With the holidays just around the corner it’s time to think about Christmas gift buying. Yes, it seems like last year’s gifts just got paid off but it’s time to buy again. However, this year doesn’t have to break the budget. There are ways of getting great, meaningful gifts for loved ones without gouging the wallet.
Pictures and Photos
If a couple has been recently married or had a child a picture as a gift is in order. The newlyweds can pick their favorite pose or poses and enhance them with different frames.
The new parents can pick out baby themed frames or a recipient specific frame. For example, a new aunt can get a frame that says, “I love my aunt,” with a picture of the new child in it.
Exchanging recent photos with family members is always a nice gift even if some life changing event hasn’t happened during the year. The only expense is developing the pictures and buying a frame. Many frames can be bought for under $15 and it will mean a lot to the person getting a personalized gift instead of just a gift card.
Homemade Gifts
Homemade gifts are great. They come straight from the heart and personal effort was put into the whole thing. This category is limitless.
-Scrapbook- Make a book with quotes, pictures, stickers and lyrics that remind the gift giver of the recipient. Put ticket stubs and inside jokes in there, use different colored pens, pencils and crayons. Make it bright and colorful like the recipient or romantic and private for a significant other.
-Coupon Book- These can be for parents, significant others or friends. Make a flip book and fill it with coupons the recipient can use. For example: To a significant other- put coupons for a massage whenever they want, one night of the giver doing the dishes or making dinner or “recipient picks the movie” night.
-Placemat Purse- If the gift giver is crafty they could make a placemat purse. Find a placemat that is only a dollar or two and decorate it as desired.
-Build a Gift Basket- Gift baskets can be quite pricey depending on where it’s ordered from and how large it is. If the present giver puts together a basket themselves it’s much cheaper and can be more tailored towards each recipient. If the person likes wine, get together a few bottles of their favorite wine or something they might like, a few cheeses, cheese knives, a unique wine cork, two glasses, and some wine glass charms.
-Baked Goods- No homemade gift list is complete without baked goods. Yes, that’s right. This includes cookies, fudge, cake, pecan balls, lemon bars, coffee cake, and cinnamon rolls.
Every Year Traditions
Start a tradition with family and friends. Give people an ornament every year. The ornament could be something the family member or friend is interested in like baseball or Broadway musicals or pink things. It could also be something that reminds the recipient of something that happened the past year. Did they get married? Buy a house? Have a child? Get a huge promotion? Buy a dog or cat? Buy something that will remind them of the thing that happened during the year and write the year on the back of it in gold pen.
Christmas gifts are best from the heart, not the pocketbook. It’s not about how much money was spent but about the love that went into the gift.
