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120 Holiday Gifts Under $20

Posted on December 4, 2012 by Jen

Christmas is just around the corner–Have you started your shopping yet?

If you’re like me most years, you have a lot of work to do (and a lot of gifts to make or purchase!).

In my frugal holiday gift-giving guide, I discussed my plan to ensure the holiday season is filled more with thoughtful gifts and good times with friends and family and less with stress and over-commercialized “it” gifts that drain my bank account and spirits.

Today’s post is focused on gifts you can purchase or make that are guaranteed to fit any budget!

From ornaments to gift baskets and beyond, hopefully you’ll find something for the special people on your list.

Here is a list of 120 holiday gifts that can be purchased for $20 or less, broken down by category:

Edible Gifts

Baked goods
6-pack of craft beers
Homemade salsa, sauces, etc
Nips of your favorite top-shelf liquors
Chocolate-covered ANYTHING
Dinner or another meal
A collection of , oils, etc.
Homemade fortune cookies
with various mixes
Wine
/
Candy/fudge

Written/Crafted Gifts

Hand-written letter
or
Framed photo(s)
Magazines–buy a bunch from the newsstand and wrap with a bow
Framed children’s artwork
/pens/stamps
Gift card collection
Collection of family memories–have your children write or illustrate their favorite memories and give the collected works to your family members.
Newspaper clippings
Books– books for a vacation that’s been planned, , hobby books, , your favorite novel; the list is endless. Just make sure to include a personal, hand-written note in the front of the book for your recipient!
Frame a favorite quote, poem, etc.
Craft supplies
Create gift vouchers–write out or print “vouchers” for a massage, a car wash, a date night, etc.
Blogs–create a blog for a budding writer and give them the login information; share the blogging love!

Gifts for Pet Lovers

/
New toys
–save your floors from the mess your pets make while eating!
Fancy treats.
–so cute!
Animal prints–Just like those silhouettes of children, you can create these for pets.
Pet-shaped Post-its

Entertainment Gifts

Movie tickets
Small collection of discount DVDs
Monogrammed/
iTunes gift card
Singing lessons for kids
A collection of $5 gift cards–for where it makes sense (Starbucks, Amazon, McDonald’s, etc.)
Gaming controllers–, , etc.
Lottery tickets
Magazine subscription
Create a dress-up –gather some old dresses, suits, hats, heels, etc. and give your child the gift of endless, imaginative fun!
Event tickets
Reading accessories–, bookmarks, etc.
Playing cards
–why didn’t they have these when I was growing up?!
Gift scavenger hunt–anything that involves a scavenger hunt to find it is a fantastic gift for children of all ages

Wearable Gifts

Jewelry–costume or handmade
Winter accessories–scarves, hats, mittens, etc.
Belt
Wristlet
Personalized onesies, receiving blanket, etc.
Favorite sports team wear (ball cap, tie, etc.)
Sunglasses
Pajamas
Socks!

Personal Care Gifts

Makeup
–include bandages, ointments, etc. Perhaps not the sexiest gift but is extremely useful and would be very timely for that person who’s headed off on an adventure vacation or camping trip!
Hair care items
Winter skin Rx–lip balm, lotion, etc; has great options that are less than $15
Foot care collection
Bath salts, etc.
Cold kit–Like the first-aid kit, not sexy. Useful and appreciated when that fluke cold hits? Absolutely! Pair this with something more exciting
Child bath-time items

Gifts for the Home

Bar ware
Baking supplies–cupcake liners, sprinkles, , etc.
Printed art
Personalized clipboard, bulletin board, office supplies, etc.
Hostess gifts
Kitchen or bathroom hand towels
ornaments
/aerator
Plants
/oven mitts
Firewood
/utensils
/place mats
Lavender or
Personalized magnets–I like to turn old road race medals into magnets; you could also try using photos!
with tools

Travel Gifts

Toiletries
Personalized luggage tags
Laptop/
Extra charging cords
Ear plugs
Travel-sized games
Compression socks
Rotating luggage handle–Google this; it turns any suitcase into a 360-degree roller!
Sleep masks
Travel Apps

Personal Finance Gifts

with coins
Personal finance book
Financial tracking App(s)
Wallet/
Charitable donation(s) in their name

What are some things you’d add to this list?

Photo credit: docbaty

The Frugal Holiday Gift-Giving Guide

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Jen

For the first time I can remember, I’ve found myself headed into the month of December without having a single holiday gift purchased.

Typically by this time, I’m just about wrapping up (pun intended!) my annual pilgrimage to find the *best* presents for those on my list.

This year? I chose a trip to Germany over indulging in a bit of Black Friday madness (it is definitely my favorite retail holiday).

