Happy 2010! Many New Year's Resolutions revolve around money, whether it is paying off debt or vowing to save more money. I hope that each Friday (Frugal Friday) you will be inspired in little ways to save big.I wanted to mention something today that ties in with holidays; which is gifts. Gifts can add up, especially when there is a husband, children, grandparents, parents, siblings, and friends to buy for when it comes to birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduations, and Christmas. Sometimes the sheer amount of those who we would like to buy for can become overwhelming and more of a hassle than a gift given in love.
After Christmas sales are some of the best ways to get nice gifts for 50% off or more. Stores discount their excess toys so that is the perfect time to stock up on gifts for children. Other stores cut prices on bath sets, fragrances, clothing, and more that would be perfect for gifts for adults. Get a box or rubbermaid bin and start buying gifts now and storing them away. It is a wonderful feeling to know that you have gifts already bought and stored away for that next birthday party without having to run to the store and pay full price. You are saving both money and time.
Garage sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops are another wonderful place to get gifts at wonderful prices. Who says that a gift has to be something new? An old copy of a favorite book is a treasured item for a bookworms bookshelf, a pile of DVD's stuck in a basket with other "movie themed" items is an awesome gift and previously viewed DVDs play just as well as brand new ones. A box of gently used baby clothes is far more useful (and often times cheaper!) than one brand new outfit. The list goes on and on but the treasures that can be found at these places are endless. Think outside of the box when it comes to gift giving.
One site that I have to recommend checking often is Hip2Save. This site is updated daily with several wonderful deals from online stores. It also highlights coupons and has detailed instructions on how to pair up coupons with current sales happening at different retailers. My biggest point in using that site is to sign up for all the free samples that she lists. Sometimes you sign up for a freebie that never arrives, but most of the time they will mail it out and you can score some wonderful free things this way. At times the free samples actually end up being full size products or coupons for a free product in-store. Receiving free samples in the mail is a nice way to try out a product that you have wanted to try. I like to sign up for the health and beauty products (shampoo, feminine products, soap, makeup, perfume) and then store them in a little basket in the bathroom cupboard. It's nice to pamper myself with a new product from time to time so I will ruffle through the basket and find something that fits my mood for that day. Collecting the samples and making mini gift baskets as gifts is a perfect idea. Health and beauty samples for a mother's day, birthday, or Christmas gift. Baby samples for a baby shower or "welcome home baby" gift. Kitchen and cleaning samples for a housewarming party. These baskets of assorted items can look very impressive when wrapped up prettily. I plan on saving many of these odds and ends for stocking stuffers for this coming Christmas. I received a few coffee samples right before Christmas this year and stuck them in my husband's stocking and he had a blast trying out all the different flavors. One of my thrifty goals this year is to order as many samples as I see listed and make little gifts out of them.
If you are crafty it saves a lot of money when you can make your own gifts. Some of my favorite gifts were when my friend made me an apron, or made the kids fleece hats. When my aunt made my son (her godson) a crocheted blanket. When my Grandma made each of my children a crazy quilt blanket. These gifts not only are useful things, but also give me a warm cozy feeling when I see them because they remind me of that friend/relative and all the work that went into making that item.
Gift giving should be fun, not a drag. Even with a limited budget there are so many possibilities of wonderful gifts that can be put together. Be creative when it comes to gift giving! What is one of the best presents that you have ever received?
I'm thrifty with gifts, too, scouring clearance sections, thrift stores and garage sales for great deals. This year, the surprise toy hit was a second hand kids' digital camera. It was $80 new on Amazon.com and my husband bought it for $.99 at Goodwill. It needed a little cleaning and new batteries and was good as new. The kids fought over it, and it's been my son's favorite gift. Gotta love that!
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