It’s never too early to think ahead to the holiday season! If you celebrate the holidays with the usual things: exchanging cards, gifts and holiday baking it can be very expensive. With a little planning you can enjoy a stress-free holiday without having to pay for it during the following year.
I have a Christmas notebook where I keep track of the gifts we’ve given others and the gifts received. Nothing fancy, just a spiral bound notebook that I use year-to-year.
I make notes as to what worked and what didn’t. I also make lists of possible homemade gifts to give. During the year I can glance at my notebook and be thinking of possible gift ideas. Keep a Christmas gift list in your wallet to track what you’ve purchased and for whom.
Here we are just six months before Christmas. This is a good time to take stock of what you have on hand and think about possible gifts ideas for the holidays. Summer is the time for garage sales and yard sales, watch for “new” gifts like small appliances still in their boxes or nice items of clothing with their sales tags still intact. It’s amazing what you can find when you keep your eyes open. Collect stocking stuffers: cosmetic and perfume samples, freebies that come in the mail or any other novelties that come your way.
June is also a great time to find deals for Dads and men in general. Check out razors, aftershave and cologne, grilling tools, golfing and fishing gear. Many of these things will be on sale after Father’s Day. In July you can often find deals on kids’ outdoor games and items such as picnic coolers and recreational gear.
I don’t know about you but I love to give homemade gifts. Here are a few ideas.
Gifts from the Kitchen: Homemade Vanilla This is very easy and actually takes six months before it is ready to give. By making it now it will be ready for the holiday season. A perfect gift for the bakers you know!
Homemade Jams, jellies and Salsas make a perfect gift, especially for those family members who don’t have a garden of their own.
One year we gave gift baskets with our own homemade salsa and my husband designed a wonderful label for the salsa.
Homemade granola is also another great idea, one year I packaged up my granola in plastic bags and then put it in a brown paper bag with a decorative label on the outside.
Dog Treats: Don’t forget your doggy friends, I’m sure they would love a gift of dog treats!
Handmade note cards: These can be printed off your own printers or find a source online. Put your favorite photo on the cover or use some artwork from your children. I realize not many people write letters anymore but a little notecard is always handy to have.
As we get closer to the holiday season I will share more ideas. Perhaps this will help you to think ahead. In addition to keeping your holidays calm and cost effective, buying presents during the year helps you to be more thoughtful of others. You can find gifts that your family and friends will truly enjoy and use.
Linked to: LearningTheFrugalLife, RaisingHomemakers, FrugallySustainable, WeAreThatFamily, EarningMyCape
Nancy on the Home Front 