I love giving gifts, I think the hardest part of being on a bare bones budget was not being able to be as generous as I usually was. I loved spoiling my nieces with shopping trips, some type of activity, and making the trip to visit them whenever I could. However, Stephen was adamant that while we were getting out of debt that this was one area we were going to be strict in, so I had to get creative!
To help keep us on budget for those unplanned birthdays of friends from work or visitors popped up we used some of the following tips to help. I found that having a stash was always helpful, especially since birthday’s happened to just come out of nowhere! Some of these ideas can be used stand alone or add in a little gift card, even $5 at Starbucks is a nice treat!
1. Houseplants
Plants are all the rage now and they are fairly inexpensive! Head to the garden section and pick out a plant instead of the usual gift card. You can even put a bow around it or put wrapping paper on the bottom (over plastic wrap or something) to make it more festive.
2. Five Below
If you have one of these stores local to you they are a great place for kids toys! They are a step up from the dollar store, but inexpensive and our nephews loved them. They even have cute little decor for those hard to shop for teenage girls and some tech accessories that make great gifts, who doesn’t want a 10ft charging cable!
3. Wrapping Paper & Gift Bags
Buying gift bags at the dollar store is always a great way to save, but something I did was buy a roll of brown craft paper to wrap everything in. They sell massive rolls that will last you a while for under $10. I would buy a few different types of ribbons depending on the occasion or season to wrap around and tie a bow. It was easy and then became like a standard even on Christmas all my gifts looked uniform!
4. Gift Sets (these are awesome for Mother’s Day)
Ever get a gift set or a sample set and you only wanted 2 out of the 3 things? I love making little baskets to give away. I loved finding an inexpensive lotion, a small artisan soap sample, add a seasonal dishtowel, and put it in a little basket with a bow. I often find baskets at goodwill for less than $3 and they are great for items like these or even the dollar store.
5. Socks
Fun socks are always a cute gift! You can order packs of 3 to 5 pairs of socks on Amazon and pair it with a small Starbucks gift card to make an inexpensive gift for anyone.
6. Cocktail Kit
I loved doing these for anniversary gifts or Father’s Day. Grab the tiny bottles of their favorite liquor, a can of coke, maybe a nice cup and put it in a small bag.
7. Coffee Kit
This was one thing I had always on the ready. When I found coffee cups on clearance I would purchase a few or those seasonal coffee flavors. These were a lifesaver at Christmas for the Aunts & Uncles who you never knew if they were getting you something. I would get those cellophane bags and add a coffee cup, a sample pack of flavored coffee, and maybe an inexpensive ornament I found that made me think of them.
8. Candy
Often times I would grab a $10 Starbucks gift card and tape it to a big candy bar that I knew they’d enjoy with one of my bulk cards. This way I didn’t feel like I was just giving a giving card, but I put some personalization into their gift.
9. Drug Store Seasonal Section
Around Christmas and Easter I would always find some good deals on some “stocking stuffers” like mini puzzles, tech accessories, desk accessories, gift sets, etc. I would store these away for later dates when I found them on sale.
10. Homemade Treat
Don’t under estimate the power of homemade treats. Making your brother in laws favorite cookie can go a long way!
Bonus Tip: Buy cards in bulk
When you go to the store look for the .99 cards or go to the dollar store. If I found any that was inexpensive but didn’t look that way I would buy them whether it was someone’s birthday or not. I ended up with a big box of cards that I could pick from. You can even buy blank cards on amazon and write on the inside yourself or have your kids decorate them.
