The "Holidays on a Budget" tips thread

[Mom-to-2-Princesses]

I have used my computer for gifts the past few years.

Two years ago I made a calendar for all of my husbands family. There were 12 grandkids/nieces/nephews, I scanned several pictures of each kid in and each one got a month. I printed it all out on my computer with a nice heavy stock of paper. I took it to a local office store and had it "professionally bound" with the plastic loop things (about $1). I ended up giving away 9 of them and everyone loved it.

This year for my family I am going to accumulate all the old family pictures my Mom has and put together a "Family Tree Booklet" My Mom will be on the gift as well to help with the identification.

When my kids were younger I had them do gifts for their teachers on the computer. We have several of the Disney Print Shops (doesn't everyone? ) We would make note paper for the teachers. We would personalize it "A Note from Mrs. Apple" and then my kids would put different pictures in, and print. Then I would cut into notes. I usually put it in a basket with a homemade goody. The teachers really likes it - they are always sending notes home to parents and this was a nice way to personalize it.

I also use my Disney Print Programs to make bookmarks for the kids in my daughters class. Again I personalize them, use contact paper to cover them and for a few cents have a fun gift.

And as everyone else has pointed out -- buy early! Two years ago our Hometown Dollar (like a Dollar Tree) had a bag sale during sidewalk sales. All you could fit into a paper bag for a dollar. So for $2 I fit in 75 pins and 22 6" snowman figurines! The pins were given away last year - in a basket during an open house, at a family gathering etc. This year the snowman are going to make it onto a cookie/goodie tray.

Good Luck - only 3 months left to Christmas!

 

[barbeml]

POSTED BY PJLLA who didn't realize she was signed in under DD's name!!

Great ideas here.... but realistically, this thread should have been started last December.

Yes, but the Budget Boarders LOVE a challenge and I know we are up to it!

 

[Frantasmic]

Send good fruit to groups of people. A $20 assortment from Pittman Davis does well for a family or office group.

 

[CheapMom]

I join bmg music club and get 12 cds for the price of 1 - then I fulfill my obligation right away and then cancel membership- You get 15 cds shipped for just under $75 bucks. That is less than $5 per cd.

I will also buy discounted gift cards from everydayrewardsgold.

I always wake up at 4:45 or 5:00 on Black Friday.

 

[grlpwrd]

I always stock up during the after Christmas sales, but it's more of a challenge to give non-Christmas themed gifts as many are just clutter to some as a lot of people don't like to collect that stuff or ever use it.

I also have a shelf full of clearanced items that I collect throughout the year to be used for gift giving. Often times we get items that people don't really want or have a use for or I end up buying too many Target markdowns so I limit myself now. Yes, people should be grateful, but often times it ends up being clutter or re-gifted.

I try to give practical, useable, or consumeable gifts.

A few ideas:

* lavender sachets - My dd's made them out of lavender that my MIL grew. We used lace cut in circles and purple ribbon. We attached a tag that stated "have a scent-sational" Christmas." We placed them in Chinese takeout boxes that I bought in bulk with shredded paper. Their teachers and some of our friends loved them as they smell great and are useful as potpourri.

* gift baskets - various themes, like spaghetti night, movie night, game night, etc. You can stock up using coupons and get the items for really cheap or free. One year I gave my MIL a basket full of toiletries this way and 2 years ago we gave acquaintances and teachers fruit and snack baskets. I stocked up on baskets from thrift stores and cleansed them really well or bought them new for really cheap, decorated them with shredded paper as fill, a huge ribbon, filled the basket with fresh fruit and snacks (snacks bought with coupons), and covered with plastic wrap.

* Burn CDs and package them nicely. My brother gives me Hawaiian music CDs which he burnson his computer, he labels them, and presents them in a nice CD case. I do that for others, too, now.

* Visit www.craftster.org for making gifts. You can sew purses out of juice pouches and things like that. Lots of other sites, too, for making your own gifts like www.makingfriends.com

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

has anyone ever ordered fruit of the month or anything like that? Where is a good place to order fruit from?

 

[can'twait]

Harry & David has awesome fruit, but I don't think they are very budget conscious!

We always say we will buy gifts starting in March, but it never happens. I keep telling DH we don't have to buy it in March, but we should at least put $ aside starting in March. Maybe next year!

We have started picking names with some people, but really can't for others.

Last year I took the kids to a pottery place and helped them make ornaments for certain people, but that added up too.

I always go to CVS the day after Christmas and get wrapping, tissue, etc. on sale.

I always recycle gift bags and baskets.

Sometimes I buy small bottles of stuff at Bath & Body Works.

Recently I've started buying gifts like Pyrex containers and frying pans for people. Stuff like that sounds like it's not fun, but I'd rather give people things they can use every day, not something that hangs in their house for 2 weeks once a year.

