Have Yourself a Frugal Little Christmas

It's that time again.  I know that many people are on a very strict budget this year, but that doesn't mean that you can't give nice gifts for very little money.  Here are some tips on how to do it:

1) Cash in those rewards points!  I cashed in my MyPoints rewards and the rewards points from my credit card for Amazon gift certificates that I will use to shop for people on my list.  In previous years I also cashed in those points for gift cards that I gave as gifts.

2) Use rebate money as shopping money.  I'll be getting a $30+ check from Ebates soon, and I may just use that money for Christmas shopping.  If you saved your rebate money all year long, you could probably accumulate quite a bit.  

3) Use high dollar coupons.  When you get those $10 off any purchase coupons, use them for gifts.  Also remember that Walgreens has lots of gift-y items right now and they frequently put out $5/$20 purchase coupons.

4) Cash in your change jar at a Coinstar machine.  You can get gift certificates from it with no service charge.  Right now they are also offering a promo where you cash in $40 of change and you can get $10 in additional gift certificates by mail.

5) Use gift cards that you have received.  I won a $10 gift card to a gas station at my company's health fair.  That will be perfect for adding automotive things to a gift basket that I am creating.

6) Keep an eye out for free photo gifts.  Nearly all of the online photo companies will offer free photo gifts this time of year- you just have to pay shipping.  When I bought a digital camera, I also received a coupon for several free photo gifts.  I just ordered them today and will use as Christmas gifts.

7) Keep an eye out for deals.  They are EVERYWHERE right now, both online and in-store.  Victoria's Secret is offering their body lotions and sprays 8/$35 right now.  There is also a coupon online that you can print and get a free scrub as well.  9/$35 is a great deal and would make good small gifts.

8) Don't forget dollar stores.  They have some things in stock that may surprise you and would be appropriate for gifts.

9) Give used.  In my family, it is perfectly acceptable to give used DVDs and books that are in good condition.  If you can find it on Paperback Swap, even better!

This season, try to think outside the (ridiculously-priced) box.  Remember that one day is not worth sacrificing your finances.

Sleigh Bells Ring, Are You Listening? Christmas is Coming!

It's time again for another Christmas shopping update! I got busy this morning with a bit of online shopping- utilizing free shipping, free samples, and good deals, of course!!! I have now finished buying for almost everyone on my list. Still need to buy for: Grandpa (I can't purchase it until closer to Christmas) and two of my friends. I also will need to make something for the females in my family (I have the supplies) and will need to make some food stuffs later on. My handmade scarves for coworkers are almost done.

I am also still giving the stockings I talked about earlier. I have accumulated a LOT of pretty cool free stuff over the last nine months and I am still collecting. Another reason that I want to do this is because I want people to see just how much stuff you can get for free and how that free stuff can potentially eliminate some of the financial burden of shopping for toiletries and other items. Anytime that I can proselytize about frugal living, you know I will. ;)


Things that make gift giving easier:

1) I purchased the majority of my gifts online. Whenever stores offer free shipping, have great sales, or offer freebies with any purchase, I try to think if anyone I know would like anything from that store. Oftentimes the answer is yes. The deal is that much sweeter if you shop through a rewards portal like Ebates.

2) Whenever I got a really nice coupon (like $10 off any purchase), I would think about if I could use it toward a gift. Same with gift cards that I earn through My Points and through my credit card's reward program. Otherwise, it would just go towards more shoes. ;)

3) I plan early and keep my eyes open. For example, I have part of my sister-in-law's birthday gift and her birthday is not until April. When the good deals and cute stuff that I know people will really like come around, I jump on the deal.

4) Shop end of season clearance. One of my friends is on internship in Florida. The flip-flops that I ordered from J. Crew for $4 each will still be appropriate as Christmas gifts.

5) Budget and stick to it. I didn't do such a great job of sticking to my budget this year, but I won't be going over by much. I think I set the amount too low for the amount and quality of gifts that I wanted to give. The burden is much lighter if you shop throughout the year.

Happy shopping!

Gettin' Crafty

Since I have all this time on my hands, I figured I'd better get to craftin'! I have TONS of yarn and other craft materials just waiting for me to do something with them. I finished a chocolate brown scarf yesterday and started this scarf. I'm about 75% done with it. I'm planning on giving my coworkers handmade items for Christmas, probably all scarves if I have enough materials.

Christmas Gift Idea

I know, I know. I'm way early on this one. But this is one gift idea that you need to start on now to make it work. I love giving gifts to my family and friends, but have a limited budget. I am planning on getting them normal gifts, but I am also going to supplement with this idea. One extra gift that I'm going to give to adult family members is stockings filled with stuff that I get for free. This includes the samples that I send away for, Walgreens free after rebate items, Staples free after rebate items, other FAR items, and stuff that I get reimbursed for through mystery shopping. My only rule is that it has to be completely free; I can't even pay shipping. So far this has been great fun and I am accumulating some really cool stuff. Note: If you are a family member who reads this, please forget it by December 24th. Thanks.

