Cheap Holiday Gift Exchange Ideas

A favorite part of almost any holiday gathering is the gift exchange. Whether you are getting together for the holidays with family, friends (online or in "real life"), coworkers or a club, you do not have to spend a lot of money to have an enjoyable gift exchange. When the economy is tight, it can be difficult to find extra money to participate in these activities, so here are some affordable ideas for the next gift exchange you arrange-or forward them to the organizer.

Note: These can be used any time of year, not just for Christmas! Cheap gift exchanges can be a fun way to celebrate Valentine's Day, Easter, Independence Day and other times throughout the year.

Cheap Gift Exchange Idea #1: Exchange Homemade Items

Sometimes homemade gifts are more welcome than store-bought ones. After all, we can only use so many of those cheap gift sets from the Wal-mart gift aisle. If you have children, they can help you make your gift and it will be as fun for you and them as it is for the recipient. Homemade treats, baked with your own special touch, are a delicious thing to give and receive, and gives you an excuse to fill your home with the heavenly scent of baking goodies.

Bath salts are easy to make, and many women love them. There are a number of recipes on the Internet for them, such as here, and you can often find the ingredients in your town-if not, they can be ordered. Soap is another thing that is fun to make at home, and is a unique and useful gift. You can find instructions for olive oil soap here

Cheap Gift Exchange Idea #2: Exchange Decorations

One of the fun things about almost any holiday-Christmas and Halloween especially-is collecting decorations for your home or desk at work. Individual pieces are often not expensive, and you may receive something you would never thought of purchasing, or something you have never seen before. If you are taking part in an online gift exchange, you may receive something from another part of the country or world. Cheap exchange decorations can be Christmas ornaments, center pieces, wall hangings or anything else that would liven up someone's home or office.

Cheap Gift Exchange Idea #3: Trade Recipes

A recipe exchange is an old tradition, and for a good reason. Many of us have recipes that were passed down through the generations, and they make very special gifts because these recipes cannot be found anywhere else. They are free, except for the very low cost of index cards to write them on. Participants in this very cheap gift exchange can liven up their gift by decorating the card with their own personal touch.

There is no need to let the economy damper your holiday fun! With these cheap gift exchange ideas, you can still have a great time exchanging gifts with your friends and family.