Ok you live frugal but Christmas is right around the corner. Now what.

[Mattemma]

My dd wants a video game and my son will get a lego during our winter celbration.Dh buys whatever he wants,and I will just be happy with staying home and eating well during the kids winter break! I think I will spend more on food than gifts.We like to eat well during the winter months.

Even tad poles would be a neat gift for the kids.They love to watch them change.We have about 30 from our pond.Buying a book is a splurge for us.I usually get 25 cent books from goodwill,but I might buy something during the holidays or for a birthday.

The kids look forward to the plate of baked good the eldery neighbors give us.

Really no need to spend a lot.Set a limit and don't waste your time looking at sale adds that make kids want to say,"I want this,and this,and that!"

 

[HEChicken]

Quote:
I grew up with a mother who recycled all gift wrap so it was second nature for me to do the same. We never tear into gifts but carefully peel the tape off so that the paper can be reused again and again. Sometimes it gets a little torn and you have to cut a couple of inches off one edge but all that means is the remainder is used to wrap a slightly smaller gift at some point in the future. To this day I enjoy the anticipation of slowly opening a gift and don't get the thrill of ripping through the paper to get to it.

 

[HeatherLynn]

I love the sea monkey idea! I would never have thought about it. I will admit my kids get almost nothing like their friends get. My entire focus on Christmas presents is to get them a few things that will give them something to enjoy and keep busy with during the winter. My two oldest so far have a pile of craft sets that I got on sale. Craft sets are always appreciated by them. Of course they would love the things their friends get but I just cannot afford a new 4 wheeler for a christmas present.

I found little peg dolls on etsy. I cannot afford the $40 price but they are super simple. I will be making a dozen of these to give with a doll house we are renovating for my youngest.

 

[sonew123]

Last year or the year before we had a great thread on here for a xmas swap for gifts..You may have alot of stuff people want that you have too much off. I traded eggs for alot of it and my girls LOVED everything they got--knitted hats-socks-jewlery-etc...How about I start another thread for this year..Id love to do that!!!! It saved me alot of $$$ on gifts..This year the whole family is getting gift baskets...I canned ALOT of jams and jellies-salsa's etc...those will be in their gift baskets as well as smart wool socks--I got them on clearance-from 21$ to 7$ a pair..Each couple is getting a pair each and jams-thats it and I feel its more than enough as it all came from my heart not exactly my wallet-which is what Xmas is all about...

 

[cravenchx]

This may sound bad, but, I'm regifting.
I have found things during a recent clean
up, that my children received, and NEVER
used that will be going the nieces and nephews.
A book with paper airplanes, cute shaped
pancake molds, etc..... and I'm still looking!
And the dollar store is a favorite!

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
Nothing bad about it! good for you! I do it all the time-I warn all my family NOT to give me certain things as I will garage sale them or give them to someone else..ts turned out to be a joke with us as they try and come up with stuff they know I hate to give me

Id prefer them to save their $ or put that $ into my girls gifts! DOnt give me anything-my joy comes from seeing the faces of the folks I give to!

 

[Whispering Winds]

This year I am getting some $1 jars and filling them with some Blondie mix I found a recipe for, printing the instructions and topping with a cute ribbon for Aunts, Uncles and Grandparents. Should run about $2 a jar.




I copied this, because people LOVE home made food treats. You can even put together a jar of dry beans for people. I always did "cookie baskets" and people would just be over the moon over the fact I thought enough of them to bake all that stuff. I started the first of Nov., and froze as much as I could, the chocolate covererd cherries were the most $$ and time consuming, but I gave everyone 6 and the special special people 12 and still get all warm and fuzzy thinking about how happy they were and loved. Sam's is the best place to get your flour, and if you don't have a card, have someone else get it for you. Last time i bought some, which was early spring it was just at $9 for 25#'s for bread flour. I make hot roll mix in the bread machine, form them into croissants, freeze them individually on a cookie sheet and them put them in freezer bags and refreeze quickly. All the person has to do (you almost have to hand deliver these, because they have to go right back into the freezer, no messing around with time here!) is let them thaw and rise at the same time and bake. . .such a treat, especially if you have the bean soup mix in a jar too . . .just some random thoughts. Mys sister just gave me her corn flake cookie recipe that makes 8 dozen and they are honestly the BEST cookies I have ever ate in my life, but they have coconut and I find that is one thing a LOT of people don't like . . .but should post it in the recipe section, because they are such a pretty cookie too!!! Tea bags and a pretty mug is great too . . .the list is endless!!!!

