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It's that time again. Make a list, check it twice… And try to squeeze out something for everyone on a limited budget. This year, I've resolved to change my attitude. Instead of "Poor me, my finances are limited so I'll have to shop only clearance tables," my attitude is, "It's a fun challenge to find a great gift for my friends and loved ones and stay within my budget!" Here are some of the techniques I'm going to use.
Re-gifting. Formerly a dirty word, now it's a standard in our family. Everyone must give at least one re-gifted item. We all know about it, so it's not like we're trying to sneak it in. Our stipulation, and the challenge, is that it must be something the person will like. I'm going to give a book I've read to one sister (I loved it and she will too), an organizer to another (it wasn't right for me), a Christmas CD to my mom (I have too many to play during any one holiday season!), and scented lotion to my dad (he's a practical joker so this time the joke's on him!). It's not too late to make re-gifting part of your gift-giving this year!
Photographs. I'm a scrap booker, so I have many, many extra photos in my craft room. Some of them will be put into collage frames (bought on sale!). Some will be made into refrigerator magnets. Some will go into scrapbooks (bought on sale at craft stores). Other not-quite-scrapbook quality pictures will be made into calendars for relatives so they can enjoy our activities all year (purchase blank calendars at craft stores, office supply store, or make your own on the computer). My children are in charge of making the calendars, and they love looking through the pictures taken during the year.
If you don't have a lot of extra pictures but want to give one of these gifts, pick a day to take a bunch of pictures of your everyday family activities. Let the kids take some for a view of family life from their perspective, too. Some photos can be posed, some funny. Don't forget the pets! Grandparents and other relatives love to receive photos of their loved ones.
Gift certificates with a twist--they're free! Give loved ones gift certificates for things like foot rubs, an afternoon "off" (for a busy mom), a box of cookies or muffins every month (perhaps for an elderly person who doesn't bake), or an outing of their choice (for your children). Or, teach a skill. We gave my mother-in-law a camera along with gift certificates for "camera and photography training." Kids can give their parents gift certificates for "cleaning the kitchen" or other household chores.
Recipes. Share your favorite recipes with a new bride or recent college graduate. Print or type them on fancy recipe cards and put them in a nice recipe box. Or, collect favorite recipes from all family members, young and old. Print them in book form and give a book to every member of the family.
Jar mixes. Soup, cookie, flavored coffee, hot chocolate, and brownie mixes are fun to put together and great gifts for teachers. Choose several recipes (search "jar mixes" on the Internet) and make a list of the ingredients you'll need. Search for coupons for the ingredients or watch for sales on them. For a group project, assign a group of friends to bring different ingredients and spend the afternoon assembling the mixes. Kids will love to help with this project. Make a few extra to have on hand for hostess gifts or last-minute gifts. If you don't give them away, enjoy them yourself!
Clearance racks--with a twist! Don't just search the clearance tables at discount stores. I've found office supplies and fancy coffees and mugs on the clearance shelf at grocery stores. At an upscale clothing store, I recently found a fancy jacket, originally priced at $90, marked down to $14.99 with another 30% off! You might have to search a long time to find that great of deal, but they're out there if you have the patience to look.
Use these tips for gift-giving with an attitude--a fun, money-saving attitude.
Shelly Burke, RN, is the author of Home is Where the Mom Is
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