Thrifty Christmas Ideas

It's that time of year to begin planning your Christmas.  Beginning early and planning ahead are the keys to being thrifty.  Here are some tried and true ideas to make your holiday a thrifty one!

1.  Make a list and narrow it down.  Determine the people you have to buy presents for.  Make a list.

2.  Create a gift budget.  Set a total limit, then divide it among people on your list.  When you shop, remember your budget for each individual and stick to it.

3.  Do an exchange.  This will really cut costs, especially if you have a large family or group of co-workers.  Instead of buying a bunch of gifts, you only have to buy one.  Our family does this and it's a huge de-stresser for us at Christmas.

4.  Make your own gifts.  Food items are always welcome, jar mixes, favorite quotes or photos framed (this is my new favorite gift), knitted/crocheted scarves and hats, photo slide shows, etc.  We had a friend who always made delicious treats and boxed them beautifully with tissue paper and decorated boxes.  They always seemed special because she put so much work into the presentation.

5.  Check out the thrift store and the dollar store.  Some people may cringe at this item but you might be surprised at the great gifts you can find there.  You may also find ways to package gifts with thrift store finds to make them unique and memorable. My friend found a beautiful bag at the thrift store and filled it with bath products.  Last year, I used Christmas ornaments from the dollar store and created star-themed gifts based on them.     

6.  Create home-made coupons for things like babysitting, yard work, car washes, massages.  I love receiving these (especially from my kids) and redeeming them when I most need the service.

7.  Make recipe books or recipe cards.  One of my all-time favorite gifts was a book my sister compiled of favorite family recipes.  It contains all my Mom's best recipes and adds my siblings most-loved recipes.  I use it all the time!  You can focus on a theme like chocolate recipes for a chocolate lover, for example.

8.  Give hobby-based presents.  Think about the hobbies of the person you are giving to:  sheet music for a musician, a plant for a gardener, golf balls for a golfer, scrapbook supplies for the scrapper, books for a reader, etc.  A well thought-out gift often has much more meaning than an expensive one.

9.  For kids, try making a dress-up box or trunk.  It doesn't need new clothes in it; instead, look for unique costume items at thrift stores or even in your own closets or attic.  One of our favorite family activities is letting the kids go to town in our dress-ups.  They come up with all kinds of unique costumes.  Some of their favorite items include a siblings' old cheerleader outfit, our Grandma's psychedelic 70s clothes, a black silky shirt with diamond buttons which becomes a pirate shirt, a slinky dress with belt, etc.  This gift encourages creativity and ensures hours of fun.