| In a previous article I had said something about gifting | | | | grandchildren this way since I've always picked up gifts |
| for the general gifting etiquette. | | | | in new or like new condition. |
| Here will put some light on what one should do in order | | | | 4. I found some items in the supply cabinet that I |
| to have a more specific occasion such as a Holiday | | | | decided weren't a good fit for anyone on my list. I sold |
| Season gifting. Although I should mention that I have | | | | these on Ebay and added that money to our |
| taken portions of ideas from a book and I find it worth | | | | household gift budget. |
| sharing. Here is how it goes. | | | | 5. I keep an ongoing list of gift ideas that I can create |
| Let's start with the big E ...Expenditure | | | | and make myself. I glean many of these ideas from |
| I started with an outline budget of what I wanted to | | | | reading other frugal sites on the web. I love to create, |
| spend on this occasion. | | | | and I enjoy certain hobbies such as beading, |
| After I finished examining my expenditures for last | | | | cross-stitching and crocheting. I selected several ideas |
| year and created my new budget, I found a few less | | | | from this list of gifts I can make this year. |
| relevant categories that needed cutting out for this | | | | 6. I have found many items that I can "regift" that will |
| coming year. I especially found a great opportunity to | | | | have special significance to the recipients. Some of |
| save money in our "gift" category. See More | | | | these are family heirlooms, jewelry I no longer wear, or |
| First, I made the decision that my theme for this year | | | | other items we have that carry a special meaning to |
| would be gift giving from my heart. Last year as I had | | | | one of our children or grandchildren. |
| Christmas packages spread around the living room | | | | 7. I love giving gifts to younger children because they |
| and was trying to sort them for mailing, I found myself | | | | haven't had a chance to build up expectations, or |
| thinking like Scrooge. I decided that wasn't really a very | | | | assign a monetary value to gifts! I give games with |
| good way to enter into the Holiday Season! | | | | personalized themes. My husband and I read the |
| This year I started in January to get presents ready | | | | books onto tape and add personal little stories and |
| early. At this point, I might just be done by June. This | | | | antidotes. I've made "cookie crayons" in muffin liners |
| also includes about 25 birthday gifts that I need to give | | | | with scraps of crayons - these really are pretty with |
| throughout the year. It's not difficult to get into a bad | | | | the mixture of colors. I look at museum gift shops at |
| mood when you are the one taking on the | | | | the different National Monuments in our state and |
| responsibility for buying, making, wrapping, and mailing | | | | select coloring books with themes from our state. The |
| so many gifts. | | | | museum gift shops offer other great gifts for children |
| Trying to do this within a limited budget is all the more | | | | that are personalized because they represent the |
| challenging. If money were no object, I could just buy | | | | place where we live and are quite cost effective. |
| 50 gift cards from the local Wal-Mart for birthdays and | | | | 8. If you find a gift that I think will be a good fit for |
| Christmas and be done with it. But I feel my idea to | | | | more than one of our children or grandchildren, then |
| give from my heart will accomplish more in the long | | | | make several of those in one year. For example, this |
| run, because I will feel more caring about the gifts I am | | | | year I've made fleece scarves with appliqués, |
| giving and hopefully the recipients will really enjoy them. | | | | and a really neat book bag made from a pair of old |
| The following are ideas I have incorporated this year | | | | jeans. The pockets from the jeans make a great |
| into my gift giving to help keep aligned with my theme | | | | addition on the outside of the book bag for pencils, |
| and my smaller budget: | | | | erasers, markers, etc. These are ideas I can duplicate |
| 1. First, create both a birthday list and a Christmas list | | | | for other grandchildren - since we have twelve, it |
| with an estimated budget for each person. | | | | makes it easier not to have to reinvent the wheel |
| 2. Always keep a gift cabinet, and I highly recommend | | | | every time. |
| that you start one if you haven't done this before. I buy | | | | 9. I have already wrapped both birthday and Christmas |
| gifts throughout the year that I find that I think will fit for | | | | gifts that are ready to give and have sorted them in |
| a particular person or might be a possibility for several | | | | bags or boxes by family. I save on postage by sending |
| people | | | | gifts in groups ahead of time - my children will put them |
| 3. Spend an afternoon shopping in your own gift | | | | away until the appropriate holiday. If we are planning to |
| cabinet! pull out gifts that you had already selected | | | | visit them during the year, I take the gifts with me on |
| with certain individuals in mind and marked those as | | | | our trip and save even more on postage. |
| purchased on my gift list. That really saves a lot of | | | | Thus solving the gift for the holiday seasons expense |
| time and money! I am able to find many gifts for | | | | dilemma. |