We have a lot of gift giving occasions, and they add up. I'm trying to use old and new strategies to keep the budget in check. While some are more token gifts, even they can ding budgets. What I've thought of so far...
- Continue to shop my closet stash, which includes generic, though practical, gift items bought at super low prices and old Fab, Fit, Fun items none of us used. Some will go with my sister's gift. My BIL will get the same windshield frost guard I bought for my daughter's and our cars, plus a super soft men's scarf bought for 75% clearance, but is pretty timeless. I've got a few other things tucked away that will be good gifts in the year to come.
- Revisit Groupon. I used to have success with getting great prices on things. I forget besides experiences, they have a broader marketplace.
- Buy a case of decent wine, taking advantage of case discount and I think dry January sales. I'll probably get a Cabernet Sauvignon or a Chardonnay, and what isn't gifted, we'll use next year over holidays. My stash is finally fairly low.
- Jam was a hit. Even if I have to buy all jars and ingredients, I can make for under $2 a jar. Out in about at farmers markets and Christmas shops, the 1/2 pint jars were $5-$8. Likely I'll get repurposed jars, at least a few back, and free or low cost fruit and peppers. I'd like to figure out cute labels and lid covers. These with the next one, make nice birthday gifts or supplement a budget bought gift.
- Christmas 2020 bread was a winning gift. I have 7 mini moaf pans, plus I'll look for sources of paper bread pans. If someone gifted me a small year bread loaf with jam and maybe choclates for good measure, I'd be happy. I found these cute mini bread pans at the grocery store at huge clearance, 4 each at just $3.99. They're Cuisinart brand and good quality. For pumpkin, banana, or other quick breads, these mini loafs make good hostess or neighbor, coworker gifts.
- Look for experience opportunities for people who need nothing. Part of good gift giving is not to buy stuff that adds clutter. I need to restrain stuff for people like DH or MIL.
Those of you who sew, crochet, knit probably have loads of go to gifts you make. I'd love any skill like that, but since I've not mastered I need to think differently. I don't want to get into craft making, plus in general, Americans have too much stuff. Reining in gifting just to gift will help. I'm hoping my strategies still show people we care about them, but both don't create clutter and don't pinch our budget.
My daughter and I had a similar conversation about gifts. Now that I am here, I'd like to gift my daughter and the kids with experiences.
ReplyDeleteIt must be hard too when your daughters kids are at an age they need so much. Experiences though stay with the kids.
DeleteIt's amazing how pricey gift giving can work out, and often times people don't need the gift in the first place. I knit, sew and crochet, but I'm notoriously bad at allowing myself enough time to make something. Maybe I should start thinking now about what I might make the chap for Valentines day.
ReplyDeleteThere's need, yes, little extra is needed, but feeling celebrated is what I hope my gifting does. I would love to be skilled at handcrafts.
DeleteThose are super cute bread pans! I have Nick's 16th birthday coming up (he wants to ski, which will be $$, because it involves a hotel) & my sister's 50th. We're planning to go to France. I have a flight credit for her ticket, and miles for mine, which means I'll just be paying for the lodging & food, which will still be super pricey, but a priority for the year - experiences.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, we'll spend little on gifts this year. We don't exchange with anyone other than my parents.
Your sister's trip sounds wonderful. I'm sure you've been there before, but we helped our food budget by buying picnic items, and finding a few €10 lunches that were delicious and filling serv d with bread of course. I would love to reduce Christmas gift exchange but it's ingrained in DH's family.
DeleteI think edible gifts make the best presents for when people don’t need anything or even have too much stuff. Those little bread pans are so cute.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate them when gifted to me. I was pleased to find the pans.
DeleteI’ve mostly narrowed my general gift giving to edible items and soap! Everyone uses soap!
ReplyDeleteInteresting idea. Even if not their scent, it'd be used in bathrooms.
DeleteWe do housework, dog bathing, cat sitting etc as gifts
ReplyDeleteI guess I've been gifting a lot of dog sitting!
DeleteI typically only give gifts to my kids and DH, and ,then only on birthdays and Christmas. While we are fairly modest in that regard, it still adds up, doesn't it? I prefer to give gifts when I find an item a friend can use/has admired, regardless of the calendar. To that end, girl, (who lived here for a while) just leased her very first apartment, and has nothing, really, so when I was at a discount grocery store, I tossed a sponge with caddy, some toilet bowl cleanser and toilet brush, and a set of 3 fairly decent , at a great price baking sheets in my cart for her. DD and I will head down later in the week to drop these things off. Fortunately, my kids, and Girl have no compunction whatsoever about thrifted, handed down, or regifted items. It's hard, though, to hit the mark, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteYou gift truly from heart. I love that. With so much family here, there's just always occasions to gift. Congratulations to girl.
DeleteI like to give food/beverage gifts and/or experiences unless I know of a specific want or need. Most people have too much stuff as it is and I don't like giving something that won't be used. These are also the gifts I would want for myself because I am over 'stuff'.
ReplyDeleteLove the pans!
I get being over stuff. It was so nice that my MIL decided she didn't want to do much shopping this year. She always meant well with her boxes of stuff for gifts, but most got donated pretty quickly.
DeleteI prefer to give something small and consumable (like a fancy hot chocolate) along with a card for gifts. For bigger gifts, I always go with a gift card!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to buy the right thing if it's expensive, so gift card or "note to buy" is better. I would love a fancy hit chocolate.
DeleteOne year, about 30 years ago, I had shopped at a pricey dept store in Birmingham and found $20 scarves for $3, so those made nice items to stash for gift-giving. They both loved the black, velvet scarves with sumptuous black fringe. That is a $45.60 scarf in today's money. I did this all the time until the pandemic. Now, I just send Amazon e-gift cards to four grandchildren.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, I did bake for a gift, mostly chocolate pound cake or make things, sewing.
You write about baking cupcakes for people, so I guess you still bake. The scarves sound like a good price score.
Delete"Until the pandemic hit!" No baking for gifts since then.
DeleteMy mistake. I must have misread your posts about brownies and cupcakes. Yes, the pandemic changed a lot.
DeleteYou have a very large exended family so I think the ways you try to manage those gift expenses is very sensible!
ReplyDeleteWe don't do expensive sibling gifts, but try to find meaningful ones. I bake, I make jam do these work for me.
DeleteI like to give (and receive) hand made stuff, artisan food and experiences - I had a voucher for afternoon tea in Lord Byron's ancestral home which I'm really looking forward to using soon! Liz loves handmade things so I always make her something either sewn or crocheted. xxx
ReplyDeleteI love handmade items. My SIL always gives me a new dish cloth for my birthday with jam she makes, but I don't. I'd really love a handmade scarf, hat, or mittens.
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