I'm considering hitting the stores the day after Thanksgiving for those famous sales. I HATE crowds and getting up early, but I think I should give it a go, at least once. Does anyone else do that? Have you had much success? Which stores have the best sales & merchandise?

 

[smfritz03]

Toys R Us has some really great clearances now! We bought ds a chopper bicycle for $50 and dd1 a chopper bicycle for $40. So we have their big presents out of the way.

The day after Thanksgiving is also a good time to shop. I end up getting half of Christmas bought that day (cant this year since we will be heading to Disney again).

Scrapbooking is also a nice gift to make for someone--especially if you can catch some snapshots that they are unaware that you have.

The kids also enjoy making the applesauce/cinnamon christmas ornaments and the families enjoy getting them.

Also--you can make a coupon to hand out---say you make some special lasagna--give a coupon for that lasanga at any time during the year. If someone is entertaining, or has a busy day--they can call ahead and you will have it made for them--its a gift that will give itself when the person needs it.

This also helped me--I worte everything down I bought--even down to the bows, wrapping paper and Christmas lights, my outfits,etc so I would have a handle on my Christmas budget. When on paper, you see the figures and it helps keep it under control.

 

[Nini]

cut back!!! We have sooooo many children in our family, we don't even buy gifts for the adults who are married. We used to buy gifts for all the children and unmarried young adults, but now on Thanksgiving, we do a "Secret Santa".

This is when each family's name goes into a hat/bag/whatever and each family takes a name from the hat and passes it down the table where the next family takes a name. At the end, we all end up w/one family to buy for. This way, we can buy a "Family Gift" (such as a s'mores maker). I usually create a wonderful gift basket for our receiving family which includes things like hot cocoa, a movie the children haven't seen, popcorn, mittens and mugs...just a nice little grouping that they can enjoy together!

It takes a lot of the guess work re: sizes, who likes what, what to get the person who has everything out of our holiday buying. PLUS, we don't break the bank purchasing gifts!

One note, I do make each set of parents (mil & fil and my parents) a basket with things like wine glasses, bottle of wine, cheese spreads, cheese knife, crackers, pasta, specialty sauce...anything non-perishable! They totally LOVE the baskets and it is a real time saver.

You can purchase the "shrink wrap" bags at any craft store AND you can buy baskets throughout the year when they are on sale!

Best of Luck!!!

 

[barbeml]

Amazon has great deals on My Scene Barbies:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002FQVGA/surprisesandjewe/002-1318201-7639250

 

[ziggystardust]

I'm considering hitting the stores the day after Thanksgiving for those famous sales. I HATE crowds and getting up early, but I think I should give it a go, at least once. Does anyone else do that? Have you had much success? Which stores have the best sales & merchandise?

I did this for the last 2 years. On Thanksgiving we usually have a lazy morning and end up at my relatives in Brooklyn later in the day. So I spend the morning looking at circulars. The first time I saw that Best Buy was having a deal on wireless routers - which is what I was going to get my DBF anyway (for wireless internet). If you got there early the $70 router cost something like $20. Can't beat that, and it was one of his "big" presents that ended up being really inexpensive. So I was up early (not as early as I would have liked). The line at Best Buy was ridiculous, but I was able to find a secret line in one of the sections, so I was in and out in no time. I also hit up Target since I was up, and was in and out of there in no time.
They had so many extra associates that no one was waiting in line.

If I see another deal, I'll be doing it again this year.

 

[MrsPete]

Alright, I am going to suggest something shocking. Talk to everyone that you exchange with, friends and family and tell them you want to simplify the holiday season. Ask them if they wouldn't mind not exchanging gifts anymore .

I totally agree. We no longer exchange with oodles of people, and everyone's happier. My brother was the brave one in our family who suggested that we start "drawing names", and everyone enthusiastically chimed in their approval. Since we have a large family, it's worked out very well. We all buy for the kids, though there's no "have-to" rule; each adult buys for one other adult. Anyone who wants to be excluded quietly tells whomever hosts Thanksgiving dinner (we draw at Thanksgiving dinner, and the host is responsible for the name-drawing).

The money matters, but mostly it's the STRESS of buying, wrapping, delivering . . . we as a society have really gone overboard with the holidays. Put your foot down and say, "NO MORE".

 

[btass]

My brother was the brave one in our family who suggested that we start "drawing names", and everyone enthusiastically chimed in their approval.

I think one of the hardest things to do is to "be the brave" one and suggest drawing names. I actually did it one year out of neccesity, it was Christmas or rent for the month that year and I was brave and made the suggestion. Everyone loved the idea!!

Go for it, be brave!! Make the suggestion!

