How to Give Frugal Christmas Gifts

Frugal gift giving can seem like an oxymoron. After all, how can you be frugal when you are buying, buying, and buying gifts for everyone on your list? Furthermore, the very idea of frugal gifts may have negative connotations for you, making you think of homemade gifts created from plastic canvas or toilet paper rolls. Fortunately, there are some great ways to save money on Christmas gifts – no toilet paper rolls required.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Do not give gift cards. There are exceptions to this rule (keep reading), but in general, gift cards will cause you to spend more money than you might otherwise. The reason for this is that while you might find a perfectly nice gift for $5 or $10, you might be reluctant to give a gift card in an amount that low.

2. Begin shopping on December 26th. Yes, that might seem a little early, but some of the best deals will be found in the days immediately following Christmas. Deeply discounted Christmas ornaments, candles, or other trinkets can make nice token gifts for teachers, coworkers, or miscellaneous relatives and can often be obtained for a couple of dollars or less. Don’t forget to stock up on decorations and wrapping paper during this time, too.

3. Buy one present for a whole family. If there is a family of two, three, four, or more on your list, you can save a lot of money by purchasing one gift for all of them. Consider the gift of a movie night with a $5 Blockbuster gift card packaged in a basket with a bag of microwave popcorn, a couple of sodas, and some movie-size candy. This is a great family gift for $10 or less. Another option for a family is an age-appropriate board game.

4. Buy for two. In much the same way, you can save money by purchasing a single present for the couples on your list. Some nice frugal options include a pair of movie tickets, a DVD, a pair of wine glasses or champagne flutes, or a bag of gourmet coffee packaged with a couple of chocolate spoons.

5. Break the gift card rule. While gift cards are generally expensive gifts, there are a few times (like the Blockbuster example above) when a little can go a long way. Similarly, a $5 gift card to Starbucks is perfectly acceptable and will be appreciated on a cold winter morning. The best gift card deal, though, is from Restaurant.com (see resources below) – at this website, you can get $25 gift cards to select restaurants for just $10. These make GREAT frugal gifts.

6. Buy used – sort of. Most of us would probably prefer to give and receive new items, as opposed to used. However, you can sometimes find new merchandise in second hand locations. Try yard sales, thrift stores, and even Ebay for some great deals on brand new merchandise.

7. Make a gift. I know, I promised no toilet paper rolls or plastic canvas. But what about homemade cookies, fudge, bread, or any other treat? These are almost always appreciated and can be quite frugal to make, especially if you make large batches.

8. Search the dollar sections at Target, Walgreens, and other stores. You can find some terrific stocking stuffers or token gifts in these sections, particularly if you shop early. Great finds include reed diffusers, nail polish kits, bath sets, note cards, hair accessories, pretty pens, toys, tools, and a wide assortment of other items – all for $1.00!

9. Give the gift of time. You’ve probably heard this one again and again, but I think it bears repeating. Give “coupons” for babysitting, house cleaning, errand running, etc. As the mother of two very young children, babysitting coupons are among my favorite gifts to receive!

10. Give photos – and not just to grandparents. A framed photo can make a thoughtful gift for any special person in your life. A woman can give a photo of herself in a masculine frame to the man in her life. A dog-lover might like receiving a photo of his favorite pooch in a cute themed frame. Give your best friend a photo of the two of you together. And of course, grandparents love getting photos of their grandkids.

Tips & Warnings

• Take advantage of end-of-season and other clearance sales to maximize your savings.
• Does your state have a tax holiday? Shop then for sustantial savings.
• Don't disregard dollar stores. You can sometimes find great items there.

Resources

• Restaurant.com -- $25 gift cards for just $10

[jillmaria]

on 9/19/2009 Thanks for the interesting ideas and 5 stars!!

[mizzy]

on 8/6/2009 These are great ideas for being more frugal at Christmas time. We all need to cut back until the economy recovers. 5*'s

[sewcraftful]

on 7/29/2009 Homemade gifts are the best. And shopping for gifts-the day after Christmas is also a good idea. Most items are cut by as much as 50%.

[kaldrich88]

on 7/28/2009 How to Give Frugal Christmas Gifts will be such an important article in the economic time! thanks for the tips 5*

[opalpearl3]

on 12/15/2008 Good article.