Gas and Phone Cards and Other Christmas Gifts They Won't Return

Christmas is the one time of the year where you find out who really knows you and who doesn't. It is also the time of year when the age-old question of what to get everyone is asked. It never fails that whatever it is gets returned. There is a solution. It can be applied to everyone you know. These are gifts everyone can use and will use.

Many times we find ourselves in the middle of the mall checking our Christmas list and scratching our heads. This has happened to me more than once. I got tired of racking my brain to come up with something besides the standard gift certificates for stores and restaurants. The solution was staring me in the face. As I wandered aimlessly from store to store, I found myself in the middle of The Dollar Tree. This is a nationwide chain which specializes in $1.00 items. Here is where the light bulb finally blinked on.

In this fantastic realm of divine merchandise was everything I needed to make everyone happy this Christmas. The first thing I did was grab as many gift baskets as I could. I did have to count the number to make sure I had enough. Next I divided my shopping list by age, gender, and marital status. Those who were married were combined. Things were happening fast now. I was getting elated! People were watching me with odd expressions as I raced through the aisles with glee.

The secret was giving gifts I knew would be used. The first Christmas gift selection was for a newlywed couple. I grabbed a laundry basket and started filling it with all kinds of household items. This meant paper towels, toilet paper, bottles of dish soap, and other cleaning supplies. I added a couple of clothe dish towels and some candles to round it out. Total price? $15.00. I was on a roll!

The next group were the teenage girls. This is where I shined. The store had simple totes about the size of a two gallon baggy. I jammed in powders and lotions, brushes and hair ties, lip gloss and nail polish. I added some bobby socks and body wash. The cost of each of these was only $12.00. This was getting better and better.

I had two college kids to buy for and was not sure about what they liked. The $1.00 store solved that problem quickly. I managed to get some great computer supplies, snack foods, and some personal items for kids as well. I added a journal just for good measure. All these Christmas goodies stuffed into a small trash can.

My sister was next. This craft fanatic always needed something. I can not tell you how many times I would get a call asking if I might have old silk flowers or left over yarn. I was determined to help her out this year. My store has an entire aisle devoted to crafts. I bought almost one of everything. Ok, I went a little overboard, but it was my sister. There were glue sticks, silk flowers, sticks and wood pieces, and all sorts of goodies. I put it all in the same type of tote I bought the teen girls.

The single men were the hardest of all to buy for Christmas. Again, The Dollar Tree came to the rescue. There are kitchen caddies you can get that have the handle in the middle of two sections. I layered these with any of the small gadgets I could find. Bonding glue, duct tape, electrical tape, wire locks, and so much more. There were screwdrivers and pliers. I was even lucky enough to find cans of car wax. The guys I know are car buffs and really want their rides to look good.

The last recipients on the list were the little ones. This was the easiest of all. I bought each one a Christmas stocking and started stuffing. There are two aisles of toys and one of Christmas candies. I am not sure the parents were happy about the candy, but the other things kept the kids busy all afternoon on Christmas day. I made sure the items were age appropriate. If two or more kids were in the same family, I made sure the stockings were pretty much the same.

I learned two things from this experience. Everyone used what I bought. There were no returns of my gifts that year. The second thing was it was so much more fun (and cheaper) than buying just some old sweater you know they are never going to wear. I spent only half my Christmas budget on these neat gift baskets. I did splurge a little. The college kids got gas cards and phone cards. The newlyweds did get their restaurant gift certificate. All in all, it was a great idea and one my family has come to expect every year. They are always looking forward to what I put in the basket each year.

I hope this helps with your shopping dilemmas this year. Maybe you can spend more time enjoying the holiday season instead of just spending. You can walk away knowing each gift was personal and appreciated.