Frugal Fridays: Finding gifts for $10 or less

If you’re like me you have tons of gifts to buy each year. Family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, kid’s classmates/playmates, teachers, pastors, etc. Birthdays, holidays, and other special occasions will keep you shopping year-round!

Here are some very respectable gifts for just $10 or less!

1. Magazine subscriptions are great because there so many nice ones to choose from and they are written for almost any interest you can dream of. I like to use this deal site to order mine. http://www.bestdealmagazines.com/

2. Throw together a coffee lover’s gift basket. Get a jumbo mug and gather some coffee selections, dry coffee creamers/flavorings, and maybe some sort of treat to go along with it like biscotti or cookies. For tea lovers you can include some herbal teas, honey, and tea biscuits. For cocoa lovers you might go with mini marshmallows and chocolate covered stirring spoons. The possibilities are endless!

3. A small potted plant is the gift that keeps on giving. While flowers will wilt and die within a week, the gift of a houseplant will keep going and going!

4. Craft stores can set you up with a really nice picture frame if you use their weekly coupons (often found for 40-50% off). Then simply slide in an enlargement of a great photo of you, your family, or whatever is appropriate for the occasion. Enlargements can be cheaply obtained from Walmart or even your local grocery or drug store.

5. Books are an awesome gift! Barnes and Noble always has a huge area reserved up front in their store for bargain books. Dollar stores often get nice hardcover recipe books, biographies, and fiction selections that are overstocks. Amazon is another great site for scoping out some cheap books. As a former teacher, I believe there is a book for everyone! Still haven’t found one you think is the right book for the right price? Try ebay’s sister site http://www.half.ebay.com/.

6. Put together a movie watcher kit. A big ole popcorn bowl, a couple of packs of microwave popcorn, some tasty candy, and a $5 movie rental card will do the trick!

7. Stationary is a timeless gift. Some fancy notecards, paper, and matching envelopes can be found at Target inexpensively.

8. A talented write or great thinker will love a new journal with a new pen!

9. Make a gift in a jar! Fill a mason jar with the dry ingredients or your favorite cookie or yummy baked good, yummy soup, or bread mix. Attach a card with the recipe and decorate with some crafty bits. For inspiration check out http://organizedchristmas.com/index-gifts-in-a-jar.

10. Last but not least any baked good made with love in your own kitchen is a wonderful gift appreciated by one and all! It shows you care enough to put in the time and effort to share something and enjoyable.