| Some Cheap Christmas Gift Ideas | | | | ultimate in cheap giving. If you give cheap gifts like |
| Instead of a gift in the tangible sense, give your | | | | the ones being described here, you will not need |
| time. Offer to babysit, walk the dog, or | | | | to worry about your stuff being regifted! |
| something else your friends or family could use. | | | | Looking for more, cheap gifts? Look in your |
| You know your friends and family very well. | | | | closets, cupboards, pantries, cabinets, etc. Look |
| When you spend time with them, ask yourself | | | | for brand new items never before opened. My |
| what do they not have time for but would sure | | | | wife once got a gift basket full of toiletries a few |
| like done? | | | | years ago. Most of the items were never used, |
| Do not buy wrapping paper. Sometimes the paper | | | | never will be used, and perfect for giving. Larger |
| costs as much a a gift. Use newspaper. The | | | | items make good gifts, Smaller items go good in |
| comics look pretty good and colorful. People will | | | | baskets. |
| not think of you as cheap, but innovative! There | | | | Go green! Houseplants are some of the cheapest |
| are other options. Do you have a bunch of spare | | | | items out there. Most of them come in plain pots |
| cloth in a sewing basket somewhere? You know | | | | with holes on the bottom. Put it in a plastic bag or |
| you will not use it. Why not really use it! Spruce | | | | cover the bottom with foil first. That way it can |
| up your gifts with scraps of cloth, material, and | | | | be watered without leaks. Then wrap the pot in a |
| ribbon. | | | | fancy piece of cloth you have laying around. Use |
| How about a picture or photo? Your relatives | | | | a non-holiday cloth and you have a gift that will be |
| especially like pictures. Everyone these days has a | | | | perfect year-round. |
| digital camera, and getting a print is very cheap. | | | | Bake stuff! Cookies are fairly easy to bake from |
| Then, shop at thrift stores for a neat frame. | | | | scratch. Then, give out a few dozen, wrapped |
| Don't like thrift stores? Okay, big name discount | | | | nicely in foil or plastic. Use some cheap ribbon to |
| department stores have very cheap (but nice) | | | | dress it up. You can go the store bought route. |
| frames. Do not do just a regular picture. Get one | | | | Buy packages of cookies and divide them up in a |
| of yourself in some sort of unique setting or | | | | food baskets! |
| action. | | | | Food baskets! You can buy from the grocery |
| Make your own gift baskets. Buying a pre-made | | | | store all the fixings you need. And very cheap if |
| basket is very, very expensive. Drug stores and | | | | you do it in bulk. Buy cookies, cocoa packets, tea, |
| big name discount stores have travel size items | | | | etc. Any thing and every thing that can be out in |
| that are normally less than a dollar. They also | | | | a food basket. These are great if you have a lot |
| have cheap baskets. Buy boxes that have several | | | | of people to buy for. Give each family a |
| items in them--like tea, chocolate, candies, etc. I | | | | home-made basket! |
| once saw a box of picture frames for $5. Then | | | | Now, how about the kids? Think of school items |
| put one of each in each basket. You will be | | | | in baskets! Pencils, erasers, pens, etc. are pretty |
| amazed at how full your baskets can become. | | | | cheap in bulk. Then, toss in some bulk candy or |
| You know what your friends and family like. Stuff | | | | cookies, and boom! Instant kids gifts! |
| them with good stuff. The grocery store is a | | | | Have a neighbor up the street? People like pie. |
| terrific place to think of gifts. People like getting | | | | Have you seen the prices of pies at the |
| food. Why? Because it is instantly satisfying! It will | | | | supermarket? For a plain apple or pumpkin, I see |
| also keep you from spending hard-earned money | | | | them at times for around $3 to $4. Not bad for a |
| on over-priced junk that will just get sold at the | | | | gift that will be for a whole family! |
| next yard sale. Or even worse, regifted! | | | | You can get more ways to save money at: You |
| Speaking of regifting, nothing wrong with it. You | | | | probably have gotten the idea that food items |
| need to think about where the gift came from, | | | | make perfect gifts. They do! They are cheap, |
| and where it is going. You do not want the paths | | | | relatively speaking, and people love them! People |
| to cross. And think about what you are regifting | | | | like myself do not like getting these useless token |
| and who is giving it. Will the person expect to see | | | | gifts that get regifted, given to charity, or sold at |
| you use it? However, regifting is perhaps the | | | | yard sales. Think before you buy! |