Tag Archive for inexpensive

27 Oct 2010
Saving Money

Budget Saving Strategies For Birthday Gifts

Birthdays are special occasions. Everybody likes to receive gifts to celebrate the day of their birth. But if you have a big family, purchasing birthday gifts could prove an expensive labor of love. However, there are ways you can express your feelings for someone without spending a lot of money. Here are some ways we save money on birthday gifts for our family:

Keep The Gift Age Appropriate
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? In the end, the baby played in the box. Priceless.

Keep An Updated List Year Round
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 Simple Budget Stretchers
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.

Start A Gift Closet
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.

Take A Trip To The Dollar Store
Wrapping paper and cards can be expensive accessories. Your friendly neighborhood dollar store sells rolls and sheets of birthday wrapping. T hey 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.

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09 Mar 2010
Frugal

Frugal and Inexpensive Gift Giving Ideas

With the approach of Spring comes the gift giving occasions of Easter, graduations, weddings, Mother’s Day, etc. If you love giving gifts as much as I do, you’ve learned to take advantage of all of the inexpensive gift ideas you can come up with. After all, the point of giving a gift is to tell a friend or family member that you’re thinking of them on their special occasion. No one expects you to blow your family’s budget on a gift. Giving a thoughtful, but inexpensive, gift is always a better idea than spending a ton of money on a gift you can’t afford.

Inexpensive gifts don’t have to be cheap, though. You can learn to get as much bang for your gift-giving buck by carefully selecting the items you choose to give. Here are some of my favorite ideas:

Tiny Luxuries – I’ve found that many of my girl friends don’t regularly treat themselves to the little luxuries in life. By shopping at discount places like TJ Maxx or Marshall’s, I can buy small treats like high -end chocolates, name brand perfumes, or decadent lotions.

The Gift of Creativity – Kids love anything that allows them to get their creative juices flowing. A smattering a stickers or a foam craft kit are both great gift ideas for youngsters. You can find both for a dollar or two at craft stores like Michael’s or Hobby Lobby. When all else fails a coloring book from the dollar store and a new package of crayons are sure to elicit a smile from the gift recipient.

Gadgets – If there’s one thing the men in my life can never get enough of, it is gadgets. Inexpensive things like a LED flashlight or a talking tire pressure gauge always make nice gifts. Tasty rubs or seasonings for use at a cookout or a six pack of assorted beers (the best ones are at World Market) are always popular, as well.

Gifts for the Impossible Recipient – No one is harder to shop for than teenagers. Teens have their own tastes, and they change their minds faster than anyone I know. A few gifts, however, always please the teenagers in my life. An assortment of eye shadows in a fun zipper bag can be a great gift for a teenage girl. I make the bag myself from scraps of fabric left from other projects. Jewelry or hair accessories are great for younger girls, too. Boys might enjoy a DVD of a recent action flick or an accessory for their mp3 players.

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17 Nov 2006
Homemade • Saving Money

50 Homemade Gift Ideas – From Around The Web

Homemade gifts are some of the best gifts I give. It makes the gift so much more personal and who doesn’t like to receive a homemade gift? Being the frugal gal that I am, I searched the web to find some of the best gifts to make. One way I save money on my sewing, crafting, and scrapbooking supplies is to shop on Amazon.com. You’d be amazed by some of the great deals you can score there!

Homemade Cookies- 1. Make a batch of your favorite homemade cookies and use kitchen gift labels to make them personal! I set aside one weekend and make all my kitchen gifts in one batch and let all the kids pitch in to help.

Personalized Gift – 2. I like to give personalized ornaments as gifts to everyone on my gift list. I can make a new ornament for each year so I never run out of ideas for gifts.

Homemade Ornaments – 3. Homemade Holiday Ornaments: What better gift to give than a homemade holiday ornament. These can be a very simple gift to make. I especially like picture ornaments and the baked clay snowman..

Photo Ornaments - 4. Create your own photo ornaments. This is really simple to do – just put in the photos you want and voila! instant photo ornament gift!!

Jar Gifts – 5. Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix In A Jar: Yum! A wonderful and simple gift to give no matter the occasion. If you want to get fancy with the presentation, find an inexpensive plate or glass jar from your dollar store.

6. I like the idea of personalized candy:


7. No Cook Food Gift Ideas: If you are short on time in the kitchen, here are some great gift ideas you can tie, wrap and basically just give.

8. Scented Potpourri: Recipes for Apple Spice, Regency Rose, and Summer Breeze.

9. Bead And Button Teacup: This teacup is for display purposes only, but it is a really cute craft that teens could make for teacher, mom, or grandma.

