Sentry Page Protection
Tip Store: Gifts: Gift Ideas under $10
Gifts on the Cheap
Buy Christmas and birthday gifts throughout the year, don't wait until they are due to be given. Make a list of who you need to buy for and why, how old they are etc. Keep it on a card the size of a credit card .
Walking past Kmart after Christmas I saw a specials stand being set up. I bought four women in the family their birthday gifts and Christmas gifts for this year... $4.
Yes, I paid $4 for 4 marble cheese platters, 4 large boxes of perfumed soaps, bath bombs, creams etc. Normally this would have cost a fortune but it cost me $4 ... the only difficult thing was carrying them all home.
You can get the kids stationary when the school items are being sold at the beginning of the year. ... great for stockings. Kids polo shirts are always cheap at the same time; one year I bought all the grandkids shirts for $2 apiece.
Chocolates after Easter...freeze them until you need them.
After Mother's Day there are always goodies to grab.
After Father's Day there are gifts to grab.
After Halloween also and of course after Christmas.
I spend no more than $3 per person per gift. It is easily done if you allocate for them in the budget and keep the money tucked away in your purse until you see a bargain.
If you are concerned that the gifts are cheap then tart them up with tissue paper and ribbon to make them look expensive, no one need know how much they cost you, after all it's not like you tell everyone how much you paid for every gift do you.
Contributed by L Stapleton
Walking past Kmart after Christmas I saw a specials stand being set up. I bought four women in the family their birthday gifts and Christmas gifts for this year... $4.
Yes, I paid $4 for 4 marble cheese platters, 4 large boxes of perfumed soaps, bath bombs, creams etc. Normally this would have cost a fortune but it cost me $4 ... the only difficult thing was carrying them all home.
You can get the kids stationary when the school items are being sold at the beginning of the year. ... great for stockings. Kids polo shirts are always cheap at the same time; one year I bought all the grandkids shirts for $2 apiece.
Chocolates after Easter...freeze them until you need them.
After Mother's Day there are always goodies to grab.
After Father's Day there are gifts to grab.
After Halloween also and of course after Christmas.
I spend no more than $3 per person per gift. It is easily done if you allocate for them in the budget and keep the money tucked away in your purse until you see a bargain.
If you are concerned that the gifts are cheap then tart them up with tissue paper and ribbon to make them look expensive, no one need know how much they cost you, after all it's not like you tell everyone how much you paid for every gift do you.
Contributed by L Stapleton
Great Presents for Less
Approximate $ Savings: $60 I have 6 nieces and nephews.
Their mums and I have agreed on a $20 per child limit for birthday and Christmas gifts. I start buying in the January sales for the coming year. I keep my eyes open for toy sales etc. I often come up with presents that look worth $20 that I have only paid $10 or less for. Movie money is always popular with the teenagers. If you buy them by the book of 10 it's a significant saving per ticket. I bought my nephew a book of science experiments then filled a cheap plastic box with the basic equipment. Contributed by Andrea, Stanmore, 18th April 2008
Their mums and I have agreed on a $20 per child limit for birthday and Christmas gifts. I start buying in the January sales for the coming year. I keep my eyes open for toy sales etc. I often come up with presents that look worth $20 that I have only paid $10 or less for. Movie money is always popular with the teenagers. If you buy them by the book of 10 it's a significant saving per ticket. I bought my nephew a book of science experiments then filled a cheap plastic box with the basic equipment. Contributed by Andrea, Stanmore, 18th April 2008
Twenty-two Gifts for $90!
