Not gonna happen, and I don't have a give away right now for a stack of cold, hard cash either (sorry). So, what can we do to reduce those expensive gift lists and still give great gifts to everyone in the family?
Create and Design
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| shepherdsharvestfestival.org |
Hand-made crafts make awesome gifts for anyone! Whether you make jewelry, mittens, scarves, leg warmers, those neck warmers that can be put in the microwave and heated up for those achy muscles that occur in the winter, hair accessories...the sky is the limit. If you can knit, you can put your knitting skills to work (and teach your kids) to make everyone on your list something warm to wear.
Bake It Up
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| sodahead.com |
Or, think about a Christmas bake-off, where you make a gazillion Christmas cookies, brownies, fudge, breads, pies, rum balls, cupcakes and other delicacies that people LOVE to feast on during the holiday season. Beware, you might be blamed for the extra pounds that your sister (or aunt or cousin) gains over the holidays, but she'll love the gift-wrapped cookies all the same. Seriously, tell me you would turn down a gift of baked yummies! I know I won't! (So, send them on!)
Don't discount these cute craft ideas on the Crafters 4 Kids website. There are several Christmas Gift Ideas that can easily be made with the children, and they cost less than $5 each to make. How's that for budgeting?
In addition, you can teach your children the art of creating, making, baking, knitting, and then giving.
As the economy squeezes our budgets tight, we just have to get a little creative and think outside of the (holiday) box. Sure, it would be great to buy everyone the top choice on their Christmas list this year, but let's not forget that Christmas is for giving, sharing, and loving. Stressing your pocketbook and bank account was never the idea behind Christmas. It's about spending time with family and enjoying each other...it's about harmony and peace.
Let's face it, as much as we'd love for it to...money doesn't grow on trees.
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| economicpopulist.org |
Happy Holidays!
Thanks for sharing the craft kids website. My family has already been 'warned' that they are getting homemade items this year, lol. I've also been using ebay quite heavily already. The closer to Christmas, ebay can be a headache because of bidding wars, but right now it's still not too bad. I've gotten the kids some presents already, including their 'big' present, and have saved about $200 by buying it off ebay (used, yes, but it's necessary right now). =)
ReplyDeleteEbay's a great idea too! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete