As promised here are a few gift giving ideas that won't put such a dent in your budget and leave you in debt until next year. Many of us have talents and ideas that would make a great gift. Here we go:
Are you a poet? Why not give your poems as gifts. Laminate them at your local business supply store and maybe add a ribbon for a special touch. Your gift of words might just be what someone needs to here this season.
Do you love to bake? Consider baking a batch of cookies or whatever and give them as gifts to family and friends. To add a special touch include your recipe for the recipient.
Are you a business owner? Give away samples if possible whether tangible or a service. This can also be a great promotion tool....you never know!
Ornaments are priceless gifts and they are fun to make. You can customize them for the individual. This can also be a great family tradition where everyone can sit and take part in the ornament making process.
One of my personal favorite gifts to give comes from Avon. Right around this time I start purchasing my pocket size lotions, lip balms and hand sanitizers. They make the perfect gifts because they fit into most small purses. They range anywhere from .69 cents to $1.00, I add pretty silver ribbons or bows and the ladies love these.
I have family and friends that make homemade jellies and jams. Why not give these as gifts? Recycle those glass jars and of course add a pretty ribbon and you have a winner! Make sure to include the flavor of your jam.
What about homemade soap powder? I have an awesome recipe that's easy to make and everyone loves it. If you want the recipe you can email me and I'll send it to you! I use my recycled glass jars, fill them with soap powder, add the ribbon and the amount of usage and then listen to the rave reviews!
Again we all have talents or things we love to do. Why not tap into that talent and let it work for you this Christmas.
In addition to tangible gifts there are other forms of gift giving. How about acts of service? At most it will cost you some time. Does someone you love need a babysitter gift? Why not give a couple a break from the kids. Create a gift certificate that entitles them to a certain amount of babysitting hours. This will be the best gift ever! Trust me I know, a great friend gave me this gift for my birthday and I loved it, loved it, loved it. Did I mention I loved this gift?
Does your spouse need a break? How about a 3-5 day (do whatever you want to do) pass. He or she can do whatever they want to do in or out of the house. If you have children, the giver will be responsible for the kids for those days.
There are so many acts of service that can be given and appreciated for Christmas. Why not try it out and see what works?
If you search you can find all sorts of good buys before the season. A couple of years ago, I found the nicest coffee mugs at the dollar store. I filled them with different types of candy, hard, chocolate etc, brought some shrink wrap (added touch), tied my signature bow and "presto" they made the best gifts. More importantly, I enjoyed making the gifts and seeing the finished product, the smile on the faces.
Do you have a digital camera? Take a family portrait, print the pictures out yourself and frame them in the magnetic frames. These make great gifts because they can go right on the fridge. This works especially well if you need to give updated pictures of children.
One year I remember receiving home grown spices. What a nice gift to give anyone who cooks.
There are so many unique ways to gift give on a budget, I could do many more posts. This post was just to get the ball rolling and get your imagination going. Christmas is a time of giving, but, after it's over we have to keep on living....without gift giving debt that is.
As for the children, why not start a tradition of giving to those they don't know. There are many ways to serve in your community. Why not go to a place where there are homeless people and pass out blankets, fruit, or sandwiches, this Christmas? Who says giving has to be done to only those we know? Just something to ponder.
If you have any creative gift giving ideas, that don't cost a fortune, we would love to hear from you. Chime in.
Remember. "True empowerment comes through stewardship!'
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