I am also part of a large mother's group which now has 25 kids under 5. At the start of the year we draw the kids names out of a hat, and if you have two children of your own you buy for two other children however that gift is from the whole mother's group. We have a budget of $30 per child and I have 3 kids so it costs me only $90 for the year to buy gifts for the other 22 children (or $4.09 each!). There's no need to set the budget so high though, there is still plenty of decent presents $10 and under. For cheap gifts a cooking set such as an apron made from a tea towel with the initial of the child's name on it, a wooden spoon and a set of measuring cups would be well-loved by any junior chef. Crafty kids would love a collection of stickers, glue, icy pole sticks, ribbon, glitter etc available quite cheaply at $2 shops. Even the local supermarket has some great gifts ie Barbie doll's for $7 or $8 dollars, Play-doh, Matchbox cars - keep an eye out for when these items are on special :)
Contributed by Sheridan Kraus, 18th February 2012
Door to Door Bookclubs Save the Gift Budget
Approximate $ Savings: $50-$100
I'm fortunate enough to work in a government department, but my boyfriend and I are currently trying to save for our big trip which means no fortnightly lovely pay packets to depend on once we leave town. To get used to having to price everything and be more careful with our money and yet still being able to buy gifts for our friends/families while saving, we started looking for ideas, and I found it in the oddest way, at my own work. They have charity bookseller groups that sell discounted books to employees. These are brand new books, some Australian, some US/UK and all fascinating for everyone, especially the kids (I have five nieces and nephews). I have started buying these books when they take my fancy as future birthday gifts and for Christmas was able to give almost everyone a book without blowing our budget, and they all enjoyed and will treasure them. Normal RRP for these hardcover books is upwards of $25-$30 and I scored these for under $5 or $10. I also got a treat for myself with a copy of Cath's book Debt Free, Cashed Up and Laughing for only $3.95! :-) If you can avail yourself of this kind of scheme, it is a terrific way to donate to charity, put quality gifts away and keep to your budget while saving! And I don't have to go into the shopping centres!
Contributed by Jessica, Canberra, 28th January 2009
I'm fortunate enough to work in a government department, but my boyfriend and I are currently trying to save for our big trip which means no fortnightly lovely pay packets to depend on once we leave town. To get used to having to price everything and be more careful with our money and yet still being able to buy gifts for our friends/families while saving, we started looking for ideas, and I found it in the oddest way, at my own work. They have charity bookseller groups that sell discounted books to employees. These are brand new books, some Australian, some US/UK and all fascinating for everyone, especially the kids (I have five nieces and nephews). I have started buying these books when they take my fancy as future birthday gifts and for Christmas was able to give almost everyone a book without blowing our budget, and they all enjoyed and will treasure them. Normal RRP for these hardcover books is upwards of $25-$30 and I scored these for under $5 or $10. I also got a treat for myself with a copy of Cath's book Debt Free, Cashed Up and Laughing for only $3.95! :-) If you can avail yourself of this kind of scheme, it is a terrific way to donate to charity, put quality gifts away and keep to your budget while saving! And I don't have to go into the shopping centres!
Contributed by Jessica, Canberra, 28th January 2009
Gifts for Less
Approximate $ Savings: 50 - 80% of RRP
Lost as to what to get for that special gift? I haunt the stores at markdown time. When I see something that I know would delight a family member I can purchase it at a reduced price, then carefully put it in my "gifts" cupboard. I find that this way there is always a delightful gift that I know will thrill the receiver, available when I can least afford to go shopping at full price. This method ensures that I rarely have to battle the pre-Christmas crowds, at which time I am least likely to find what I want, and what is available is exceedingly expensive. My daughter and family live interstate and when I visit, I fill her cupboards with gifts bought at excellent prices for my granddaughters. When they celebrate their birthdays, Nana's gift is brought out pre-wrapped. No postage! Size and suitability guaranteed by my daughter being in store when I buy the gifts. For Christmas we fly over to visit, without suitcases filled with gifts (heavy and could be breakable) and arrive to our gifts under the tree. No last minute hassles, and money saved to boot!
Contributed by Wendy, Leopold, 30th August 2008
Lost as to what to get for that special gift? I haunt the stores at markdown time. When I see something that I know would delight a family member I can purchase it at a reduced price, then carefully put it in my "gifts" cupboard. I find that this way there is always a delightful gift that I know will thrill the receiver, available when I can least afford to go shopping at full price. This method ensures that I rarely have to battle the pre-Christmas crowds, at which time I am least likely to find what I want, and what is available is exceedingly expensive. My daughter and family live interstate and when I visit, I fill her cupboards with gifts bought at excellent prices for my granddaughters. When they celebrate their birthdays, Nana's gift is brought out pre-wrapped. No postage! Size and suitability guaranteed by my daughter being in store when I buy the gifts. For Christmas we fly over to visit, without suitcases filled with gifts (heavy and could be breakable) and arrive to our gifts under the tree. No last minute hassles, and money saved to boot!
Contributed by Wendy, Leopold, 30th August 2008
Odour Eating Soap Makes Great Gift
One of the best presents I've bought is a stainless steel soap for removing smells from your hands. All my brothers, sisters and friends got one this year. I bought the first one for $7.95 (home catalogue) the next 2 for $6.95 (homewares store) and the rest for $5.95 from a bargain shop. All identical except for the packaging. Add 70c for a small gift bag with tag attached (no wrapping required) and you have a great present that lasts forever and is really appreciated.
