Does Making Gifts Really Save You Money?

Many people like to make holiday gifts, or gifts for other occasions. Crafty people can make beautiful things that will be treasured for years to come.

Bue one of the biggest arguments for making your own gifts is that "it will save you money." Does it really? The true answer seems to be that sometimes it does, and sometimes it really does not.

If you make a knitted sweater for example, balls of yarn will frequently cost between three to eight dollars a ball. A sweater will usually take six to ten balls of yarn. Your knitted sweater will then cost anywher from eighteen to eighty dollars to make. This does also not even factor in your time as a cost. If you make your own soap, one real expense can be essential oils that are frequently used. Some of the small bottles of oil can cost up to twenty dollars. Your soap can wind up costing three to six dollars per bar to make if you are using high quality materials to make it, such as lavender or rose petals.

So how can you cut costs? Shopping for supplies at discount stores or online auction sites can cut your costs at times, but it still pays to be choosy about the supplies you use. If you use items with less quality, then your crafts will suffer. Crafting is most fun and best when it is a pleasure and you are enjoying what you are doing. And if you are giving something as a gift, you will want something to be the very best it can be. This does not always save you money. Sometimes buying in bulk can save you money. Shopping with a fellow crafter can be helpful, you save on shipping costs and get a great discount. Or you can buy a large supply of something and share it. Looking through popular magazines for your crafts to see if there are ads for new suppliers that offer better prices may help you find a new source. Talking with other crafters may help you find a great bargain also. Joining email lists for fellow crafters may help you discover bargains, as crafters are likely to share their favorite stores and sources.

But just because crafting may not save you money -- doesn't mean it isn't a great choice for a terrific gift. A gift from the heart is truly priceless. Many people save handmade gifts for much longer than they save store-bought gifts. They feel that more care and more thought went into the making of a home made gift. This is especially true if you selected their favorite colors, or their favorite images (snowflakes, cats, pumpkins, etc.) or their favorite poem -- you did whatever you could do to truly personalize the homemade gift.

Making gifts can be a true pleasure. It can be a tradition for the holidays, for you and also for the recipient. If you are a serious crafter, it may also be a way that you earn additional income. Homemade gifts are a great treasure, and by being resourceful you can find avenues to help save money -- creatively.