Christmas Charities for Children's Gifts?

redhatterb

December 5, 20120 found this helpful

I have a hunch you are quite late to apply. Most of the charities have a cut off date of around Thanksgiving time. However, no kid needs to get more than one gift. You should be able to find some things at some of the dollar stores. Thrift stores also have lots of gently used items and some of them are even completely new.

Kids also don't need designer labels or electronic things. For small kids you can even get by with a color book and crayons, there again the crayons don't have to be a major brand. At discount stores you can get decent t-shirts for all ages for less than $10.00 each.

Another idea for other years is to start shopping right after Christmas. Set a price limit and don't go over it, if you find an item that will work for a sale price, get it and count it at the price limit. I buy one item a month and have been done with my shopping for at least four months. Everything is wrapped and under the tree, with a couple packages ready to be shipped.

I live off $700 a month retirement social security and spend $40.00 a month on each of my two daughters and $20.00 each on my four grandchildren. Then I also buy for my two sisters, and an elderly aunt and a cousin. If I find a $40.00 item on sale for $30.00 I get it and it is counted at $40.00.

Also don't your kids get gifts from grandparents, aunts and uncles. There must be some relatives that will be sending gifts. Another thought would be to speak with your pastor, if you attend church on a fairly regular basis, sometimes a pastor will take up a special, confidential offering for a needy family in the congregation.