I'm on a tight budget this year for Christmas gifts for my grandchildren. Any idea what I can start buying them before Christmas comes.
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
How about the gifts of experiences! Some of my best memories are baking with my nana and my grandmother playing dolls with me.
Set up a special day with each punkin grandbaby and do something you both can do together...like dolls, baking, etc. They did special things with my brother also...I just wish I remember what it was...probably baking and playing with his toy cars.
Take lots of selfies so the can share with their parents!
If you feel you have to give a tangible item...are there things that have special meanings to you that you could pass on to them NOW and enjoy watching them enjoy them today?
Memories keepsakes are the best gifts! Have fun creating them for the holiday!
I'm not that close to my grandchildren, but I still get them gifts. But, I want to get them something that isn't that exspensive. Last year I spent almost $150 on each grandchild. I want to spend at least $50 this year
My aunt (grandmother's sister) made each of the kids (her grandchildren and my grandmother's grandchildren) a crochet blanket in our favorite colors at the time. Mine was blue and green. We all still have them (MANY, MANY, MANY years later in varying states of decay). When she gave them to us we were young and it seemed like a weird gift, but then it grew on us (at least my brother and I). I still hold that memory dear.
With coupons for the big box stores, you can get yarn for reasonable prices.
$50 is a nice sum to spend if you are going the traditional gift route. If you know their likes/interests, you could put together special custom gift baskets from dollar stores, thrift stores, etc.
For example, if they are little and still color, $50 could buy a large number of books, crayons, markers, and tablets from the dollar store. Or if they are older and girls and like hair products...hair spray, pony tail holders, a make up mirror, etc. Older boys often like cell phone gadgets, earbuds, and videos...which our Dollar General always has an abundance of those choices.
I am still a firm believer in it is the thought that counts and less is more, but that is me :)
Hopefully whatever you choose, it will create a special memory and a new bond!
We had a frugal grandfather and we really looked forward to his gifts. They were very similar year after year:
WE LOVED IT!
You do not say if your grandchildren live near by or it gifts will have to be mailed and that could make a difference in what type of gift to consider.
Hope you can work everything out so that you and your grandchildren will have a marvelous Christmas.
I shop throughout the year and especially shop at the end of each season because there are great sales!
For example: If you have a Sears nearby they always have on going promotions, like right now - if you spend $30 on select clothes, you get $30 back in points ($15 back first, then $15 back later, reference the fine print).
You could buy $30 in clothing then use $15 & $15 toward other clothes or toys, etc. Points do not roll.
Other stores like Macy's offers lots of good promotions like Spend $25, get $10 off coupon. Be on a look out for clearance/rollbacks at your local stores like Target, Walmart.
Other ideas is if you look at your local grocery stores they have some discounts on gift cards. Recently I was able to purchase $50 gift cards and have $10 toward my grocery shopping deducted, so it's like I spent $40 on the gift cards!
You can give a book of coupons. Ideas would be:
Step 1
Mani/pedi
Step 2
Day of cookie baking
Step 3
Sleepover
Step 4
Homework help
Try to get to The Dollar Tree to Purchase Good Quality Learning Books,sometimes they have even books for teenagers.
One year when money was pretty tight, my papa simply made everyone treat bags. We are all grown, so it had candy, a pot holder, and a special surprise walnut. He had hollowed out each nut and placed $20 inside, folded up. Then he closed the walnuts back up. It could have been a dollar inside and I would have been just as happy. The time that took to do for seven people touched my heart. I still have my walnut and it has been several years.
For younger kids, you could still do treat bags and add in a couple useful items like crayons or puzzles, cheaper toys, books, craft items, etc. You can find some neat and inexpensive items at Dollar Tree, Mighty Dollar, Roses, and Big Lots. Hopefully you have some of these stores in your area! Whatever you decide to give them, they'll appreciate it.
I want to say that $50 is MORE THAN ADEQUATE as a gift for a grandchild! I don't remember any relative aside from direct parents and Godmother giving me anything more substantial than that.
So saying the first hurdle of course is to know what they really like/want. Are they more sporty, musical, beauty queen, nerdy?
most kids this age really like tech and phones and such of course, and most kids have some sort of iPhone or Android. The simplest thing to do is to ask your kids what brand of phone the grandkids have and just buy accesories - a nice case, earbuds (ALWAYS welcome because they always break), a mount, chargers, maybe some cool camera accessory. These things on ebay and amazon are pretty cheap. www.amazon.com/
Speaking of Amazon, Amazon provides a 'wish list' service where most ppl actually post things they would want www.amazon.com/
you can visit that link and type in their names and see if they've listed anything, or ask your kids to ask the grandkids to start a list. Most ppl want things that only cost $10, $20, as well as higher ticket items.
another option is to ask your kids if there's any big ticket items your kid wants and just say you'll pitch in $50 to buy it and that will be your gift.
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
