Cheap Christmas Gift Ideas
by Shannon Jarvies)
Now that the biggest shopping season of the year
is in full swing it might be a good time to
create a holiday budget. I'm sure there are lots
of names on your list, but hopefully you can
find gifts that won't put a big dent in your
pocketbook. I've come up with a few good ideas
that might help.
Make your Own. Everybody
loves a homemade gift. It means that you really
put some time and thought into it. You can make
your own bath salts, bubble bath, brownie mixes
and more! Choose an inexpensive jar, add a
ribbon and you've got a really cool gift that
didn't cost a fortune. You can find the recipes
to these homemade gifts here:
Pioneerthinking.com And I've got some
homemade stocking stuffer ideas here:
money-saving-tips.b logspot.com
It's probably too late to start this idea for
this holiday season but you can plan ahead for
the next. After Christmas is one of the best
times to buy gifts. Almost everything is marked
down-sometimes as much as 50%. So create a list
for next year and hit the shops after Christmas!
If you have a talent share it with others.
You could give "gift certificates to those on
your list. Do you play the piano? Offer free
piano lessons. Are you good with kids? Offer
free babysitting for a day. Are you well
organized? Offer to clean someones house. Do you
work on cars? Offer a free oil change. These
gifts cost no money to give but could be some of
the most well received gifts!
You could take the above option a step
further buy using your services to barter for a
gift. If your neighbor sells candles and you
would love to get two or three for your
sister-in-law maybe you could barter your
services. Offer her a free night of babysitting.
Or maybe there's a gift in your closet that you
recieved last year that you got one too many of.
Offer that to her in exchange for a candle.
Remember the holidays aren't about buying the
most expensive gifts. They are about sharing
traditions and making memories with those you
love.
About the author: Shannon Jarvies is a WAHM
with five beatiful children and a wonderful
husband. Visit her
Debt Management Website for debt
consolidation, budgeting and money saving tips
and ideas. You can also join her
Money Management Discussion Group
Unique Christmas Gifts
Online
by Rick Chapo
The holidays are quickly approaching, which
means it's time to buy gifts. Thanks to the
Internet, you can find unique gifts online.
Unique Gifts Online
Gift giving can be a challenge. You don't want
to give a person just anything. Here's a list of
unique gifts you can find online. Just search for
the name on any search engine.
1. Digital Photo Keychain - Everyone has a
keychain and everyone has photographs they carry
around with them. The digital photo keychain lets
you combine the two. The keychain has a 1 inch by
1 inch display that easily fits in the palm of
your hand. Load photos onto from your PC and off
you go. Expect to pay $40 to $50 for this very
cool gift for dads, moms or anyone.
2. Arcade Games - Remember when you used to sit
in the mall pumping quarters into arcade games.
Missile command, Pac Man, Donkey Kong...ah, all
that wasted time. Well, now you can buy replicas
of the actual arcade games you used to play. The
consoles are the same as you used to stand in
front of, but now they have loads of games on
them. This is a big ticket item, so you might want
to look away before reading the price range
of...$3,000 to $5,000 depending on the console and
number of games you order.
3. Chef's Fork - Now family comes complete with
out a grill guru. If you're looking for unique
gifts online for the grill guru in yours, the
Chef's Fork may be the answer. These forks are
made especially for grilling and contain sensors
in them to tell the grilling guru the temperature
and "doneness" of the food being cooked. Works for
practically every food item, even baked potatoes.
The Chef's Fork will run you between $30 and $50
depending on the feature you want.
4. Nomad Writing Journals - If you're buying
for a person that loves the outdoors or to travel,
Nomad Writing Journals make great gifts. These
journals are tailored to activities such as
travel, fly fishing, bird watching, backpacking,
camping, rock climbing and so on. They come with
or without a case and provide writing space as
well as cues for writing down important
information. A great keepsake to preserve their
travel and outdoor experiences. The journals cost
as low as $9 without waterproof case and $25 with
case.
The beauty of the Internet is you can find a
wide variety of unique gifts. Go online now and
check these ones out.
About the author: Rick Chapo is with
http://www.nomadjournals.com - makers of
writing journals for travel and outdoor
activities. Writing journals make great Christmas
gifts for him or her.