Free Christmas Gift!

Your time is truly a free gift you can give, and possibly one of the most valued. When you were a kid, did you ever make those 'gift certificates' for your parents, like "This (card, coupon, etc) is good for one day of taking out the trash (or doing the dishes, cleaning up your room without a hassle, etc)", or have you had your own kids do that? Why not do adult versions? Offer friends with little ones a night out to themselves and you'll watch their kids for free, or older family members a day when you come over and help with chores that might be difficult for them to do on their own. You might even be able to start a new tradition, exchanging some time with loved ones instead of exchanging presents.

Spending Time Together at Christmas

The holidays can be so hectic, and you can feel so pressured to buy buy buy everywhere you look. Get away from all the stress for awhile by having some family time for (almost) free. Take one evening and load everyone in the car, and drive all around a few neighborhoods looking at Christmas lights. You can even make it a weekly or even nightly activity, picking a different neighborhood each time. Take it one step further by picking favorites in various categories like best house, best neighborhood, best house in one color, etc.

Budget Tech/Gadget Christmas Gifts

If you think that homemade is the only way to go for cheap Christmas gifts, take notice of the lower prices on tech items that would be appreciated by people on your list.

• 1GB flash drives can be found for as low as $5 at computer stores


• 25-50 pack blank cd spindles are available as low as $5, depending on the manufacturer


• 5 pack blank dvds are about $5 at several stores


• Photo paper is available for as low as $4 for 20 sheets

Look around for things you wouldn't normally think to give, but would certainly be used. Something like this would be much better received than a pack of socks.

Budget Christmas Treat - Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles

Whether you're looking for something different to leave out for Santa, going homemade on Christmas gifts this year, or just craving something sweet yourself, these truffles are quick, easy, and pretty cheap to make.

Ingredients

• 1 package Semi-sweet baking chocolate (8 squares)


• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter


• 1 8oz tub whipped topping at room temperature


• Various toppings - crushed cookies, powdered sugar, flake coconut, chopped nuts

Directions

Place chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl, microwave on high 1 minute and stir. Microwave another minute until almost melted, stir until it is melted completely.
Stir in the peanut butter until well mixed and cool to room temperature.
Stir in whipped topping and put bowl in refrigerator for an hour.
Take the bowl out of the refrigerator and scoop out mixture with a teaspoon (or melon baller if you have one) and shape into 1 inch balls. Roll each truffle in your chosen topping.
Store the truffles in the refrigerator

Yield: About 3 dozen
Prep Time: About 20 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour 20 minutes (including refrigeration)

Christmas Gifts from the Grocery Store

Seriously, why not do some Christmas shopping while you're grocery shopping? Think about this - do you know people who like tea? Buy a couple of boxes of different flavored teas, including the new green teas, and make variety packages. Taking the time to put together your own choices, rather than just buying a pre-made variety pack, shows that you actually put some thought into the gift.

You can do the same thing for coffee lovers on your list, especially if they love flavored or gourmet coffees but don't spend the money themselves. Small packages of their favorite flavors or brand will be appreciated and won't strain your budget.

Energy drinks such as Red Bull or Monster in 4 packs could be appreciated too, as well as packs of bottled water. Use your imagination and think about how well you know your friends and family. You just might be able to cross a lot of people off your list while you're buying your essentials, saving both money and time.

Budget Christmas Gift - Cheap MP3 Player

My youngest is asking for an MP3 player this Christmas, and I'll admit I'm a little hesitant to spend a lot of money on something that will probably get broken or lost, even if I had it to spend. So I've been looking for some kind of alternative and finally found this online.

Available at SPI Shop, these MP3 players sell for $20. They have 1 GB memory, can hold up to 250 songs, and come with earbuds and a USB adapter for charging. They even include 50 free downloads from emusic.com.

The players come in 8 metallic colors - deep blue, green, pink, turquoise, red, purple, silver, and gold - and support .mp3 and .wma formats. And for those looking for an even cheaper deal, the site also offers a 128 MB digital MP3 player for $9.99 that holds up to 30 songs and includes a voice recorder and FM radio. USB cable and earbuds are included. At those prices, I won't necessarily go ballistic if it's dropped or traded with a friend for a cute stuffed animal.

Swaptree - Trade video games, dvds, and more

If your kids are begging for video games for Christmas but you're afraid you can't afford it, try looking at Swaptree and see of you can trade with someone.

Once you sign up for free, list items you have and items you want. Swaptree will start looking for your wanted items among other users to set up a trade. You have to make sure to list items in both categories or you won't be able to make a trade. And all you pay is shipping and handling on the items you trade.

Be sure to look through the FAQ, it thoroughly explains every aspect of the site. And then get busy trading for Christmas or any time of the year!

Budget Christmas Gift - Pocket Buddha

It can be hard to find cheap Christmas gifts that don't scream 'I'm a cheap Christmas gift', but I found a very nice collection of little pocket Buddhas and keychains that cost about $5 each at the Borders book store in my town. There's a total of six, each with a sticker and actual Buddha quote based on the message of the particular figure.

• Orange - Love


• Yellow - Praise


• Blue - Harmony


• Gold - Happiness


• Green - Faith


• Pink - Peace

If you can't find them around you, there are several online sources:
Buddha Buddha Life - Directly from the main site at $4.99
China Sprout - Available here for $3.99
Dream in Plastic - This site has them at $3.95
And of course, there's always eBay

So there are ways to give loved ones a nice, meaningful gift without going over budget.

