Some thoughts on frugal gift giving

Well, I've passed my first month of blogging. Hooray and all that!


I want to thank everyone who has joined up so far. Your readership and comments are what keep this blog interesting -- and from meaning that I'm talking to myself.


I hope you'll all continue to read. I've gotten a lot of great feedback, and I think of this as a kind of conversation with all of you.



Okay, sappy stuff is over. On to today's business:

Well, it's September. Which means stores (and frugal people) are getting ready for Christmas.


Almost Frugal had a really nice piece on frugal gift-giving that caught my eye.


Kelly breaks down frugal gifts into seven categories: homemade, on sale, experiences, gift certificates, useful (cue ominous music), secondhand and donations.


She then asks the thought-provoking questions: What are your favorite frugal gift ideas? Do you have another category to add here? How would you feel if somebody gave you a gift that obviously came from a thrift store?



It's not secondhand, it's pre-loved

I latched on to Kelly's last question, because I am fully planning on going a'huntin' for 50% off gifts tomorrow at Value Village's Labor Day sale. I love thrift store hunting (when I have energy) for the same reason I love garage sales: The thrill of what you might find.


You never know what you'll find at these places. I've found kids' toys with the tags still attached (make for great new-baby gifts), I find strange items for funny gifts (for $1 at Goodwill I couldn't pass up buying "Yachting" the card/peg game for my mom) or even great finds (I once found a pack of old Magic the Gathering cards at a Goodwill and am eternally on the hunt for another such score).

My hope is that I can find a few things that are like-new or (better) still tagged/wrapped for Christmas/birthdays. Granted, it'll be tricky to shop for my mom, since sh'ell almost certainly be with me. (This helps me save energy by not driving; also, she'd probably kill me for going without her.)



I made it all by myself

I will, of course, also be doing the homemade gift thang this year. (Yeah, I said "thang." Deal with it.)


I am working on some beading projects. I think I have a reasonable chance of actually getting one or two items done before Christmas -- even given my sporadic attention.


I also crochet relatively well and knit reasonably okay. So if I see a small project or two, I might endeavor to take those on.


My mom doesn't do the crafts, but then this means her gifts actually get finished. She's been picking local blackberries, which grow in random patches around here, and making jam. She did a batch of strawberry, as well, but the fruit had to be purchased, so the batch was much smaller.


Her last set of jam will be plum. She made a deal with some nearby homeowners, who have a plum tree in their yard. After noticing that the fruit was falling off and rotting, she left a note offering an exchange: she gets to pick the fruit, they get free jam.


As you can imagine, the homeowners were delighted by the idea of a) free homemade jam and b) less yard clean-up. So it's really win-win. Especially for me, since I get plenty of jam and don't even have to pick the plums!


Mom's actually been extra industrious this year, since we stumbled on a yard sale with 3 full boxes of jam jars & rings for $12. Even after giving some to her sister, mom has plenty of jam-making supplies for the foreseeable future.


My aunt was thrilled with the extra jam jars, which are getting harder to find. We're betting it has something to do with everyone suddenly tightening their belts. At any rate, all these jars mean I can count on blackberry and plum from mom.


And for my birthday, I got a jar of blueberry from my aunt, along with my favorite of her homemade gifts: pesto. She buys fresh basil at the farmer's market and then spends part of her vacation plugging away at pesto-making. She then freezes it in ice cube trays, which makes for easy serving sizes.


She keeps this tradition extra frugal by simply borrowing her friend's Cuisanart once a year. She reasons that she wouldn't use it otherwise, why bother with the expense?


Around Christmastime, my aunt also makes trays of peanut brittle -- especially ironic, since she's a dental hygienist. It's incredibly addictive; in fact, it's got two of the 3 major candy food groups: sugar & peanut. The third, of course, is chocolate.


Crafty lady that she is (in both senses of the word), she gives the stuff away and reminds people the tins are magic. They will automatically refill themselves next year... so long as they're returned to her when empty.




Go get yourself something pretty

I know some folks hate gift cards, but personally I think they can be a useful tool. As Kelly points out, these are great because you can determine the amount.


Some say gift cards are too impersonal. I say they're perfect for people's favorite stores. I also like them because programs like MyPoints allow you to get these gifts for free.


For those not sure about gift cards, think about the number of presents that you've had to pretend to love. Wouldn't it have been easier if the person let you pick out what you wanted? By getting a card from the person's favorite store, you're showing thoughtfulness but also common sense.


Plus, there is a certain excitement and anticipation when you get to go to your favorite store with a gift card clutched in your hot little hand. You have fun deciding what you get to spend that money on. And you get to add to your material possessions without the guilt of spending. That's a rare treat.



It's all about experience...

Perhaps the best thing, though, is the advice I gave Smart-Spending readers last year: giving experiences. It cuts down on waste, which increases each year during the holidays. From shredded wrapping paper to unwanted gifts, the landfills bulge each holiday season.


More importantly, you can give gifts without giving clutter. Some will produce a bit of clutter, such as magazines. I have a love for the tawdry gossip of US Magazine, but refuse to pay the newsstand price. So this winter, I'll probably put it on the list and dutifully recycle the old issues. A hobby magazine means the person is reminded quarterly of your thoughtful nature.


Experiences are even better: Go in with friends on a massage (3 people at $20 means a luxurious hour of self-indulgence) or give lessons or classes.


For the person who truly has everything, donations are great. You still give, but they don't end up with unnecessary items. I had two friends who were financially comfortable; they asked for donations in lieu of gifts.


Here ends most of my analysis: Almost all items I buy for holiday gifts are on-sale, so it seems redundant, and many of the presents I ask for (and give) have a useful aspect about them. I try not to give many presents that aren't useful or directly related to the person's hobbies; it increases the chance that the item will be thrown away.


So now some questions for you:

What's your favorite kind of frugal giving? What do you like to make for friends/family? What's the best gift you ever found, secondhand?