Christmas Gifts on a Budget

Here are some helpful ideas to help you buy Christmas gifts on a tight budget.

Christmas can be very expensive!  Sometimes, you just don’t have the money to buy the gifts you want to buy.  Sometimes, you feel obligated to buy gifts.  All these things can definitely add to your stress level at Christmas.

Here are some ideas to get your Christmas gifts on a budget,  and feel peace at Christmas instead of stress!

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Exchange Names to Save Money and Stress

One of my favorite ways to be able to enjoy gift giving and stay under my budget is to exchange names.  Exchanging names can save you hundreds of dollars!  Instead of buying for every family member, you can buy for only one person.  This means you can really concentrate on blessing that one person since you aren’t buying gifts for everyone.

If you are worried that others in your circle of family or friends might not be open to this, I would suggest asking anyway.  You might be surprised-they might also need to save some money.

It can be a good idea to suggest a dollar amount also.  Obviously, not an exact figure, but you might want to mention a range (like $20-$30 or $50-$75).

There are a few ways to exchange names.  You can exchange names between just the adults, and everyone can buy the kids something.  Or the kids can go into the mix too.

Gifts Under $5

Another way to stay under budget at Christmas is to give inexpensive gifts.  Here are a few ideas that are super cheap, but still thoughtful:

Printable Wall Art

Did you know that you can print your own wall art?  I have many inexpensive wall art printables in my Etsy store.  You simply download and print them. 

You can print them yourself or take the file to a local print shop.  For the best results have the wall art printed on cardstock.  If you buy an inexpensive frame, you will have a thoughtful but very frugal gift!

Homemade Goodies

Make a big batch of a recipe that you know you are good at and give everyone some.  Homemade baked or canned goods work well for this.  Everyone loves food!

If you don’t know what to make Here is a really great bread recipe from Kitchen Stewardship.

Gifts from Ebay

Buy some gifts from Ebay-they have a lot of inexpensive gifts to choose from.  Their jewelry is a really good deal.  You may want to check out my article on how to buy things from Ebay.  It has some good tips on choosing safe sellers.

Gifts from Your House

Here is a way to spend no money – give something that you already own.  If your friends or family are open to exchanging gifts like this, it can be a lot of fun.  And, then they won’t have to spend money either.  Of course, try to choose something that you think the recipient would really like.  It is even better if it is something that you want to keep-then you are showing love by giving it!

How to Get the Lowest Price on Gifts

Another way to save some money on gifts is to make sure that you pay the absolute lowest price available.  It is always good to check prices at different places before you buy.  Internet shopping makes this so easy!

Once you have found the store with the lowest price, make sure you get all the available discounts and rebates.

I do this by going through Ebates and then applying any available coupon codes.  Ebates is a site that gives cashback on purchases.  So, every time I order online I make a little money.  Then, when I have made enough Ebates sends me a check.

I have made over $250 on Ebates and it is free money!  Meaning I would have ordered whatever I was ordering anyway, but since I have Ebates I make a little money on my orders.

If you are new to Ebates, you can get $10 off your first $25 order.  This order can be from any of the stores on Ebates-and there are many.  I have gotten cash back from shopping at Ebay, Kohl’s, Walmart, Vitacost, Amazon etc.

Once I get to Ebates, I type the store that I want to go to in the search bar.  Here is a screenshot showing where I would type in Vitacost (one of my favorite stores)-

Once I have typed in Vitacost, I am taken to the screen with the “Shop Now” button for Vitacost.  I simply press this button and I am automatically sent to Vitacost.

Now I can shop at Vitacost and get automatic cash back from Ebates.  If you want to try Ebates, go through this link to get $10 off of your first $25 order.

Try Coupon Codes

After I have put all my items in my cart at my desired store, than I apply any coupon codes I can find.  I do this by googling.  I Google something like “Walmart coupon code”.

Then I take a couple of minutes and try coupon codes.  Sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t.  But I often save enough that it was totally worth the few minutes it can take to find a coupon code that works.  Ebates also has suggested coupons whenever you type in a store name.

I hope these tips help you to buy your Christmas gifts on a budget and save some major money!

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Cheap Gift Ideas for Teenage Girls (Things They Really Want!)

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