Saving Dimes By Frugal Gift Giving
By Kelly Kennedy
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.
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