Father's Day, Mother's Day, Baby Showers, etc

[purplish]

Hi everyone,

I know I'm new here, but I'm just really eager to get started with ideas. I have a lot more members of my family due to recent marriages and upcoming childbirths. This should be a joyous time, but I have to admit that I am a bit stressed because of the expectation of gifts. Nothing seems cheap these days, but no one wants to be left out. I feel like I'm still reeling due to mother's day, and now father's day is coming up. Between showers, birthdays, presents, I don't know how to keep up with the costs. Any ideas?

[frugalredhead]

Are you at all crafty? I didn't think I was, but this past year for Christmas I made jewelry for all the women I had to buy gifts for - bought beads on sale at Michaels and on Ebay, cost me a few dollars to make a bracelet and set of earrings. Everybody loved them!

I also have more corks than I know what to do with - I am going to work on making things with them over the rest of this year and give them as Christmas gifts.

Find coupon codes online (I almost never pay full price for anything) and if you get cashback bonuses through online shopping, take advantage of that. Always comparison shop - Amazon used to be pretty much the cheapest place to get anything, and that definitely is not true anymore! We always have better luck through Walmart (free ship to store) and sometimes Target.

Good luck! And remember, people who expect expensive gifts from you, and will be unhappy if they don't get them, don't deserve any gifts at all Friends and family need to be happy with what you can afford to give!

[purplish]

Thanks for the advice! Unfortunately, I am not crafty AT ALL. I just settled on getting people gift cards, but it added up! I think I may try to buy gifts in bulk. The only problem is I don't know if it's tacky to give people the same gifts all the time. You did give me an idea though. I am thinking about getting into home gardening because it's healthier. I might just grow things and give people part of the yield from the garden / crop. I think it's personalized and healthy. That is the plan for next year. So thank you!

[marvholly]

It is too late for this year BUT what I do is generally shop ahead.

Hostess gift for Thanksgiving is bought on after holiday sales for the following year
Kids bday gifts are bought during the Christmas holiday sales w/FREE shopping (last one being given this week)

I am not particularly crafty but would LOVE to find a well priced class for making jewelry in the Chicago near north suburbs both for gifts & for me. Might even take/teach oldest granddaughter. Our adult ed classes do NOT offer. Need to check Michaels.

[AsiaTraveler]

Can you broach the subject with the family? I was so relieved when people asked if we could go to a Christmas gift exchange among my siblings and our families. I had always thought we were the only ones struggling to buy presents every year.

[frugalredhead]

Thanks for the advice! Unfortunately, I am not crafty AT ALL. I just settled on getting people gift cards, but it added up! I think I may try to buy gifts in bulk. The only problem is I don't know if it's tacky to give people the same gifts all the time. You did give me an idea though. I am thinking about getting into home gardening because it's healthier. I might just grow things and give people part of the yield from the garden / crop. I think it's personalized and healthy. That is the plan for next year. So thank you!

Oh I forgot about that! We had so much zucchini last summer that I made 16 loaves of zucchini bread, froze them, and gave them as gifts also! Plan on doing the same thing this year as well. And I always make large batches of cookies, buy tins at the dollar store, and give those as well. Also shop the Amazon lightning deals leading up to Christmas - you have to be glued to your computer but we scored some awesome deals on stuff for my kids, niece, and other family members. I became a bit of an Amazon addict during that time