It’s approaching–holiday gift buying and Black Friday. Due to the economy, most of us are on a budget. If you’re like me, you’ve visited some of them for shopping tips. Most of these websites tell us how to plan our budget beforehand, so we have an idea of how much we can spend. However, if you’re like my husband, he waits until the holidays are a few days away, and doesn’t stick with the budget. (That’s why I buy most of the gifts.) He frantically tries to find a deal, hopes one of us will like it, and hopes he doesn’t blow our holiday budget.
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| Enlarging and Framing a Favorite Photo for Friends is Always Appreciated |
For those last minute buyers trying to keep a good handle on personal budgets, I recommend getting creative and staying thrifty! For example, a friend knew I was going through a hard time in life and surprised me with an offer to take the kids on an outing and give me time for myself. It cost her a few dollars, yet it meant the world to me.
When you’re looking for a new job, it’s all about who you know. Why should retail be any different? Network with friends who work in retail. I have friends who let me know when an item I am eyeing is about to be reduced in price. I’d shared with a friend who works at Lowe’s about how I wanted a new set of French doors. She called me when someone decided not to purchase a set of custom made doors that would fit our measurements. I was able to purchase the doors for 60% off!
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| Planning a low cost outing with a friend or spouse is another great gift |
Get personal. My daughter and her friends are starving college students. They’ve made each other favorite desserts for gifts, created CDs of their favorite songs, and had favorite pictures enlarged and framed. It’s low cost but lets the person know you’ve thought of them in a personal way.
Among friends and select relatives, the “thrifty” way can work. What about those people you know you should spend money on? Like parents and grandparents? My grandmother was a shut-in who couldn’t get to the store often. I would give her a $25 gift card to her favorite store and an IOU to take her shopping and spend the day with her, usually stopping for a quick bite to eat when we were done. It created memories, gave her a day to look forward to, and got her shopping done.
The spouse. Neither Bryan nor I care if we get lavish gifts. Some years we pick one item we really want, like a new computer that has lots of memory, and purchase it as our gift. Other years we find one item each of us really wants and use the money for that. We’ve saved the money we would have spent on our presents and put it toward a “splurge” family vacation. For the kids, we have them each pick any five items they want. Then, we pick and chose what they will receive, depending on our budget.
Finishing the holidays without a mound of debt? It’s a great feeling. What are your favorite thrifty shopping tips?
Thanks for the tips! I shop sales, clearance racks, thrift stores, and I make alot of gifts. I also check out different online sites throughout the year and always check their sale/clearance page. And if they offer free shipping at times, that makes it even better.
great suggestions! It is so hard to stay on budget during the holidays!
Wonderful tips. My husband and I have been married for 31 years and we will get things for our gifts that we want and don’t surprise each other as much. The older you get the less you need but it is nice to plan on a budget. The health care costs for us are our biggest problem. With property values depleted so much and taxes not reduced to accomodate this the average family has lost no matter how much you look at it! Rita Spratlen rjspratlen@gmail.com
I love the tips, especially the outing as a gift. Good memories are the best gifts.
Love these tips..One yr for Christmas when I was a teenager my mom had picked up every little thing that I had not put away like my bracelet, earrings, rings,shirts,just things that I was devastated to have lost and she wrapped them all up and gave them back to me for Christmas I was so overjoyed to have my items back..so even the small gestures mean a lot.
I love the idea of a special outing with your spouse as a gift! My husband would love that!
i love the photos 🙂
Smart tips. Thanks for sharing