Low cost gift ideas.

[nichanda]

I'm looking for ideas for low cost Christmas gifts or other occasions.

I have my "big" gifts covered that I get for DH and our parents, however there are a handful of people on my list that I exchange gifts with that just stump me.

With an upcoming vacation that I am paying for, I'm trying to be as "budget friendly" as possible.

I'm sure there are other people out there who are in the same situation as I am.

The only low cost gift I've come up with this year, is a box of dip spice (which has two packages in each box), a small ceramic baking dish, and a $10.00 gift card to the grocery store to cover buying the sour cream, miracle whip needed to make the dip, and chips or veggies to go with it. However, this gift only fits with certain people.

Any ideas? DH's birthday is also coming up, and I will need to try and squeeze money out of the tight budget for this.

 

[mjantz]

I'm giving DDs teacher a 'Going to See the Christmas Lights' kit. Reusable bag & music CD from Dollar Tree, a throw from Big Lots, box of hot chocolate (1 box of a 5pack set I found at Target) & a bag of microwave popcorn. It's always a big hit & about $10.

 

[cornflake]

Looks like you're thinking $20-25?

Bottle of merlot with two glasses nestled in.

Cocoa box - thing of GOOD cocoa mix (like Ghiradelli makes cocoa mix, don't be gifting people Swiss Miss), gourmet marshmallows (they're only like $3 a bag but so much better and for a gift, make it all nice) and a couple of giant mugs.

Movie night box - a $10 Target gift card to buy a DVD along with couple boxes of microwave popcorn in fun flavours (get a movie theatre butter and a caramel or whatever something ppl might not have) and some movie-sized packs of Twizzlers, Reese's Pieces, Mike and Ikes, etc. (Target and most supermarkets have the movie-theatre boxes of candy for like $1).

Tea box (for ppl like tea, obvs.) with a bunch of (again, NICE) different teas, mix it up, some traditional (Earl Grey, even a Twinings is ok), some herbal, some maybe holiday festive, some loose tea, with a tea ball in case they don't have, with a couple of big mugs.

Make the boxes nice if you do this - you can just do a plain big white box but get a pack of festively coloured tissue paper and lightly wad up different colours and pack the box with them so you can nestle stuff in - etc., all makes it feel 'richer' than it is.

 

[HM]

There are all sorts of really soft throw blankets for sale everywhere (some at really good prices). I love to give them to people at this time of year. Nice to have on cold winter nights and makes them think of you each time they use it.

 

[nichanda]

I love all of these ideas! I would never have thought of any of them. Yes $20-25 is around what I am looking to spend.

 

[nichanda]

(like Ghiradelli makes cocoa mix, don't be gifting people Swiss Miss),

LOL!