10. Make A Paper Bag Scrapbook: These scrapbooks are adorable and easy to make. You use paper bags as the album!

11. Decorative Dried Herbs In Oil: Make one of those fancy looking bottles!

12. Christmas Gifts From Your Kitchen: Some yummy recipes for delicious treats including Chocolate Billionaires (love the name); Swedish Nuts; Cinnamon Nut Mix; Mocha Walnuts; and Sugared Peanuts.

13. Make Your Own Garden Stepping Stones: We’ve done this for our yard but used the kits you buy at the store. I like this version better.

14. Personalized Towels: These do not require any sewing. You could use this technique to personalize almost any item.

15. Gifts In A Jar: There were just too many to choose from so here is the entire page. Many wonderful and easy gifts to make in a jar.

16. Fleece Blanket: Directions for how to make a no-sew snuggy fleece blanket.

17. Make An Altered Lunch Box: This is one of the newer craft techniques, using scrapbooking tools.

18. Craft Foam Christmas Ornaments: These are perfect to give as a gift or keep some for your own decorating

19. Make Gel Candles: Gel candles are very popular and a great gift idea. Here are the instructions so you can make your own.

20. No sew Sachet: Even the littlest kids can help to make this one.

21. Make A Friendship Bracelet: Great for teens or tweens. Get directions for how to make a friendship bracelet.

22. Christmas Pot Holder: Who wouldn’t love this adorable home made pot holder? You could make this in a non seasonal theme as well.

23. Folk Rag Doll: Great to give a little girl or for anyone who enjoys dolls.

24. Make Your Own Butterfly House: This is a great gift idea for some of the older kids. Directions are for making the house and for the food the butterfly needs.

25. Make a Kite: Even if it is not kite flying weather, a kite can be used as a decoration for a kid’s room!

26. Mr. Bean Style Teddy Bear: This is a knitting project and looks a bit harder for this non-knitter. I included it here in case any knitters want to do this. It is adorable!

27. Sock Monkey: These are priceless and they do not look too complicated to make. This is a sewing based craft and you’ll need a pair of men’s extra large white socks.

28. Washcloth Puppets: I love these! Directions are given how to make a cow, bunny, or bear. They are all cute and I would have a difficult time choosing which one to make.

29. Broomstick Skirt: These are really in style now. Would be a great gift to give a teen or for a teen to make.

30. Make a Classic Tote: Who doesn’t need a tote bag. Very versatile.

31. No Sew Quilt: Really simple quilt idea. You could make this with a Christmas theme or any other theme you desired.

32. Make a Doll House Out Of Cardboard Box: Step by step directions to make a doll house using a simple cardboard box.

33. Make A Kitchen Apron: A perfect gift for those who love to cook!

34. Create a Tie Dye T-Shirt: This looks to be a little bit messy but tie dye crafts are a hit.

35. Make An Advent Calendar: A gift to give as the Christmas season begins.

36. Fabric Ponchos. You could make a few in different colors. These are made of fleece and don’t require any sewing.

37. Kitchen Towel Pillow Covers: What a great way to quickly and inexpensively make some really cut pillows.

38. Clay Pot Snowmen: These are so adorable and are really easy to make.

39. Homemade Beaded Candles: Look just like those really expensive ones in the store.

40. Make A Vest For Your Dog: This is a resizeable pattern, good for a poodle or lab!

41. Crosstitch A Heart Bookmark: This is an adorable bookmark and would make a wonderful gift for the book lover!

42. Coat Hanger Covers: These are sewn and you could make a set of them to give as a very practical and pretty gift.

43. Cell Phone Case: Sew your own so the options are endless!

44. American Girl Doll Dress: This pattern is for any 18 inch doll and is a drop waist dress. Lots of combinations are possible using this pattern.

45. DishTowel Angel: Really cute and only needs one dish towel, one dish cloth, and one potholder.

46. Make a Personalized Calendar: Free printable templates to make your own calendar for 2007.

47. Gingerbread Gifts: Love the smell of gingerbread! Here are several crafts which feature gingerbread. Patterns for gingerbread people, trees, and other shapes. Make a gingerbread garland too!

48. Beaded Napkin Rings: These are so cute and even though they are a “kid craft” I think anyone would enjoy receiving these as a gift.

49. Holly Jolly Cardinal Wall Hanging: This is a quilt project, and a little bit more advanced. However, it is a beautiful quilt and would make a very nice Christmas gift.

50. Vine Wall Hanging: This project looks to be simple but very nice with a country flair!

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