photo credit: miszpinay

Birthdays are special occasions. Everybody likes to receive gifts to celebrate the day of their birth. If you have a big family, purchasing birthday gifts could prove an expensive labor of love. There is good news, though. You can express your feelings for someone without spending a lot of money.

When shopping for children, consider the age of the recipient. Kids younger than four have a short attention span. It may seem like a good idea to buy that big toy that lights up and makes funny sounds, but after a week, the child will be on to something else. A more practical gift may be a toy xylophone or a wind-up music box. These toys don’t require batteries and never go out of style. Remember the commercial with the expensive toy and expensive wrapping paper. And, in the end, the baby played in the box. Priceless.

Whenever a family member mentions something they would like to have, add this item to a list. This gives you choices when it comes to gift ideas. Perfume may be an item on the list. Instead of a big bottle that may be costly, purchase a couple of small bottles or even samples along with another item they may like.

Gift baskets are the present that keeps on giving, but it’s always more affordable to create your own. Baskets are inexpensive and can be purchased anywhere. Add colored tissue paper and ribbon to decorate the basket. Then, add the goodies. Even for children, a basket filled with several small items is like treasure waiting to be found.

Any time you have extra money, purchase items that can be used as birthday gifts. When shopping for yourself, pick up something extra for just such an occasion. In your closet, start a gift box to store all of your finds. Then, shop in your gift box first whenever a birthday approaches, before heading out to the store.

Wrapping paper and cards can be expensive accessories. Your friendly neighborhood dollar store sells rolls and sheets of birthday wrapping. They also sell bows, ribbons, and birthday cards. Stock up and keep them in the same place where you store your potential birthday gifts.

Gifts given to another should come from the heart. Thoughtful gifts do not have to leave a hole in your pocketbook. Using a little forethought could save you a lot of dough.