~*~
Keeping the cost of the gift you give within your budget will help make it a more pleasant celebration for all. The key to frugal gift giving is remembering that the greatest gifts always come from the heart. You’ll be surpised to find out how many gifts you already have right at your fingertips.
- A Framed Photo. Everyone can use framed photos. Whether displayed at home or at the office, there is always a place for a visual reminder of love and comfort. Use programs like York Photo, Shutterfly or Photobucket where they give first-time visitors free prints!! If you’re not a first-time visitor, prints are still very cheap. Your pictures will show up in your mailbox w/in a few days! Pick up a frame at any store for between $3-$8 and you’ve found yourself a meaningful, useful gift that will last a lifetime for less than $10!
~ Tickets. Concerts, Sports, Races, Theater, etc…..something for everyone. Frugal ticket, though?? Yep - and until researching the idea just now, I didn’t know it was possible, either! Check out Stub Hub to find an awesome site where not only can you buy tickets at a much lower price - but you can even sell the tickets you can’t use!
~ Gift Certificates. Save the gas money and even the money on a a card and stamp with online Gift Card retailers like My Choice: Give a MyChoice Certificate - Hundreds of merchant choices in one gift! They can mail you the gift card, mail the gift card to the recipient or even email it to the recipient immediately. Convinient, less stress, and save on gas!
- A Painted Flower Pot. This is an excellent gift for anyone! You can purchase a small flower pot at any home improvement store for around $1. You can pick up some multi-use paint at just about any store for $1-2 per color. If you have children or grandchildren, have them add hand-prints and fingerprints for special memory of their youth. Once you or the children have painted the pot, plant a low-maintenance plant inside. You can find these at the store for between $1-$5. A house plant is the perfect addition to the pot to make this gift a home or office decoration! In addition to adding a personal touch to any space, indoor plants help with the air quality and offer a touch of nature. This fantastic frugal gift costs $3-$10 and is as useful as it is meaningful!
- From the Kitchen… Home made jams, jellies, cakes, cookies, and breads make wonderful gifts! Another idea is to bake a dish the gift receiver loves and bring it over on their special day for dinner. They can have it then or freeze it for another night. This gives the person a night away from cooking and a dish they love - two gifts in one delivery! No matter what it is you make, be sure to include the recipe on a 3X5 recipe card so they can make it themselves. If you wrap the treat/meal in a cloth napkin, or tablecloth then you’ve added even more to the gift!
- eBay. So you want to buy a specific gift, but you just can’t pay full price for it. Go to eBay and go fast! A couple simple searches and you’ll find just the right thing for anyone. Be a smart bidder - be sure to read all the fine print and be sure you don’t overbid! If you don’t have an eBay account, get one now. We’ve saved thousands of dollars getting things for our family on eBay over the years. You should, too!
- Cards About Them. Have 250 cards printed at VistaPrint.com for just $5!! There’s dozens of ways to create the cards that will suit the gift receiver just right. VistaPrint.com offers these cards completely free for just the cost of shipping which averages just $5! They do this because they want you to be impressed with their quality and service and come back for more. We’ve taken advantage of this freebie many times and it is as legitimate as it gets. Make these into New Address cards for a wonderful housewarming gift! Other gift ideas; contact cards for highschool and college aged kids, business cards for new graduates, coupon cards for new Moms, etc. There’s a ton of possibilities. And we’re only talking $5 here!!!
- A Letter. Sometimes we go days, weeks months and even a lifetime without telling the people that are important to us how much we appreciate who they are. Gift-giving times offer the perfect opportunity for yo to sit down and write a hand-written letter about your gratitude for what that person has done in your life and the life of others. It’s safe to say it will be the best gift they receive that holiday.
Do you have a frugal gift idea? Please Email Us to share your idea! We may just add it to this page!
