Christmas Gift Ideas

This Christmas everyone is cutting back on how much money they spend on holiday gifts, festive food and Christmas decorations. I know I am looking at Christmas gift ideas  differently when I go shopping this season. 

Do you need new Christmas gift ideas this year? Great... This post might help!

So as for those Christmas Gift Ideas, what is there to buy that says Happy Holidays without breaking the bank? 
See below for the 7 ideas!!

I think setting a budget for Christmas gift buying, is the easiest way to achieve this. 

I have heard of families pulling names out of a hat and that is the person they buy for. This way you are only buying for 1 person vs. an entire family. I know my sister's husband's family does this for the adults. They set a budget that everyone can afford and abide by and then picks a name.  

As for my family we are still buying for each individual family member...Which can get pretty expensive. So I set a goal as to what would be reasonable to spend for them and stick with it (for the most part.)  

I think setting a goal as to the amount you want to spend on your kids is a great idea as well. Their little toys add up quicker then you think. So go in with an idea as to the amount you want to spend on each child(s) and stick to that goal.

Doing some research on-line helps you get an idea of what you would pay for a variety of items. It is free to search and look around at online stores, even to put the gift ideas in a shopping basket, but don’t check out yet! Do some comparison shopping or visit your local stores in person to look at items and make sure you are getting the best deals on what you buy. Only plunk down the payment if it is a great gift at a great price.

Another element to great Christmas Gift Ideas this holiday season is to give gifts that are really useful and relevant. Some people may think this is boring, but I think it says that you care about that person and want them to really like and use the gift.

Here are some of my Christmas Gift Ideas. Some people like them and other’s don’t but I wanted to share the info in case it was a help to your Christmas gift ideas gathering or shopping this year.

1. Hand Made Gifts- I like the idea of hand made gifts because these days they look professionally made and they are unique. If you buy locally made handmade gifts you also support local businesses and artists, which is another good idea. There are so many Christmas gift ideas to choose from, jewelry, home decor, and lots of artwork. This also may include food items you bake or make yourself.

You can also get them something that can be monogrammed or initialed to personalize the gift more. 

Such as Vera Bradley, The store: Things to Remember, etc. 

 

2. Car Safety Kits – This is a useful gift for guys mostly, it is basically a safety kit for your car. You buy all the pieces and put them into a Rubbermaid container to keep in the trunk of the car. You can customize it how ever you like but the main components could be: jumper cables, blanket, flashlight, extra batteries for the flashlight, some tools for fixing a flat tire, etc. (I am not very good at the names of tools...but you get the idea)

3. Warm accessories- Hats, gloves, scarves, ear muffs, boots and anything else that can keep you warm when you have to be out in the cold is a good Christmas gift idea this year.Now I know if you live in Florida or south Georgia you will not have that much cold weather but it is a good thing to have for those of you who are in the colder regions.

Recently it was a chilly day up here and Gus forgot his jacket. He isn't one to really be cold for to long but on this day he was. He ran up to a store and bought himself a jacket due to the fact that driving home would be to far and take to long. So having a jacket that always stays in the car might be a good idea.

4. Subscriptions, Gift Baskets and Calendars- a low cost gift idea.

Make sure it is within the interests that the person has. These usually cost between $10 and $20 per year.  Likewise for theme ideas and calendars. They usually cost between $10 and $20 also and are exactly what someone needs in January. Very practical and useful. I know Gu's Grandparents love to get one of these from us. I make it online and include pictures of the family throughout the year and they enjoy it alot. 

Gift baskets are good for the family who lives far away who you won't be seeing for Christmas. Like for instance one year we sent an Aunt/Uncle of ours a Harry and David gift basket. Then for the grandparents we sent them a Fruit of the Month Club (where they received a delicious new fruit from Harry and David each month. ) You can find gifts from Harry and David ranging from $20-to over $350.  They also have Free standard shipping right now.

5. Books and Toys – A great idea for Christmas gifts for kids is to share the gift of stories. You can get a lot of children’s books on-line at a small discount but check second hand book shops for really cheap children’s books. If you plan really early you can pick up a box of children’s books in the summer at garage sales for a few bucks. Children need to learn to read so starting by reading stories to them when they are as young as 2 really helps them get pre-reading skills and they like the stories and humor too. Regular books are good finds in used book shops too although you have to know the interests that the person has to find things. 

Toys- as for toys, you are pretty good as long as you stay within the recommended age for that toy. 

6. Gift Cards- I know some poeple might think this is an easy way out but when you have no idea what a particular family member wants then you are always safe with a gift card. That way they can go and pick out something they want. I know that buying clothes can be hard for some-- It is hard for me b/c I have to try it on to see if it will work, so when trying to buy clothes for someone you might be best of with the gift card. 

7. Your Time- the ultimate gift idea is to give someone your time. Some people write out IOU's, others just write in a card that they will spend 2 days off work helping with your bathroom remodel. (or clean the garage or replace something that is broken in a family members house) This is always appreciated and worth a lot actually because it helps them save money on projects they need to do. Elderly family members like this most of the time b/c they say they don't need anything else to add to the dusty collection. 

And the list could go on... I hope that these will help and get you started in the right direction...

Good Luck and Happy Shopping!