Home made & Frugal Christmas Gift Ideas from the Web

I have been researching frugal Christmas gift ideas this year and have found some great ideas of varying skill levels:

1. Chocolate liquor/infused vodkas
Okay, this is not the most frugal of ideas (especially in Canada where they tax liquor sky high)but, if you purchased a large quantity of inexpensive vodka and separated into several gifts this certainly would be a much appreciated and original Christmas gift for your friends and family. On lifehacker.com chocolate plus vodka and two weeks of time = chocolate liquor. See here for full article. If you prefer other infused types of vodka (my personal favorite would be orange infused) see the guide how to infuse vodka howto.wired.com. Start now and have them ready in plenty of time for Christmas.

2. Cookie cutter candles
These cute little candles seem relatively fast and easy to assemble and could be mass produced in no time, even for the most craft-challenged. I think this idea could be one of the best family style gift options out there. See the familyfun.go.com website for instructions. All you need is honeycomb wax sheets and wicks from a craft store and you can use your own cookie cutters. I certainly would not go buy cookie cutters for this project. If you want a larger variety of candles, borrow cookie cutters from friends or family.

3. Bath Salts
Make coloured and scented bath salts for your spa lover in the family (or makes a great addition to a spa gift basket). Epsom salt can be purchased relatively cheaply in large quantities at any drug store along with food colouring and perfume you already own to make an inexpensive gift. Use glass containers (canning jars, martini glasses) to package the gift, available inexpensively at any thrift store. Find full instructions here at about.com.

4. Pet Snuggle Blanket
If you know how to sew here is a unique idea for the small dog lover in the family, a Pet snuggle blanket. This definitely is one of the cutest ideas I have come across. See about.com for instructions. This project appears relatively simple, just purchase some fleece and away you go, likely completed over an afternoon. I have an Aunt who would go gaga over this gift for her tiny spoiled pooch.

5. The gift of frozen cookie dough
Make up and freeze batches of cookie dough and give to your baking challenged gift recipients. This would make an excellent hostess gift. See about.com for instructions. All they have to do is unthaw and wa la - cookies!

6. Make a tea cup bird feeder
For the bird lover in the family this is a really creative bird feeder. Shop your local thrift store or garage sale for a cute teacup and saucer and be sure to include a bag of birdseed with your gift. Find instructions at thiftyfun.com.

7. Grinch Poop
Under the gag gift category fill a jar with green jelly beans and label it Grinch Poop. For full instructions and other gag gift ideas see homemade-gifts-made-easy.com.

Here are some ideas of my own gift ideas that should meet with any frugal giver's pocketbook:

1. The gift of jam. Last Christmas I asked for the gift of home made blackberry jam from my pensioner mother. This gift was easy for her to give as she has an unlimited supply of blackberries on her doorstep every summer and has the skills and equipment to can. I received 6 jars of the best blackberry jam ever.

2. The gift that keeps on giving. Plants are a wonderful green gift idea. Even better, give a live herb plant that not only looks great, can contribute to the recipients pantry. Rosemary is one of my favorites and is especially easy to keep alive. Aloe vera plants are easily separated from the mother plant and a compliment to any frugal household in the healing department.

3. Dried herbs. If you are so lucky as to have a green thumb and grow herbs consider drying and giving small packets of herbs in baby jars to the cooking enthusiast in your family.

4. If you know someone who is barely making ends meet then probably they are little to no luxuries permitted on their budget. Make up a basket of small luxuries like special teas, canned oysters, special spices, bubble bath, microwave popcorn, and candles. Make sure to make it cater to the recipient's needs.

5. The gift of food and wine. If you raise beef, poultry, make sausage, fish, make wine or garden you could easily plan out your Christmas giving in the summer. I don't know of any frugal household who would not appreciate some form of groceries for Christmas.

Take out the stress and leave the credit cards at home, Christmas is not about consumerism but is about giving and sharing.

Bits and Bobs, and Freebies

A few unrelated thoughts today:
Holding strong on buying no more Christmas crap(for myself). Did some window shopping at an overpriced Greenhouse near my home that has a seasonal Christmas Store. Bought nothing there..$26.50 for one ornament!!




