Seven ways to spend less on gifts.
When you are crunched for money birthdays and holidays are high stresses because you want to give the best or give them what they want because you love them, but you just can’t. Going into credit card debt for gifts is not the way to go, there are alternatives.
1. Baby Showers ‘“ Buying baby clothes at the yard sale or getting stuff from freecycle or craigslist are ideal. Make sure you inspect them well for stains, rips and snaps that work. Mother’s just want their babies clothed, no one notices the brand name over the squeezable goodness of a baby anyway.
2. Anniversaries ‘“ If you are close enough to relatives and friends, offer to baby-sit their kids/pets for a night to get them out of the house and have a date. You give the ultimate gift ‘“ time together.
3. Large Families ‘“ My father’s side of the family is large and they would draw names for adults and some older kids for Xmas. That keeps the amount of gifts down a bit and no one is forgotten. Another alternative is a ‘˜white elephant’ gift ‘“ you wrap a used item or joke gift for everyone.
4. Spending Limit ‘“ At the very least set this up for you and let others know what your limit is. If can persuade others, make the cap a family affair.
5. Give Home-made ‘“ This includes baked goods, home-cooked dinners for a busy family or hand-made items that you see they may need around the house. Obviously give yourself time to get the item finished, so pre-planning is a must. For my mother’s birthday, some of her favorite oldie and newbie songs were burned to a CD for her.
6. In Their Name ‘“ Donate to a cause THEY feel comfortable with. In some cases this may go against what you feel is right, but would show your respect to that person and what their beliefs are. Remember the tax deduction receipt as well.
7. Receiving ‘“ Sometimes you just don’t have the money for giving a tangible item. Sometimes the best gift you can give is one of graciousness and gratitude when others help you out. Don’t forget the Thank ‘“You Notes!!
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Dawn C. is site owner of Frugalforlife.com where this is a repost from: Living on Less- Gifts. Dawn is residing in Colorado with her spouse, Teri, of 11 years.
Hi Dawn – great ideas! I’ve been making cupcakes for everyone as of late. Nobody gets disappointed about a cupcake. Plus, they’re fun to make.
Also, a friend of mine is getting married in September. Instead of a gift registry, they’ve asked their friends and family to donate to the AZ Humane Society. I’m all about that.
I love the idea of spending less on gifts and have made fudge or, more recently, chocolate-covered pretzles for everyone for Christmas. But I also love making charitable contributions for birthdays and anniversaries. The fact is that most of the people I know–friends or family–have most of the things we need. We don’t need another book or CD or DVD. But there are just so many people who don’t even have food let alone an extra book. I’d rather make a donation and let the organization let the recipient know. And, yes, I love getting the same for my birthday.
I try to cater my contributions to causes that both myself and the recipient believe in. For kids, sometimes I choose organizations that give books, for most adults food banks or Heifer International, for my brother (the cyclist) an organization that provides bikes and helmets to kids, for my sister (the nurse and Sexual Abuse Nurse Examiner), a donation to our local women’s shelter.
I have a large family as well…including several nieces and nephews. The adults draw names at Christmas and then we take it one step further. As luck has it…there are the same number of children as there are couples. So, each couple draws a child’s name. Of course, we have the rule of drawing again if you get your spouse’s name or the name of your own child. The kids love being a part of the “game” and not once has a child balked at having only one gift.
Great suggestions! I wouldn’t donate to a cause that I didn’t feel comfortable with, though. I like Debra’s idea of donating to one that both parties are supportive of.
I’ve asked friends who want to give us so
@Susan
My dad’s family did that for quite awhile..
My spouses family just buys for the kids…
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