one that fits the gift getter’s interest and get a subscription. All too often, the holidays and special occasions seem to come and go in a flash. Take time to visit with others with whom you do not see very often. Start a ‘tradition’ like grab bag gift giving at Christmas time where everyone puts their names in a hat and everyone takes a name out. Then everyone is getting a gift from someone opposed to having to buy for everyone. Moments like these will create memories of the loved ones in your life that no gift can replace and you’ll be saving dimes left and right! For more information please visit http://www.holidaydebtresource.com.
Kelly Kennedy is the Communications Specialist for MindComet Corporation, a full service marketing agency for Fortune 500 companies and international conglomerates. Kelly specializes in public relations strategies focused on personal finance. Kelly has been author to hundreds of articles focusing on finance. She also acts as a contributing author for a wide variety of websites and newsletters. Kelly holds a Bachelors degree in Marketing from the University of Central Florida.
We had the most compliments EVER on our Christmas cards that year.