Practical Christmas Gift Idea - Gas Gift Cards

When you just can't think of something to get for someone on your list, try something practical. Though gift cards are viewed by some as a way to get out of actually putting effort into gift-giving, with the way gas prices are these days, an opportunity not to have to spend money to fill up the tank would be welcome.

Gas gift cards are available online at SVM Cards for Exxon, Texaco, and Shell gas stations in various amounts. Local stations offer them as well. The cards are often good for not only gas but non-fuel items too.

So when you're stuck trying to figure something out for someone who's hard to buy for, consider a gift that will actually be used and appreciated.

Christmas Gifts - Kids Paper Crafts

Several paper crafts for kids can be used as budget Christmas gifts. I've found a number of ideas for my youngest to do just with materials we already have.

DLTK has great printable templates to use to make coupon books to give to parents for such things as taking out the trash and doing homework. There are color and black and white templates to print as well as instructions for putting the book together.

Make bookends out of shoeboxes and scrap materials such as bits of wrapping paper. This site includes detailed instructions with an illustration showing how to cut the shoebox correctly.

Creative Kids at Home explains how to make a Memory Book including categories to use and suggestions to modify the gift for teachers and grandparents.

Lucky Penny Gift Idea

If you're so broke that you feel you literally only have pennies to spare for Christmas gifts, here's a cute idea to actually give a penny as a gift. Make a Lucky Penny pin.

I ran across this idea on About.com under Family Crafts, and it's very simple to do. All you need is a penny, some net or tulle fabric, ribbon, and a safety pin. Wrap the penny in the fabric and tie the top with ribbon, put the safety pin through the back of the fabric, and add a little note to say that this is a Lucky Penny Pin to give good luck. A picture of a finished pin can be seen here.

So even a penny can be made into a thoughtful gift for the holidays.

Christmas Craft for All Ages - No Sew Fleece Scarves

A super simple gift that is pretty inexpensive and fast isn't impossible. Fleece scarves can be done in about an hour, and would work for any age or gender.

Materials

• Fleece Fabric, solid or printed, about 6 inches by 60 inches


• Scissors

Instructions
Use the scissors to cut 5 inch strips about 1/2 - 1 inch part on one end of the fleece fabric.
Tie a knot at the top of each strip.

Repeat the steps for the other end of the scarf.

That's it!

Crafts for Kids - No Sew Sachets

Let your kids make their own special gifts for family, friends, and teachers. Scented sachets can be put together quickly, easily, and fit well into a limited budget.

Materials

• Pieces of scrap material


• Bag of potpourri


• Scissors


• Fabric Glue

Instructions
Cut the fabric into squares about 5 inches. Put glue along 3 sides of one square of fabric, then place a second square on top of it. Placing glue along the edges helps prevent fraying. You can also cut one piece of fabric into a 5 inch by 10 inch rectangle and fold it to make a 5 inch square, then glue 2 sides, leaving the top open.

Once dried, put about 1/2 cup potpourri into the sachet using the open end, then glue that end closed.

Late Budget Tip - Dammit Doll Christmas Gifts

Sorry I missed Wednesday, the holiday season's so hectic I just realized today was Friday. But that made me think of a great cheap Christmas gift - dammit dolls.

The idea behind a dammit doll is simple: when you get stressed, take it out on the doll rather than something you'll miss. The construction of a dammit doll is just as simple. If you do any sewing, you probably have all the materials already.

Materials

• 2 pieces of scrap material, about 1/2 yard


• Stuffing such as batting


• A fabric pen for mouth, eyes and belly button


• Paper for the pattern


• Any optional embellishments such as ribbon, etc

Instructions
Make a pattern by folding the paper in half and cutting out a basic body shape. You might want to draw the shape first, then fold the paper in half and cut it.

Pin the pattern onto the 2 pieces of scrap material and cut the pattern out of the material. If you're using thick fabric, you may want to cut out one piece at a time. Make sure the 2 pieces are identical.

Put the wrong sides of the material together and stitch around the doll, leaving an opening at the head to add the stuffing. Turn the doll right side out and put in the stuffing, making sure it's pushed firmly, but not overstuffed, into the arms and legs. Stitch the opening closed and use the fabric pen to add eyes, nose, mouth, belly button, etc. You can also embellish it with yarn hair, a ribbon around the neck, whatever you choose to make it special for the person you're giving it to.

Finally, print the following poem (or just print the first verse if you want) and include it with the doll when you wrap up the gift.

Whenever things don't go so well...
And you want to hit the wall and yell...
Here's a little dammit doll
That you can't do without.
Just grasp it firmly by the legs
And find a place to slam it
And as you whack the stuffing out
Yell, "DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT!"

If Dammit's not a word you say
Then twist its little neck
And grumble out repeatedly
Oh Heck, Oh Heck, Oh Heck!

And once you're done abusing it
Just sit it on the shelf.
But hug it first, as I'd hug you
If I were there myself.

Budget Christmas Gift - Cinnamon Sugar Mix

You definately feel a tight budget at Christmas time. And somehow it seems your list is getting longer while your paychecks dwindle. But even if you don't think of yourself as a crafty person, there are still some homemade things that are cheap to do and will be appreciated too. A mix of cinnamon and sugar in a decorative shaker is fast, easy, and inexpensive.

What you need to make about 1/4 cup mix:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar


• 4 tsp cinnamon


• Salt shakers from a dollar store

Mix the cinnamon into the sugar thoroughly. Use a funnel to put the mix into individual shakers. You may wish to decorate the shakers as well.