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The Present Box
We have hit the yearly Birthday Blast. For the next 7 months we have at least 3 birthdays every month, either for our own family or immediate extended family (you know, the cousins, favourite aunties, grannies and so forth). It is a potential budget nightmare for me, as I love all these people dearly and I want to give them beautiful and fabulous birthday presents.
It's easy to give great birthday gifts and still stay within your budget.
The best thing I've ever done is starting the present box. When I started it, about 23 years ago, it was just a shelf in the linen cupboard. Then it became a foam fruit box in our wardrobe and today it has grown to an extra large plastic storage bin on wheels that lives in my shed.
The present box has saved me hundreds of dollars over the years and it's a veritable treasure chest of birthday, new baby, going away, engagement, wedding, 21st, 18th, house-warming, Mother's Day, Father's Day and just because presents.
It is full to the brim with things I've bought on sale, at fetes and fairs or other stalls, great market finds, some genuine garage sale gems and lots and lots of other amazing gifts. For example there are three brand new Fuzzy-felt sets, bought from the market for just $2 each. I had so much fun with fuzzy-felts when I was a child and my own children have had many hours of fun with them too. These were too good a bargain to pass up.
There are beautiful stationery sets, made from handmade and stamped paper that I bought for just $1 a set from a Mother's Day stall at school. And some gorgeous silk camisoles that I bought with particular friends in mind, brand new with the tags for just $5 each from a garage sale.
Then there is all the Lego, bought on sale (those 25% off toy sales are great for this), beautiful cup, plate and saucer sets (these I've earmarked for my niece's 16th birthday. I want to make a crazy tea set up for her, a bit old fashioned I know, but I love mine now that I'm older and I hope she will too). They were only $4.95 a set at a Home closing down sale, a saving of $15.00 each.
When it's time to give a gift we go shopping in the present box. Even now they're adults, the kids always ask if they can choose a gift from the present box if they need one. It is easy for them to choose what they want to give and there is a selection of papers, cards, ribbons and bows and gift bags in the bottom of the box too.
When the kids were younger, it made those unexpected school birthday parties very easy; we always have a gift on hand, and now they're adults, it means they don't need to go to the shopping centre to go gift shopping (and before anyone comments, they pay for the gifts they "buy", they just buy them from me).
It's a very well stocked present box nowadays, but it didn't start out like that. In the beginning it only had one thing in it. I just kept adding to it when I found something that was within my price range which was $5 and under in those days (and even now, in 2021, I try to keep the cash cost of a gift down to $5). If I saw something that would make a great gift and I had the money to spare then I bought it and put it into the present box. If I could make something that was gift worthy, then I would make one or two and add them to the present box. It wasn't long before it was beautifully stocked with gifts that I was happy go give, that hadn't broken the budget and that I didn't have to stress over.
Some of the places I find gifts within my budget are:
Op shops - don't go past an op shop without having a look for gifts. Often you'll find brand new things for well within your budget.
Garage sales - good for games, toys, unwanted appliances etc.
Fetes/stalls - great for finding handmade, unique items that make lovely gifts.
Book shops - especially around EOFY and Christmas/back-to-school time they'll have amazing sales on books and for a reader a book they can hold and read is bliss.
Discount department stores - this one is a no brainer, but always check the markdowns. Yesterday I found beautiful baby clothes, up to size 2, in Best for Less for $1 a piece!
$2 Shops - great for craft items to make gifts or to use as the gift.
Newsagents & chemists - check out the gift range they have, especially after Mother's Day, Father's Day, Easter and Christmas for seasonal gifts marked down.
Supermarkets - especially the bigger supermarkets, often have gift ideas that are put on clearance after the event, usually marked down at least 50%, often up to 80% off.
Buy Swap Sell groups/sites - plenty of free items available that are ready to gift or with a little work by you can be a perfect gift.
As you are browsing all these places, keep an open mind. Often something that is the perfect gift won't be on display, screaming at you "choose me, choose me". You need to know who you're giving too, their likes and dislikes, their hobbies, their style and their lifestyle. No point giving a camp oven to someone who won't leave their highrise unit in the city, even if it was under budget and you love yours!
I use the gift tracker in my planner to track gifts I need and gifts I have given (don't want to double up!), but a list on your phone or tablet if you rely on technology will help you keep gift giving organised and on budget.
