Great Holiday Gifts that Won't Bust Your Budget

You don't have to bust your budget to give thoughtful, appreciated gifts this season. There are many items that you can find inexpensively, or put together yourself that will delight the recipient and save you money. Before getting to specific items you can give, you must learn Rule #1 of Holiday Budgeting, which is: Don't wait until December. If you want to give gifts that are brand new, hit the deep discount sales in January. The after-holiday sales are where you can get your next-year's wrapping paper and cards for a song, as well. Then designate a few dollars each month for "Holiday Gifts", so that if you see something you know would make a great gift, and you find it at a great price, you can nab it. If you're planning a "Craft Christmas", make sure to visit local thrift and dollar stores throughout the year so that you can pick up your materials at inexpensive prices. Keep a box in your house to hold the things that you've collected throughout the year, as well as wrapping paper, ribbons, and cards, so that you can easily find them when it's time to get ready for the holidays. Below are a list of ideas to get you started on your within-the-budget gift giving for this year.

Foodstuffs
If you've got a lot of people to gift this year, food items may be your best bet. Buying in bulk, or cooking in bulk will save a ton of money, but home-made food gifts also tend to be more mouth watering and better appreciated than expensive, mass-produced, boxed things.

Choco-Peppermint Sticks - This gift involves melting a little chocolate, dipping peppermint sticks into it, and then arranging them nicely in a large mug with a few packets of hot chocolate mix. What could be easier? Just be sure to wrap each peppermint stick individually in saran-wrap so your car's heater doesn't make them stick together on the way to distribution.

Biscotti - You can often find good, inexpensive biscotti at discount stores like Big Lots or Dollar General, or keep your eyes peeled for a sale or an opportunity to buy in bulk. Again, melt a little chocolate (white, dark, or milk) and dip the ends of the biscotti into it. Package the biscotti with a tin of specialty coffee and a nice large mug (both of which can also be found at many discount stores)

Fudge - find a good recipe, perfect the art, and collect tins from the thrift store. You can make large, delicious batches of fudge quite inexpensively. If your fudge flops, like mine did last year, don't tell anyone. Just put it into a small glass jar and label it "Hot Fudge Sauce"!

Soup- or Cookies-in-a-Jar - If you have a favorite soup or cookie recipe, you can share the taste beautifully by putting the dry ingredients in a glass jar, using some seasonal fabric on the top, and attaching the recipe with a ribbon. There's a vast array of recipes and instructions for these great gifts available on the Web.

Home-Baked Goods - So fruit cake might not be the best choice, but if you are renowned for a certain item, bake it in bulk, wrap it in a cute bag, and voila, you've got a great gift for co-workers, neighbors, and aquaintances.

Gift Baskets
I love gift baskets because I can personalize them for the special people on my gift list, and I can collect the "fillers" all year round.

Chocolate-Lover's Basket - This has to be the easiest. There is interesting chocolate available almost anywhere. You can collect the really good stuff at deep discounts after holidays, and fill a basket with a beautiful array of goodies for your beloved chocaholic

Kitchen Basket - Someone on your list loves to cook and bake (or wants to learn)? Gather utensils like wooden mixing spoons, spatula's, bowl scrapers, and hot pads at a Dollar General store, throw in a package or two of recipe cards (with a few of your favorite recipes as well), and a cute apron.

Tea- or Coffe-Lover's Basket - again, this is easy as pie and can be quite inexpensive, if you keep an eye out for good sales and discounts.

Scrapbookers Basket - The scrapbooker on your list would surely love more material to work with. Watch for sales year-round and you'll have a basket-full to give before you know it.

Family Basket - Rather than spend $25 a pop on plastic toys that will break and be forgotten before Valentines day, if you've got a family with several children on your list, put together a large basket filled with goodies like popcorn, chocolate (of course!), cookies, cocoa and cider mixes, a card game, or a board game, or anything else you know they'd enjoy together as a family.

These are just a few ideas. You can customize your gift baskets to fit the personalities and likes of the people you're giving to - whether they're gardeners, pasta-lovers, knitting fans, spa-lovers, or anything else.

Crafts
Knitting and Crocheting - if you know yarn-craft, you've got an easy way to gift others. A tiny hat and booties make a lovely baby's-first-Christmas gift. Kids will love funky scarf and set of mittens. If you've got the skills and the time, you can't go wrong with a beautiful sweater or afghan. And everything you make will cause the recipient to think of you everytime they use it.
Once again, a thrift or discount store can be your best friend, if you check in frequently for discounted yarns.

Sewing and Embroidery - even something as simple as a set of hot pads, or an apron can bring a smile to someone's face. Look for discounted holiday fabrics early in the year, or be creative and find your fabric elsewhere. A thrift-store sheet or table cloth with a lovely print can be cut down for small sewing projects, and make a beautiful impression. You can also buy a plain apron, pillowcase, or any such thing and embroider it with the recipients name and embellishments.

Children's Crafts - If you've got friends or relatives who seem to have everything, or if people you love live overseas, it may not be necessary or practical to send a large package. See what kind of crafts you can do with your children, even if it is simply card-making, to send a little love and joy to someone who may appreciate it more than a store-bought gift.

I hope you will find a few ideas here to help you get started on your way to a thrifty holiday season. Remember, it's not how much you spend that counts, it's the thought and love you put into whatever you give!