Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
6 ways to save on gift giving
May kicks off the only gift-giving time to rival the holidays, that is: Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduations, and wedding season. Throw a birthday or two in there, plus any other special days for your family, and you could be needing several gifts just in an 8 week span. All this well-wishing is a happy time, but can get very expensive. You'll need a plan to handle the needed gift volume without blowing your budget and resorting to pulling out the credit card.
6 ideas for meaningful, personal gifts you'll be proud to give, and your receivers will love to get:
1. Give DIY. Personalized or monogrammed items you created will be cherished by the receiver, and can be very budget-friendly. Pinterest.com is a treasure-trove of do-it-yourself ideas and directions. Simply input a keyword into the site search. Inspiration feeling dry? Searching the keyword “personalized” or “monogrammed” will yield dozens of ideas to get you started.
When you think DIY, don't just think “crafts”. If you have the ability to build with metal or wood, consider creating a gift the receiver could really use. Maybe they would like a small bookcase or a metal plaque with their names and wedding year. Whatever you create, with your receiver in mind, you can create a work that reflects them and will be warmly received.
2. Give your talent. It's possible you don't need to spend any money at all. Do you have a talent or skill that others could use? Maybe you can repair computers, clean homes, or repair engines. Gift your skills to help with needs for which the receiver would normally have to pay. They will get a larger value than just throwing a $20 in an envelope, and it will cost you very little.
3. Give knowledge. Take the idea of giving your talent one step further and teach a skill as a gift. Perhaps you are a talented cook, or you excel at organization. Offer to mentor someone in what you do well. Even moms and dads have things they've always wanted to learn, and young people are usually just learning skills such as home care, auto maintenance, budgeting, and more. You'll both enjoy the process, make a lasting bond, and the receiver will have a new life skill.
4. Give an experience. Sites such as Groupon.com and Livingsocial.com offer experiences at huge discounts. Maybe your gift receiver has always wanted a pedicure, to learn self-defense, try a special restaurant, or to go on a driving experience. To save even more off the already discounted price, time your purchases with coupon code offers for additional percentages off. Join the email lists of deal sites to receive them. Also see if a particular experience your gift receiver would enjoy has an email list or is offering any deals.
Experiences do not need to be a one-time event, or something they've never done. Consider memberships to someplace or something the receiver already enjoys. If the price is reasonable, pay their next membership fee, saving them the cost.
5. Give a basket. One of my all-time favorite money-saving gift ideas, gift baskets are perfect for spending little, but appearing to have splurged. Comb over clearance racks, hit the dollar store, or even secondhand stores for new-in-the-package items to create nice baskets.
For ideas on theme baskets, check out ones I've mentioned in the past on our blog at SavingsAngel.com. Input the keywords “gift basket” into the search under the magnifying glass located in the upper right corner of the front site page.
6. Give retro. Scour antique shops and even secondhand stores for unique home goods that match the personality of the receiver. Not only will they receive a one-of-a kind gift that is practical, the hunt for such a prize can be very rewarding for the gift giver, as it is a lot of fun, and inexpensive.