Having a present box has been one of the best habits I developed living the Cheapskates way; I heartily recommend it if you don't have the present box habit yet.
It's easy to give great birthday gifts and still stay within your budget.
The best thing I've ever done is starting the present box. When I started it, about 23 years ago, it was just a shelf in the linen cupboard. Then it became a foam fruit box in our wardrobe and today it has grown to an extra large plastic storage bin on wheels that lives in my shed.
The present box has saved me hundreds of dollars over the years and it's a veritable treasure chest of birthday, new baby, going away, engagement, wedding, 21st, 18th, house-warming, Mother's Day, Father's Day and just because presents.
It is full to the brim with things I've bought on sale, at fetes and fairs or other stalls, great market finds, some genuine garage sale gems and lots and lots of other amazing gifts. For example there are three brand new Fuzzy-felt sets, bought from the market for just $2 each. I had so much fun with fuzzy-felts when I was a child and my own children have had many hours of fun with them too. These were too good a bargain to pass up.
There are beautiful stationery sets, made from handmade and stamped paper that I bought for just $1 a set from a Mother's Day stall at school. And some gorgeous silk camisoles that I bought with particular friends in mind, brand new with the tags for just $5 each from a garage sale.
Then there is all the Lego, bought on sale (those 25% off toy sales are great for this), beautiful cup, plate and saucer sets (these I've earmarked for my niece's 16th birthday. I want to make a crazy tea set up for her, a bit old fashioned I know, but I love mine now that I'm older and I hope she will too). They were only $4.95 a set at a Home closing down sale, a saving of $15.00 each.
When it's time to give a gift we go shopping in the present box. Even now they're adults, the kids always ask if they can choose a gift from the present box if they need one. It is easy for them to choose what they want to give and there is a selection of papers, cards, ribbons and bows and gift bags in the bottom of the box too.
When the kids were younger, it made those unexpected school birthday parties very easy; we always have a gift on hand, and now they're adults, it means they don't need to go to the shopping centre to go gift shopping (and before anyone comments, they pay for the gifts they "buy", they just buy them from me).
It's a very well stocked present box nowadays, but it didn't start out like that. In the beginning it only had one thing in it. I just kept adding to it when I found something that was within my price range which was $5 and under in those days (and even now, in 2021, I try to keep the cash cost of a gift down to $5). If I saw something that would make a great gift and I had the money to spare then I bought it and put it into the present box. If I could make something that was gift worthy, then I would make one or two and add them to the present box. It wasn't long before it was beautifully stocked with gifts that I was happy go give, that hadn't broken the budget and that I didn't have to stress over.
Some of the places I find gifts within my budget are:
Op shops - don't go past an op shop without having a look for gifts. Often you'll find brand new things for well within your budget.
Garage sales - good for games, toys, unwanted appliances etc.
Fetes/stalls - great for finding handmade, unique items that make lovely gifts.
Book shops - especially around EOFY and Christmas/back-to-school time they'll have amazing sales on books and for a reader a book they can hold and read is bliss.
Discount department stores - this one is a no brainer, but always check the markdowns. Yesterday I found beautiful baby clothes, up to size 2, in Best for Less for $1 a piece!
$2 Shops - great for craft items to make gifts or to use as the gift.
Newsagents & chemists - check out the gift range they have, especially after Mother's Day, Father's Day, Easter and Christmas for seasonal gifts marked down.
Supermarkets - especially the bigger supermarkets, often have gift ideas that are put on clearance after the event, usually marked down at least 50%, often up to 80% off.
Buy Swap Sell groups/sites - plenty of free items available that are ready to gift or with a little work by you can be a perfect gift.
As you are browsing all these places, keep an open mind. Often something that is the perfect gift won't be on display, screaming at you "choose me, choose me". You need to know who you're giving too, their likes and dislikes, their hobbies, their style and their lifestyle. No point giving a camp oven to someone who won't leave their highrise unit in the city, even if it was under budget and you love yours!
I use the gift tracker in my planner to track gifts I need and gifts I have given (don't want to double up!), but a list on your phone or tablet if you rely on technology will help you keep gift giving organised and on budget.
Having a present box has been one of the best habits I developed living the Cheapskates way; I heartily recommend it if you don't have the present box habit yet.