Despite the sense of urgency I feel to cross off all the items on my list, I’ve decided to take a more frugal approach to my gift buying this year.

Here’s the frugal holiday gift-giving guide I’ll be adhering to as I make my way through the throngs of thirsty shoppers:

Shop Around

Before making any purchase, I’ll make sure to dedicate a few extra minutes to searching for the best price, deal, coupons, etc. for the item.

I also won’t be afraid to ask stores about their price-match guarantees (some online retailers will match brick & mortar store prices and vice versa!), I’ll check a few of my favorite online haunts for extra savings (email me if you’d like the list) and I’ll be sure to peruse the Sunday newspaper circulars.

Think outside the box

This one will be done quite literally–I’m going to try to give as many non-boxed gifts as possible. Sound a little strange?

When you consider that gift baskets are a great, frugal way to customize a gift for that special someone, I hope you’ll see what I mean with this one. Bags and baskets are on the agenda this year–and what they’ll be filled with will vary depending upon the recipient.

Stock up

While out shopping, if I notice a great sale or clearance on a certain item, I’ll pick up a few extras (within reason–talking more like $1-$5 here, not $100s!).

Regardless of whether or not these items make it into the holiday gifts I’ll give this year, they’ll certainly be saved for the plethora of birthdays, anniversaries and weddings that are in the near future.

Embrace the DIY spirit

DIY doesn’t mean cheap. Rinse & repeat this until you believe it. Jewelry, baked goods, recipes, scrapbooks, coffee table photo albums, the list goes on. The thought will be appreciated far more than another gift card or mindless article of clothing that was shoved into a box at the last minute.

This year, at least one of my gifts to be given will be a hand-drawn comic of a few favorite memories for the person receiving it. I’ll most likely put it in a nice frame for good measure, but who cares if that frame costs $5 in the clearance section? I’m willing to bet that person won’t even notice the frame after seeing the fun representation of the fun memories we’ve shared together.

Remember that more is less

This is the year of “do not go overboard with presents” for me. If I’ve learned anything throughout my debt payoff journey, it’s that life should be filled with people, love and experiences.

Money and things might fit in there from time to time, but they should never be the main focus. A truly thoughtful gift is based on love and time–not money.

What is your frugal holiday gift-giving plan this year?

Photo credit: Jo Naylor

Lady Lovin’: Free Bras, Bubbles, and Beauty Booty

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Jen

Sorry gents, today’s post is one for my ladies (unless of course you’re in the market to hook up your best gal pal or your sweetheart with some great, free products–in which case, read away!).

I’m definitely not too proud to admit that I love getting free stuff. In fact, I love free stuff so much that I’m often seeking out new opportunities to exercise my inner free booty pirate from time to time.

What’s a free booty pirate you ask? Well, it’s my phrase for how I conquer the world of free products, samples and experiences in a way that ensures me quality goods for the time I spend acquiring them. Simply stated, I’m not talking about getting a 0.000009 ounce tube of Crest toothpaste in the mail after 6-8 weeks. I’m talking about scoring free clothing, lingerie, champagne, beauty supplies, etc.

Last night was a prime example of bringing home a load of free stuff while having an absolute great time with one of my best friends. As I’m no stranger to having multiple side gigs and interesting ways to boost the bottom line, I received an email last week from one of my supervisors about a shopping event taking place in Boston. Basically, she was offering free tickets to anyone who’d be willing to attend the event, take photos at our company’s booth, then post them to Facebook and tag the company’s page. Sensing that this could quite possibly be the easiest way in recent memory to unleash the free booty pirate, I immediately responded and was confirmed to attend StyleFixx, a glorified shopapalooza event complete with manicures, makeovers, and lots ‘o champagne.

Lest you think I threw my budget out the window and went on some gigantic shopping spree, I assure you that I didn’t spend a penny. Instead, I brought the following home from my (free to me) event that I would have never in a million years paid for (seriously, paying to shop?!):

A full-sized bottle of Barefoot Wine & Bubbly’s Brut Cuvee Champagne
A full-sized bottle of self-bronzer that came with two free Mystic Tan sessions (random!)
Full-sized samples of LUNA bars, Kind bars, peanut butter, PopCorners, Pretzel Crisps and a whole bunch of other goodies I don’t remember
Full-sized samples of make-up & perfume, nail files/buffers, hairspray, dry shampoo and nail polish AND…..
A $500 gift card to a leading online athletic wear retailer (yes, you read that correctly!)

