So we’ve been doing a series with some basic ideas of how to save for Christmas. We’ve talked about several things thus far – chatting with Grandma and Grandpa to fulfill the wishlist, considering gift limits, taking advantage of Black Friday, limiting your list, cashing in reward points, and considering not exchanging gifts with your spouse. Today we hit the homemade trail, DRAW!, and save big on cards.
1) Homemade Christmas. I am far from crafty. Veeeeerrrrry far. But some of the best gifts ever are those made at home and given to those you love. Yesterday on Facebook, I got great feedback from Money Saving Lords and Ladies who make a variety of items to give. Add your idea there! Or get some from the more creative folks. If you are crafty, Lady Jackie has all sorts of Homemade Christmas ideas. Today’s is adorable! Family Fun has great ideas. Here are some more from Family Crafts (I like the bath salts idea!). Budget 101 has some great ideas as well. One word of caution. While homemade gifts – they mean more and usually cost less – are great be sure you’re watching your overall expense. You might be better off getting someone a $5 gift card than overshooting the wad by making something. If you’re doing mass baking, buy in bulk at a place like GFS or Sam’s Club (if the unit price is truly lower) and spend a day baking with a friend and making treats for others to maximize your ingredients AND have a fun time with a friend (a friend and I used to do this every year and it was our “gift” to each other).
2) Draw Names. For years my extended family turned on this wheel. Cousins and aunts and uncles drew names so you were only responsible for buying the # of gifts as the # of people in your family. This might be a great step in slimming your list if you don’t already do this. Over Thanksgiving Dinner was when we always drew names.
3) Create an Online Christmas Card. A lot of my friends ditched the traditional paper and photo cards last year and opted for the free online photo variety. Not only do you save a bundle on cards but you also save on postage too! Hallmark has several cute patterns to choose from that are free. Yahoo has American Greeting Christmas Cards that are free. If you can’t depart from your tradition, I feel like Sam’s Club has the best photo card prices (100 single image 4x8s for $25). Vista Print Also has a great deal going.
Hopefully these tips will continue to help your Christmas be Merry and your Holidays Happy. More tips will follow weekly on Thursdays all the way up until Christmas!
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Great ideas! Thanks again for the link back to my blog! I really appreciate it.