Affordable Gift Giving

(photo by RitaE on pixabay)

Most of us don’t have the money to buy gifts for all our friends. There are some affordable and easy ways to stretch your dollar this Christmas by getting a little creative, even if you think you are not a crafty person.

I cannot bake, but I can buy a batch of baking from someone else and split it up to make small gift packages. Often, in November or December, your local hospital, church, or charity will have bake goods sales so you are supporting a worthy cause. You can buy food early and freeze it for gift giving.

Another great idea is those soup making kits that are very reasonable in price and last for several meals. Friends on a budget will really appreciate their good value. Read the instructions to make sure they don’t need to add ingredients they may not have. For example, if the recipe calls for a can of coconut milk, you could include this is their gift bag.

If you have kids, you can offer them an allowance to make you some crafty ornaments to give to your friends. Everyone loves homemade decorations, especially those made by children. This kills two birds, because your kids probably will want a few bucks to buy you a Christmas present.

You could also take a photo of you with your friends and have them developed. Who doesn’t love a photo of themselves? We tend to have so many digital photos and forget to ever print any off. This can be done at your local office supply store or most big box stores if you bring in your phone or tablet, or just a flash drive. Some stores will let you email the photos to them. You can buy a cheap frame at any dollar store.

So don’t let Christmas gift giving stress you out. Adults really appreciate any small token of your affection. If you’re having a family gathering, you can draw names to buy only one person a gift and everyone will be relieved. You can set a lower spending limit to encourage silly, fun gifts that will make people laugh around the table. You know your uncle really wants those beer goggles anyways, right?

Do you have a money saving idea for gift giving? Please subscribe and share a comment below.