Christmas in July?

I know it's only July but before you know it Christmas will be here. There are great things going on that can help you with your Christmas if your budget is small. I will share some of the things I have discovered. I would love any feedback you have to help ease the pain of Christmas costs.

I am a true believer of not wasting my money when it comes to gift giving. I don't buy cheap gifts that break after using it a time or two. I also don't buy toys just because they are on clearance. If I am going to give a gift I want it to be something the person I am giving it to will love and enjoy. So here are some ways to cut costs on gifts.

Stocking Stuffers:

• Clearance bins: Great place to find lip gloss, nail polish, small toys or other great things to stuff in a sock. Target has become my favorite place for these items. Especially when they mark down some of their $1 items to 75% off.
• Also if I spend a dollar here and there it doesn't hit me all at once. Something I learned to do is to put a brown grocery bag or small box in the top of my closet and stuff them in there. Otherwise I lose track of all my little treasures.
• Coupons: There has been coupons that you can get gum or other treats or makeup for nearly nothing. Save those items for gifts.
• Socks and underwear are at great prices right now and are good stocking stuffers. Spiderman underpants or Strawberry shortcake are fun even if it is underwear.
  
• Homemade treats. Growing up we always got a big popcorn ball in our sock and a big orange. They took up a lot of room so the cost of the sock went down. Another great filler is a gingerbread shaped Rice Krispy Treat.

Children Gifts:

• Arts and Crafts Box- Right now school supplies are cheap. Purchase several items and make a fun craft box for Christmas. With a package of white paper and crayons and markers it makes for hours of fun.
• Clearance! Take advantage of all the items being marked down right now. A Thrifty Mom just did a great post about clearance. Click here to see it. I have seen jeans and other clothes that could be used in the spring or winter.
  
• Does it have to be new? My children love to pretend. Often times I find the toys at the store have lights and sounds but are soon left in the closet. I have gotten creative on their "creativity". For example my girls love to play school and office. I bought an old typewriter from a second-hand store and replaced the ribbon so it could work. I also bought from the second-hand store a briefcase, a suit coat and some other dress ups. They had a lot of fun pretending with those items. Another year we focused on their artistic side. We bought a big white board and chalk board and the art stuff to go with that. The kids got a few personal gifts but that was the main gift for our family.
• Yard Sales. For my young children toys have not needed to be new. My boys have loved used trucks as much as brand new ones. Let me just say that they are used but not worn out. I always shop with a scrutinizing eye. As I said before I don't buy junk.
• All gifts are not surprises. Each year we have a set amount we spend on each child. Needless to say my older children don't get as much as the younger ones. If I have a child who wants something that cost more than my budget I let them earn the extra amount needed to get that item. I would rather have them help then to get something they don't want.

Spouses:

• Again is new necessary? Some spouses are picky and would be offended if it's not new but then again would they? My husband loves music and I can get a CD in perfect working condition minus the shrink wrap for nearly half the cost or sometimes less. I always look on half.com and amazon.com for a great deal.
• Thoughtfulness doesn't have to be expensive. Breakfast in bed, or maybe a danish with the newspaper in the morning. Or a foot massage. There are lots of personal gifts we can give that have more meaning than an electronic gadget.

Family:

• Pictures. Target is my favorite place to get nice looking professional pictures. I try to have my kids pictures taken near their birthday so I don't have to have everyone's pictures taken at once (even at 3.99 a sheet it gets costy with 6 kids) I give them away as Christmas gifts to the grandparents for Christmas. They love it so much more than a gift to clutter their house.
• Gift Exchange? Movies are always a great gift. You can buy new DVD's on half.com or amazon.com. If you plan ahead and start purchasing now you can find them at a lower price. Another money saving tip is to purchase classic movies rather than brand new. Old Walt Disney favorites, It's a Wonderful Life, there are lots of titles that you can buy. Most don't have them or would love to have their favorites on DVD rather than VHS.
• Ebay. Start shopping now. You can find good deals if you are patient on ebay.
• Games! A great gift. I love giving away good games because you can use them over and over again. I found a guy who is a seller on ebay however he is local. I was able to contact him and buy directly. That way I didn't have to bid and pay more than I wanted to plus he lives in Provo and you can buy it from him and not have to pay shipping. Click here to see his store. He visits SLC often and is willing to work out arrangements for you to pick it up from him while he is in the valley. Also if you find a game you want and he doesn't have it in his online store you can email him and he usually can get it for you. All the games I have purchased from him were at least $10 less than the retail price.
  
• SERVICE! Last year we had almost nothing to spend and I didn't want to have a depressing holiday because I couldn't give anything away, so we did service. Examples are we cleaned my mom's kitchen and mopped her floor while she was away. Another idea was we tended my brother's kids so he and his wife could do some Christmas shopping together. We spent an evening with my grandma singing Christmas carols. Those gifts were priceless.

Friends and Neighbors:

• Google Search. Last year I simply did a search for neighbor gift ideas or inexpensive gift ideas and found lots of ideas that were very low-cost.
  
• Friend Get-together: Have an inexpensive friend party. Make hot chocolate and serve scones. Or have a party where everyone brings a favorite Christmas dish. You can sing carols or have a $1 white elephant gift exchange.
  
• Use your talents. I know you are thinking you don't have any but I bet you do. Did you make jam? Who doesn't love homemade jam? Can you bake bread? Maybe you are great at embroidery. Or maybe you can double your lasagna and give the second pan to a busy neighbor. Just start thinking now and you can come up with lots of ideas.