More Christmas and Gift Goodies

During my Ice Storm Depression, I did some shopping. Surprise, surprise.

Photo One: 90% off Christmas clearance from Michael's. I bought five fancy ornaments, a beaded garland, cute gift card holder, ornament hooks, a package of mini present ornaments to use in a craft project, stencils, Wilton goodie bags, a gold fake spray of greenery, and two packs of blank cards. Total paid: $3.93

Photo Two: 75% off Christmas clearance at Paper Factory. I bought tiny blue and white bows, a mini decorated Christmas tree, silver bead garland, two packs of stickers, four gift bags, paper doilies, and blank cards shaped like purses that I was going to give as a present but decided to keep for myself. Ahem. Total paid: $3.87

Photo Three: I finally hit the jackpot on toys clearance at Target. I guess people were too busy trying to survive or something. ;) I got the Superman costume-thing that blows up with the help of an internal fan for $3.77 down from ~ $15. The Build-A-Bear accessories kit was $1.24 down from ~ $5. The X-Men box contains a DVD and four toys for $3.74 down from ~ $15. The set of figurines with Batman and other friends was $4.98 down from ~ $20. Two of these have an intended recipient and two are to go in my gift tub.

Reflections on a Frugal Christmas

Another Christmas giving season has come and gone, and it is time to reflect on what worked and what did not so that I will be prepared for next year. In total, I spent less than $185 on gifts for ~22 people. My budgeted amount was $200. Overall, I am very pleased with the amount of money that I spent and how I spent it. There are a few things that I hope to change for next year.
1) I'd like to do more homemade/creative gifts, but ONLY if it is something that the recipient would truly enjoy. No crocheted-doll-pajama-holders here!
2) I would like to rush less in gift selection. I started heavy duty shopping in July, and was finished up by September. This meant that some gifts were not as thoughtful as I would have liked for them to be. I am starting shopping now for next year, so hopefully that will allow enough time for creative selection.
3) I would like to do more food gifts, but not just sweets. For next year, I decided that I am going to do a couple of "Meal in a Basket" gifts for some of my friends. I would also like to bake some breads and pies for gifts, but no more cookies!
4) I would like to find more luxury items at rock bottom prices to give as gifts. We'll see how successful I will be at this. ;)
5) I would like to find more unique items tailored to the person. I generally know what my friends and family like, so I just need to keep that in mind as I shop.
6) I would like to attend more Christmas plays, concerts, and the like. This really gets me in the mood, and I need to remember to budget some money for this.

Things that worked well:
1) I stuck by my guns and did not get my "school" friends any additional gifts even though I worried that what I got them seemed paltry. They all really seemed to enjoy their stockings and scarves.
2) Shopping far in advance. This allowed me to be very relaxed about the whole season and allowed me to keep my focus on where it should be (Jesus) rather than on consumption.
3) Giving a couple of gifts to each family member. Even though I prefer doing gift baskets, I think it is more fun for people to have individual gifts to open at Christmas time. Maybe it's just me.
4) Sticking to my budget. I will be sticking with the $200 limit next year as well.

The Fruit of My Labor

On Tuesday I decided to wrap all of my Christmas gifts. This is everything except for two gifts that I have to finish making and some cookies that need to be baked. I am very happy to have this done! I will package together some extra notebooks and such just in case someone at school gives me a gift that I wasn't prepared for. I should mention that I decided to wrap these presents instead of studying for a test the next day. :P (Monica- do you recognize the packs of notecards in the front? That was such a great gift idea! Thanks for all of your great ideas!!!)

Making Christmas Cards

Last summer, Monica at The Homespun Heart had some very informative posts about making your own greeting/note cards. Instructions are here. Scroll down to the 7th for full instructions. I have been doing this ever since and I find it to be a lot of fun. I decided to make my own Christmas cards using her templates. This was early in the summer before I had much experience making cards. I didn't have any cardstock at the time, so I used construction paper. I watered down a white acrylic paint that I had and used it to stamp snowflakes on the envelopes and across the front of the cards. I also added some details in red paint on some of the cards and mixed green with some of the white paint so the snowflakes would show up on the cream colored cards. On the inside, I am going to use a stamp that says "The Lord has come! Let the world rejoice." I just need to get to Hobby Lobby with a 40% off coupon to buy a green ink pad. ;) I also bought some foil seals to close the envelopes. I am already thinking about what I want to make for next year! :P