Black Friday... Cyber Monday...
The spending adds up quickly.
Did you make your list and check it twice? Or did you splurge on all those deals and now are sitting on a pile of stuff you didn't really need to buy.
It's hard to resist all those great bargains the weekend after Thanksgiving. However, they can put a big dent in your wallet and sky rocket your anxiety when the bills start coming due.
Christmas is a season all about giving. It is told that three wise men came and bestowed gifts upon Jesus. Three wise men. Three gifts.
Are you getting what I'm saying?
You don't have to spend your last dime and borrow a few dollars to make this holiday season seem more special or even enjoyable than the last.
Here are a few tips we've learned over the years.
1. Vintage is vogue. It doesn't have to come new in the package for someone to appreciate the reception of a gift. If it's like new, hard to find, or out dated, there are collectors, apprectators, and those whom it doesn't make a difference what store it came from. It's the thought that counts. Places you may find great items like these are thrift stores, eBay, and craigslist.
2. Custom by Hand. Handmade gifts are an affordable and personal way of creating a gift that will long be out cherished then a store bought gift. You too, may find an elevated appreciation of receiving gifts after taking the time to create one for someone else. You can find great patterns and ideas online at places like freepatterns.com, craftbits.com, and crafting blogs.
Don't like to make the gifts your self, no problem. You can find affordable gifts at etsy.com made by crafters and artist that will even personalize the gift for you.
3. Baked not Fried. Around the holiday season, we pull out our cookie presses, dump in the chocolate chips, add the sugar sprinkles on top and exchange cookies with varies groups of people. It's easy to get fried, tired out, from all that baking. However, if you love to bake, add a few dozen to your baking list and give them away to family members as gifts instead of the traditional store bought packages. Don't like to bake, join a cookie exchange of a few people to have a small variety available to your family over the holidays. This way you won't get fried.
4. Book It. One of our favorite gifts to get and receive are books! They honestly never go outdated. When they are no longer contemporary, they'll historical. Fantasy, Sci-fi and non-fiction all have their place. No one ever minds getting a used book. You can swap books at paperbackswap.com, buy used books at places like half.com, and ebay.com.
5. Swap It. There are many sites where you can swap and trade for cd's, dvd's, and books. Try these sites paperbackswap.com, swapadvd.com, swapacd.com.
It's fun to exchange gifts and spend time with family. Don't let the stress of your wallet to cause your holiday season to be un-merry this year.
I love your homemade gift idea. Take your mom or good friend and spend the morning shopping at a local craft show then lunch; make it a tradition to share year after year.
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