Contributed by Elizabeth, Leongatha, 25th July 2008
Contributed by Elizabeth, Leongatha, 25th July 2008
Great Gift for a Sick Friend
Approximate $ Savings: $20 + each time
Don't spend $30 or more dollars at the florists next time some one is hospitalised, notepaper and stamped envelopes is one of the most appreciated gifts ever ! A stamped letter gets posted quickly by almost anyone you give it to, an unstamped one gets carried around for weeks ..."until I get a stamp" In the same vein, I've found nursing home residents, and housebound elders, delighted with an assortment of greeting cards with stamped envelopes. I've bought them in sales for as little as 25c each, birthday, baby, condolence, wedding, congratulations, generic(add your own message, even had my kids make them (good rainy day project) using fronts of cards I've received glued to folded ,plain card. Pensioners love a couple of boxes of stamped Christmas cards (given early) and bought early, too ! (January sales, of course !) For many housebound people keeping in touch is a priority, and asking people to shop for them is often limited to the essentials-no one likes to ask for more help than is necessary, so these gifts have been really gratefully received on many occasions.
Contributed by Coral, Coorparoo, 1st April 2008
Don't spend $30 or more dollars at the florists next time some one is hospitalised, notepaper and stamped envelopes is one of the most appreciated gifts ever ! A stamped letter gets posted quickly by almost anyone you give it to, an unstamped one gets carried around for weeks ..."until I get a stamp" In the same vein, I've found nursing home residents, and housebound elders, delighted with an assortment of greeting cards with stamped envelopes. I've bought them in sales for as little as 25c each, birthday, baby, condolence, wedding, congratulations, generic(add your own message, even had my kids make them (good rainy day project) using fronts of cards I've received glued to folded ,plain card. Pensioners love a couple of boxes of stamped Christmas cards (given early) and bought early, too ! (January sales, of course !) For many housebound people keeping in touch is a priority, and asking people to shop for them is often limited to the essentials-no one likes to ask for more help than is necessary, so these gifts have been really gratefully received on many occasions.
Contributed by Coral, Coorparoo, 1st April 2008
Daily Dash Makes a Great Gift
Haven't got that little something for that younger teenager, girls more so? When doing the new booklist for school next year I came across A Daily Dash Diary Writing Journal. It has topics in it to fill up, simple things like what I like about myself, my favourite TV show, favourite song, the worst dream, something I will never forget etc. There are 90 pages, each with a topic on it. It was about $7.00 from www.ricgroup.com.au . I'm sure it will be useful when those teens lock themselves in their rooms because no one loves them!!
Contributed by Roslyn, Bayswater,13th December 2007
Contributed by Roslyn, Bayswater,13th December 2007
Photograph Memory Game and Gift In One
Cheap fun Christmas present for overseas relatives! Instead of sending a shop bought Christmas gift to our extended family living overseas we chose 20 nice photos of our children and family in action and ordered double prints. We got them laminated and put them in a photo box which we covered with pretty paper. Now their young children can play memory or snap to fill in their time and reinforce their memories of their aunty, uncle, and cousins here at the same time.
Contributed by Sonia, Mawson Lakes, 6th December 2007
Contributed by Sonia, Mawson Lakes, 6th December 2007
Using the Throw-out Trolleys for Gift Shopping Can Save Big Dollars
I went into my local Target store and found lots of items marked down, so I looked through them to see what was there. When I looked I found there was some good specials. I did my Christmas shopping for $27.00. When I got home I added them up. If bought at full price it would have totalled $274.93.
Contributed by Lee-Ann, Gurley, March 10th 2005
Contributed by Lee-Ann, Gurley, March 10th 2005
Personalised Wine Labels
A great gift idea is to personalise your own bottles of wine. You can use your digital camera and printer to print whatever style label you want i.e. a friend had personalised bottles of wine for guests at her wedding. You can buy cleanskin bottles - recently at BWS for $2.00 (and it was good to drink!) and add your own personalised label for whatever occasion. We're going to do some for our Son's upcoming Baptism. This would also be great for Christmas presents for relatives - with a family photo.
Contributed by Sue, Logan Village, August 25th 2006