Saturday, December 6, 2008

It's the MOST Wonderful Time of the Year....

Given that the holiday season is upon us, I thought I would ask for reader insight on gift-giving on a budget.

Some of my tricks:
  • Establish a money cap by relationship definition (x for friends, y for siblings, z for parents, etc)
  • Keep an eye out for movies priced extremely competitively.
  • $5 gift cards to a place like Starbucks are always appreciated. You can even give them without looking cheap!
  • If you need to purchase a durable item for yourself (like a shirt), be on the lookout for "Buy One, Get One" offers.
  • Consider "Yankee Swap" exchanges with friends.
  • Create dollar store grab bag presents.
Other ideas?

1 comment:

Unbalanced Reaction said...

Baked goods are good for a large group, but here's a cheap idea that's perfect for secretary gifts, coworkers, etc.: I like to get a large mason jar and then layer all the dry ingredients for your favorite muffin or cookie recipe. Add a pretty card with the full recipe to the top and voila! A cheap, useful, and thoughtful gift!

I also keep my eye out year-round for gifts for the fam. This, of course, works best if you have a lot of storage space and are buying items that don't spoil/expire/lose their awesomeness.