Did you catch me this morning on WTHR Weekend Sunrise at 7:45 AM? Here are some of the money saving tips that I shared.
Tinsel and Trees, wrapping and ribbons, the holidays have countless hidden costs. And while I love a smartly wrapped gift, you don’t want the packaging to cost more than the contents. Here are some of my favorite tips for adorning your gifts without emptying your savings account.
1) Keep things in perspective. As wonderful as it is to have beautiful bows, and snazzy paper, keep in mind that come Christmas morn, your hard work {and hard earned cash used to pay for wrapping} will be in a big black trash bag. Don’t mindlessly buy without paying attention to the cost.
2) Never buy gift tags. There are plenty of awesome FREE printable gift tags online. Check out the Pinterest board that I created full of TONS of Christmas printables, including gift tags.
3) Get creative. You might already have something that would make awesome wrapping paper. The comics or even brown kraft paper that your little prince or princesses adorn with stickers or artwork.
4) Reuse. Everybody knows that it’s a great idea to reuse gift bags and bows from previous celebrations. However, you can also harvest all of the packages that come with the gifts you ordered on Cyber Monday. Collect them for gifts that you’re shipping right now {you can use markers, stickers, or stamps to decorate them} or even through out the year.
5) Skip the Super Cheap Paper. So it probably is the last thing that you would think would come out of my mouth but the cheapest paper isn’t always the best answer. If it tears easily, you’re going to use twice the amount.
6) Wait. I’ve said it before but delayed gratification is a virtue. The longer you wait, the further the prices will fall. Days immediately after Christmas, the wrapping paper, bows, and all of the trimmings will be up to 90% off. And while this might not help for this year, it might equal a much more affordable Christmas in 2013. Just have a place to store it so that you don’t forget that you have it.
You don’t have to wrap things in a plastic bag. You can still have a beautifully adorned Christmas. Just remember be intentional with your pennies and don’t literally throw them away.
How do you save on gift wrap, bows, and bags?
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