Gifts on a Budget

Since my own recesion started 10 years ago when I lost my husband, I mostly do homemade gifts for Christmas. To the older people I give homemade jams, chutneys and peppers or mushrooms in olive oil. I collect jars to recycle all year. The same people who will be recipients of my gifts help. I choose a nice unexpensive gif to my 2 youngest grandsons (10 and 7) who will eat the jam but will not think of them as a present. I have a new granddaughter almost 2 months old but I will not give her a present until I can buy her a toy she can play with. Her parents have a lot more money than I do for clothes and we believe in recycling to this baby could have a different dress every day without buying a thing.

I would say that it depends very largely on the recipient. So the best thing is always to choose something that they really want or need. This is why it is really hard to give some general advice that works for everyone. But my best tip when it comes to keeping the costs down is to start shopping early and not leave it for the last minute, because then you always end up getting very expensive and bad gifts, I think.

What I would suggest is to find out what a person really needs versus what to get at whatever expense. As no one will refuse something that is needed for example warm PJs, slippers things like that. Good luck as we all in the same boat and must be creative.

Try DIY gifts. Its usually cheap, unique, and very special! But of course it depends who are you going to give it to. What are their interests and what do they need.