« Fashion and climate preferences | Home | Quotes from my husband: Panties? »
Cheap gifts don’t have to feel cheap
By Meg | December 18, 2007
We give Christmas gifts out of the goodness of our hearts, right? Somehow, though, I get the sense every holiday season that it’s just one more way of showing off and keeping up with the Joneses. I loving giving gifts, and I’m not saying not give them, but I look at the prices on some of those recommended gifts list and my wallet gets the heebie geebies. I can hear it now, “Honey, John gave us a $100 gift last year, so we have give him a $150 gift this year.” Spend your money how you want, but please don’t get so caught up in outdoing other’s gifts in terms of price.
Personally, I love giving and getting small gifts and I wrote about it recently at The Bargain Queens. My husband and I even practice small gift giving with each other. He has a simple way of making gifts more special that I might have to use on him some time. Presentation is definitely key, as he’s taught me despite himself.
Buying small can take some time and research, though, if you’re going to give something that is personal and not shoddy. Fortunately for you, I’ve been spending most of my free time writing a series of gift guides at The Bargain Queens called Cheap gift ideas under $20. (The links at the top of the page are to the guides, but below them there are also great gift ideas from Sara, some of which are also under $20.)
And as I wrote on Sax Appeal recently, giving the gift of your own talents is perhaps one of the best gifts you can give.
Happy Holidays and stay safe as you finish up your holiday shopping — it’s a mad house out there!
Tags: Impressions, Spending Money, The Bargain Queens
Related Posts:
December 20th, 2007 at 12:11 am
My favorite gifts were ones people made for me. Picture collages from girlfriends, things like that. I’m just touched that people that much time to make something especially for moi.
December 20th, 2007 at 2:38 am
Same here! I’d much rather give or get a personal gift like that.
Unfortunately, it’s hard for most of us to do that for Christmas because there are so many people on everyone’s list. I wish I could just space out the gifts so that everyone gets a gift, but it might be in April or August. I guess that’s what birthdays are for, but I’m awful at remembering those.
I’m learning, though, the convenience of digital gifts that can be easily copied — like a photo CD or DVD.