 

[MrsPete]

I always stock up during the after Christmas sales, but it's more of a challenge to give non-Christmas themed gifts as many are just clutter to some as a lot of people don't like to collect that stuff or ever use it

I don't mean to be contrary, but several people have mentioned looking for nice gifts at clearance prices, etc. . . .

this is one of the things that fuels the gotta-buy monster. Searching out clearance sales (right after Christmas or throughout the year) allows us to "give more", which leads to higher expectations next year. It leads to, "Well, I'd only send them a card, but last year they gave me _____, so I'd better give them a nice gift." And this cycle inevitably leads to greater spending and stress. This is a good strategy for people for whom you'll ALWAYS buy --your mom, your kids -- but it's like shooting yourself in the foot when it comes to co-workers and casual aquaintances who are in the "might exchange gifts" category.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

what I'd like to do.....but my DH's family would NEVER agree.......I'd like to stop with all the gifts all together. I'd like to have one huge potluck dinner and then take the kids ice skating or sledding or something. Devote a whole afternoon and evening to it. No gifts! We could play games or watch old home movies.

I am tired of the gifts. I am tired of the wrapping paper. I am tired by the time Christmas comes around. I am tired just thinking about it.

 

[pjlla]

I don't mean to be contrary, but several people have mentioned looking for nice gifts at clearance prices, etc. . . .

this is one of the things that fuels the gotta-buy monster. Searching out clearance sales (right after Christmas or throughout the year) allows us to "give more", which leads to higher expectations next year. It leads to, "Well, I'd only send them a card, but last year they gave me _____, so I'd better give them a nice gift." And this cycle inevitably leads to greater spending and stress. This is a good strategy for people for whom you'll ALWAYS buy --your mom, your kids -- but it's like shooting yourself in the foot when it comes to co-workers and casual aquaintances who are in the "might exchange gifts" category.

I don't totally disagree with you. I tend to fall into this trap. Rather than give a nephew a $50 Lego set that I got on clearance for $20 and leave it at that, I feel the need to spend more and more because I didn't spend my "usual" $35+ on him. But I am getting away from that feeling!! I bought a HUGE Barbie house on clearance at TRU last year for two nieces (sisters). It was originally about $100 and I got it for $25. That was my (our) gift to them both and it only cost me $12.50 per child! It was such a HUGE gift that I didn't feel guilty about spending so little!! So if you can get away from this overbuying dilemma, clearance is a great thing!!..............P

 

[can'twait]

Grumpy's Gal, I'm with you! I'm tired just thinking about it. I bet lots of other people feel the same way but are too timid to bring it up. Heck, we all like getting gifts. But I hate shopping for gifts when you don't know people too well and have no clue what to get. I also feel guilty about receiving those gifts when they give me something I have NO USE for and end up re-gifting or selling it. They spent their time and $ on it, you know? Also, I'm running out of ideas of stuff for Santa to bring the kids. I can't wait until this Santa BS is all out in the open and we can just give the kids a few things they will really like from DH and I, instead of feeling like we have to overwhelm them with "stuff" under the tree.

DH's family actually suggested instead of buying gifts we should all go on a trip to Las Vegas one year. I would LOVE to do that. NO SHOPPING! YAY!

Of course, they are a smaller family than mine and don't have other family to buy for.

 

[gemjoy]

I can't wait until this Santa BS is all out in the open and we can just give the kids a few things they will really like from DH and I, instead of feeling like we have to overwhelm them with "stuff" under the tree.

No flames please... but this comment kinda rubbed me wrong. C'mon...Christmas is for kids! This... to me is the best part - seeing the look on their faces when they see what santa left them. I could care less if I get any gifts (except of course the homeade treasures my DD and DS make me in school!) And as for gifts for the rest of the family ~ every family has their own "way" drawing names, kids only, family gift... whatever. But ultimately, in my book.. it's all about the kids.

 

[barbeml]

Ending the gift exchange would not work in my family. My 70 year-old Dad ADORES giving & getting Christmas presents (they did not have FUN Christmases when he was little), and he looks like a crestfallen 3 year old whenever the subject of picking names or some such thing comes up. DH's very traditional Italian family goes nuts at the very suggestion...so it's just not gonna happen.

I really do love to give gifts, especially clever and unexpected little treasures, so it's not like I want to stop. Just need to do it for less and find ways to save on the other parts of the holidays. And I already have a bunch of great ideas from you guys!

MrsPete makes a good point, but I'm pretty good about not spending the difference when I get a good deal...I try to hit a certain "value" mark, not necessarily a price limit.

 

[can'twait]

gemjoy,

I understand and agree, it IS for the kids, but sometimes it's out of control. Then kids expect a boatload of gifts. What if you just don't have the $ to play Santa to the hilt? Then you feel guilty. Should we have to choose between home heating oil and Santa? It's nuts! And then there are more gifts from family. I can't tell you the number of gifts my kids got that stayed in the box, or were never played with and ended up in a yard sale. We once decided to punish my DD by taking away her toys. Her response was, "Santa will bring me more". Great. That's when I knew this Santa character was created by a toy store owner.

Sorry, I didn't meant to hijack this thread. Maybe we should start another one for Scrooges?

Any more budgeting tips out there?