 

[Whispering Winds]

Quote:
I LOVE the $ store!!! My favorite haunt. Wreaths are great, if you have someone who likes crafty things . . .you can pick up a wreath for a $1 there usually and even though they are small, the ornaments and stuff they sell are gorgeous and you can make it look like something really $$! The lotions, hair doo dads and neat combs and brushes would tickle any pre-teen or teen age girl . . .they have great coloring books and other kids books . . .I don't know any little boy who wouldn't like a bag of army men and some odds and ends to go with it . . .nothing wrong with the Dollar Stores OR Dollar General, my second favorite haunt.

ANYONE can make a wreath too, even if you aren't crafty. Just get a roll of that green thin wire at the craft store, usually around $3 and just "wire" the pretties onto the wreath. . .you can even buy the bows at the $1 store too . . .you will amaze yourself. I bought rust/bronze/gold stuff after Xmas one year, and got the wreath that had lights already in it for $4 for the next year . . . made my sister and husband the most gorgeous wreath that just overwhelmed them. . .guess they thought I didn't have it in me

and made it for less than $10. It was a BIG one too . . . so always be on the lookout for good holiday deals AFTER the holidays.

Another thing I use to do when my kids were little was take the round hard candies that have the picture in the middle . . .can't think what they are called, but they are like peppermint hard candies, only red and green with a tiny little picture in the center . . .we put them on a sprayed cookie sheet and melted them in the oven, have to watch carefully and I think it was about 325 if I remember right . . .when they come out, take a sharp point and make a hole in the top and carefully cool and remove. . .instant Xmas tree decorations and you can EAT em' later!!! They break really easily, and I think the parchment paper would be a real big help in this part of the removal. . .didn't have that stuff when my flock was little.

Another thing that is just the best thing around is the cornstarch dough . . .its white and SO pretty painted or left alone. It's a cooked dough, and then you can shape it into anything you want. . .I have a hilarious story to this dough. I worked in a school kitchen for years and the LD class made this dough and make the CUTEST little snowmen out of them. I asked the teacher if I could have the recipe as my grandkids would just LOVE this, and do you know she wouldn't let me have it, because she said she didn't think "competition was a healthy thing in this situation". I had no clue what "situation" she was talking about . . . Did I mention she was a little on the strange side???? Anyway, I know I looked at her like she had two heads and told her that I didn't want to "compete" with anyone, I just wanted to make ornaments with my grandkids . . .and she still would NOT give it to me. Well, that just set me on fire . . .so I have a wonderful friend who is the craftiest person around, and called her and told her I needed a recipe for cornstarch dough (this was before the internet was so fancy) and the FIRST book she picked up in her collection had it in it, so we both felt like God wanted me to have that recipe. Needless to say, the mean spirit on me (the little devil on my right shoulder) made me publish the recipe in the school cookbook the next year. My sweet good "angel" who happily leads me more to the good side of the path lives on my left shoulder.

 

[Frogdogtimestwo]

I always give my kids a pair of PJ's for Christmas Eve because Santa doesn't leave presents for dirty kids at our house (it's a running joke since they were little, but we still do it) I know it's too late for this year but I put them away when on clearance from the previous winter when Target or Sears type stores mark them down to 5.00 or usually way less. Target also marks down their brand sets for around 8.00 on black friday so that may work also for you.
Lots of homemade gifts are given here but we love it that way. Last year we made all extended family redwood planters and they were sooooo cute!

 

[Whispering Winds]

Quote:
I was at Goodwill yesterday, and found the CUTEST snowman jar with a tight fitting lid for $3. I showed it GDD, and told her it would be GREAT for a gift filled with fudge or cookies. . . I had it in my cart, along with a hot water pot, when the 20 gallon aquarium set up caught my eye for $25 and I put everything but a GREAT brand new long sleeve tee for DH and a pair of HIGH END jeans for me for $3 and $4 each back and got it. I went next door to Petsmart and the tank and filter alone was $60, plus the BIG arch decorative thing in it was another $18 and there is some more odd and end stuff, so I figure over $80 . . .nice new slimline style too. My little guppies won't know what hit them. There is GREAT stuff at Salvation Army and Goodwill stores for the holidays . . .some of it is so brand new the person you give it too will NEVER know it was used. . .