Other Free Events (and their associated free booty) I’ve Attended in the Past:

Shecky’s Girls’ Night Out
Another event similar to StyleFixx where you shop, drink and pamper yourself. Usually, you have to buy tickets but I typically will reach out to vendors who I know will be there and offer to do press or photos for them in exchange for a vendor pass or two. Once I have the pass, I’m able to enjoy the event just like anyone else and the “work” is actually fun! Takeaways from Shecky’s have included full samples of tons of beauty products, food, perfume, DVDs, gift cards, bags, etc. Every event is different so I try to attend as many as I can.

Skinny Cow’s Perfect Cup Event

This one is completely free to everyone as long as you register before they run out of tickets. Essentially, by signing up, we attended an event geared around finding the “perfect” bra fit in a fun, ladylike setting. There was a smorgasbord of fabulous hors d’oeuvres, free drinks, free Skinny Cow ice cream and plenty of raffles (I won one that included a SATC II DVD, iTunes gift card and a small cocktail recipe book). The best swag of the night was the *free* coupon for a bra at Macy’s. A week after the event, my girlfriends & I hit the mall to retrieve our loot and I walked away with a $60 bra…for free!

Lululemon Post-Boston Marathon Spa Experience
Best post-marathon recovery. aid. ever. After hobbling across the finish line for this year’s Boston Marathon, I limped my way to Exhale Mind Body Spa for the best post-race party I’ve ever witnessed, thanks to one of my friends being a Lululemon Brand Ambassador. In addition to loads of champagne and food, all runners were treated to a free massage by the spa’s staff as well as full use of the shower facilities (complete with warm robes and fuzzy slippers!) AND a bag filled with free Lululemon gear! I (somewhat) walked away with a free pair of Lulu capri pants, a tank top and two pairs of their microfiber, seamless boy short underoos. Hot diggity damn!

How do you exercise your own inner free booty pirate??

‘I Have No Food’ and Other Lies We Tell Ourselves

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Jen

How many times have you looked in your fully-stocked refrigerator and proclaimed, “I have no food,” then followed up with, “Let’s go out to eat!” Or what about looking at your over-stuffed closet and deciding that you have nothing to wear?

Have you ever perused your list of 2,000 iTunes songs only to decide that you ‘have no music’ and then subsequently spend money on another album?

Mindless spending at it’s best

The truth is, these are all lies we tell ourselves to rationalize erroneous spending. What’s worse is that we may be so conditioned by these habits that we don’t even realize when we’re acting this way!

Last night was a prime example of this for me. When I arrived at my friend’s house after my 11-mile bike commute from work, I announced that I was starving and asked him what we should cook for dinner (after all, that was the original plan). His response was that he had no food so we should go out.

Being the good little budgeter and financial communicator I like to be, I quickly reminded him that my finances are tight this month so I couldn’t spend $$ to go out. He said it was his treat and off we went (I can’t turn down a free meal no matter how hard I try!).

When we arrived back at his house after dinner, I naturally wanted something sweet for dessert, so I opened up his freezer. Inside was a veritable smorgasbord of food–most of which would have made a quite tasty dinner! Since it’s not my place to question his choice to go out when it was a treat for me, I know he can afford it, and it’s not my money, I didn’t say anything to him.

But I certainly wondered why he said he ‘had no food’ when it was clear there was plenty in the house. Then I began to think that he’s not the only one who does this from time to time. I also wondered what impact this has on budgets, especially for those who truly can’t afford this kind of indulgence. Consider the following (numbers based on the cost of living in a larger city; adjust accordingly for your location):

Meals out:

What if you routinely proclaimed a lack of food and went out to eat once per week? With each meal, you’re spending at least $20 for your portion. Throw in a few drinks and we’re easily looking at $30-35. $30 x 4 = $120/month or $1,440/year!!!

Clothing:

Let’s give a conservative estimate of shopping once per month for a new outfit when you ‘have nothing to wear.’ Let’s go one step further and say you’re a savvy discount shopper who can score a great outfit for less than $100. $75 x 12 = $900/year!!

Extras:

Those iTunes songs? That sweet new bag? Your daily latte habit? Say you’re spending $40/week on these things. $40 x 4 = $160/month or $1,920/year!!!

That’s $4,260 per year that could help you max out your Roth IRA, build your emergency fund, or save for a vacation. Over $4K simply because we’re conditioned so well when it comes to lying to ourselves.

For me personally, I know I need to keep a keen eye on not only what I’m doing, but what I’m saying when it comes to making decisions that ultimately impact my finances. I will indeed be looking for ways that I fall into this trap as well as identifying various solutions for breaking these habits.

The Happy Homeowner

Living a Healthy, Balanced Life One Cent at a Time…

Category Archives: Shopping