Holiday Gifts on a Budget
The best gifts are always those that have been chosen with care and accompanied by love. While it's easy to get caught up in the frenzy of holiday shopping and overspend, with a dash of advance planning and a sprinkling of creativity, it is possible to celebrate everyone on your holiday list without going overboard.
Planning ahead, shopping from a list and watching out for sales are three key holiday savings strategies. Start by creating a list of the people you will be buying or making gifts for during the holiday season. This is a master list that you can update throughout the year as you shop. Alongside each name, note the person's interests, hobbies, likes and dislikes, past gifts and gift ideas for the current year. How much detail you keep is up to you. Carry the list with you whenever you shop, all year round. In so doing, you can purchase gift items when you see them -- and when they are on sale. Not only are you getting the best deals by shopping year-round, but you can avoid a year-end money crunch.
Whether shopping online or in person, be sure to check with one or more Internet price-comparison sites on the Internet, such as PriceGrabber.com, Yahoo! Shopping, DealTime.com or NexTag.com.
Another money-saving strategy is to stick with homemade and semi-homemade gifts. Such gifts are both relatively inexpensive and can also add a welcome personal touch to holiday giving.
* Gift baskets and gift sets can be put together to match just about everyone's tastes and interests. Be on the lookout for inexpensive baskets, boxes and other interesting containers, which can be filled with a merry mix of items, such as a sampler of herbal teas, scented candles or bath soaps.
* For the "duffer," a set of golf balls, a few tees and a pair of knee-high argyle socks makes a practical and amusing gift.
* Artists of every age will appreciate an assortment of drawing or painting supplies "wrapped" in a hand decorated paint can. (New, unused paint cans are available at many home centers.)
* If you're a good cook or baker, share some of your favorite recipes and package them in an interesting food tin.
* Instead of giving already-baked goods, combine the dry ingredients of your favorite cookies in decorated mason jars and add a festive tag with mixing and baking instructions.