In the mail today:
Used paperback novel Martha Grimes - The Anodyne Necklace ordered from Amazon - free with use of amazon.ca egiftcards earned on swagbucks.com.
Current issue of Marie Claire Magazine - free with use of icoke.ca points
Bill for vehicle registration - yuck
Coupons for cheese
Coupons from save.ca
Coupons from Pampers
Free Cargo Lip gloss 30 pack - ordered from icoke.ca

Not too shabby - zero out of pocket(**with exception of the bill) and lots of goodies.




There has not been much shopping this week, I was very sick so window shopped the web.


Deal of the week: Sobeys sale for sugar $1/1kg. I bought the last three. Apparently, if sugar is stored in the appropriate dry sealed conditions it has no expiration date.









Food bank donations for tomorrow(out of pocket cost .15 for GST - all items were free with coupons)














Finally, link of the week, a very cool flicker-er who posts daily pictures of her beautiful life in France living off the land. What a beautiful photographer and a truly inspiring individual.

These Days in French Life

Buying No More Christmas Crap!

We own a lot of Christmas crap. We have inherited, bought or been given enough to decorate 3 houses worth. As I was putting away the Halloween decorations this week I realized that there is no need to spend 1 cent on decorations, wrappings, cards, ribbons or anything else other than gifts this year for Christmas.

Last year during the first week of January I found a large stash of Christmas paper at the local Rexall for .26 cents per package of four rolls. $15.99 Christmas cards for $1.99 on sale were found at Shoppers Drug Mart along with .25 cent Christmas tags. Score! As always I stocked up as never had seen lower prices.

The only problem is - I love Christmas crap! Every year the Christmas crap pile has been added to with purchase of at least one new Christmas item - not this year!

My pledge is to only decorate the house and gifts give with the existing stash. If I run low on any item I will simply get creative. It sounds easy but with loads of Christmas goodies at Homesense and Pier One calling my name a difficult task is ahead.

So, as the Christmas wreath goes on the door this year, I solemnly pledge to buy NO MORE CHRISTMAS CRAP! I shall save some money and at the same time:
1. Use up what I have
2. Recycle (definitely going through the after-Christmas wrapper trash this year to separate re-usable bows and sparklies)
3. Get creative when I run low or run out by using alternatives we already have

If you are low on Christmas items to decorate your place with this year I suggest your local thrift store - on a book run to goodwill this week many Christmas goodies spotted including four Christmas trees in very good condition, numerous decorations and holiday bobbles all at rock bottom prices. Definitely qualifies in the recycle category!

October Monthly Tally

Coupon savings in October was one of the lowest this year - just $26.11 - but that doesn't mean I didn't get any bargains.

I found great deals on vitamins (last years stock, with validation dates to 2012), 2.26/1kg instant coffee and Halloween treats on sale at Canadian tire at 80% off on October 30th - none of which I used coupons for.

Best deal of the month?

Zellers Greenworks sale 1.88 per bottle x 3 = 5.64 - $5 coupon when you buy 3 = .22 cents per bottle. Better yet, they are environmentally friendly!
Kelloggs Applejacks 1.50
Nescafe singles = free with FPC coupon

Total including tax for everything in photo $2.45

Year to date coupon savings $1154.64
September grocery bill $580.54 - goal was $450.

Please note this includes Halloween treats for 100 kids (I live in a busy neighborhood), and Thanksgiving Dinner with a 17 lb bird and pie for seven (all age 13 and up).

Hopefully November and December grocery bills are a bit lower.

Favorite deals this month? Good will purchase of Land's End sweater $4.99 and Bianca Nygard red jacket $4.99- it just screams Christmas Party, doesn't it!



Update on Hamster Marishka:
Unfortunately once our baby hamster was put under the vet realized that her lump was not removable. We woke her up without cutting into her and we will try and make sure her life is long, happy and pain free (monitoring closely). For now she is still a happy hamster, and will continue to enjoy us spoiling her (fingers and toes crossed).