If you are like me, then you are terrible at finding the right gifts for people. Finding the right gift can not only be difficult, but it can become a bit of a nightmare if you are trying to do it while you are on a budget.
For some reason it seems like the only presents that I ever want to buy for people cost insane amounts of money. Unfortunately I don’t have a budget to match the type of gifts that I want to buy, so I have to be a little bit more creative in finding gifts for others.
Ideas on how to save money when giving gifts
- See if others are willing to pool money with you to buy an expensive present. I find that most people struggle with finding great gift ideas and so when someone actually has a good idea people generally like being given the opportunity to go in on it with you.
- Look into making your own gifts. Some people are really creative and talented and can make things which can be used as excellent gift ideas.
- Giving your time can be another great idea for those of your who cannot afford to buy a gift. I regularly run short of time and would personally love to find an extra couple of hours.
- Re-gifting is something that many people like doing. I don’t really like this idea as I feel that it is a little disrespectful of the person who bought you the gift, but if it is something that you are never going to use then it may as well be given to someone that may find use for it. Just be careful not to re-gift to the person who gave it to you in the first place.
- Look into using coupons and buy gifts when they are on sale. This can sometimes substantially reduce the cost of gifts and can leave you with far more money to use for other important things in your life.
- Take the person out for a nice meal and pay for their share. For me I really like this idea as I prefer to sit down and spend time with people rather than swapping random gifts that you may or may not enjoy.
Giveaway
OK, so if you still want to buy that really expensive item in the shops then I may be able to help you out by giving you the chance to win $100! Just follow the details in the rafflecopter widget below and you may be lucky enough to win.
Great ideas. Treating someone out for lunch or dinner is something I like to do too. It’s not too expensive and shows that you care enough to offer your time and attention. It’s also nice because you’re sharing an experience together :0)
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It is my preferred option too as I just find that it is more enjoyable than having to pretend to like a present that you secretly don’t care for.
I’d rather people give me a moment with them or take me somewhere nice than gifts I probably won’t use. good ideas!
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I’m not sure how sustainable it is, but winning gifts online (there are quite a few giveaways here in the US) can help as well. For example, we’ve won a couple of larger baby gifts that we will gift to our friends who are having babies this year. We don’t have kids and don’t plan on it for a while, so why not give them it? Plus, we technically got it for free. Win-win!
DC @ Young Adult Money recently posted..$100 Giveaway – Valentine’s Day Gift Edition
The best? Any of a million hand made cards my daughter made me when she was a little girl. The best I gave? 3 rings of the same style but different materials I gave my wife (I gave them to her on a trans-pacific flight as we celebrated our anniversary in 3 different cities- one gift for each stop on the trip home).
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Great ideas, Glen. I really like the one about taking someone out for a meal. Spending time with a person is so much more valuable than getting/receiving a gift you may never use. We do this with the kids’ friends sometimes. My oldest daughter is an avid horseback rider, so she will sometimes give an hour-long horse riding lesson for a friend’s birthday gift if the friend is really interested in that type of thing.
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My wife enjoys homemade gifts if I really put some thought into it. She is not much of a jewelry person, which works out well for me. Great tips on gifting Glen.
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Experiences truly are the best gift ever. Also, I really enjoyed that tip about pooling resources to reasonably afford a more extravagant present. A handful of us did exactly this and all chipped in to send my in-laws on a surprise train ride across country for their wedding anniversary.
Jennifer Lynn @ Broke-Ass Mommy recently posted..$100 Giveaway!! Finding your loved one the right gift at the right price.
Great tips Glen! We budget for our gifts and I really try and pay attention to what my wife likes so I can get her something she wants. That said, it’s usually time spent together that is the best gift.
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We are quite simple when it comes to gift giving for each other. We plan simple outings together and use coupons or points to redeem for fragrances, cologne etc. We enjoy making things for each other, writing poems, love letters, baking, cooking… all the simple things. For other occasions we budget all year for them so the money is available when needed.
Canadian Budget Binder recently posted..Frugal Ways To Say I Love You This Valentine’s Day
Pooling money for a gift is always a great idea unless the person organizing comes up with an amount that is too much for you, but then you feel bad NOT doing it, so it’s kind of weird. If I run out of ideas I like taking someone out to lunch. Everyone seems to enjoy that. And I only re-gift if the idem is new and never used, and only if I think the other person would really enjoy it. Gift cards are also a nice option! (depending on the relationship you have with the person). I also like a nice bottle of wine.
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I think a good meal out is a wonderful gift. I’m not above regifting either. I also save all the gift bags we get to reuse. I still have baby shower gift bags 5+ years later!
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These are all great ideas. I love regifting personally, even if it’s tacky =)
Holly@ClubThrifty recently posted..The Perfect Valentines Day Gift…and a Giveaway!
I really tend to side with giving away your time as a gift. Who wouldn’t want me to take their kids or do some work for them as opposed to getting a gift card or something similar to that.
My Money Design recently posted..Believing In Yourself After Finding Out That You Suck
Really pretty cool ideas. And whenever I try to give something as a gift I always keep in mind that the gift lasts long. Its an advice for everyone that whenever you give something to someone take a gift which he/she can use it properly.
Colley and Colley recently posted..Texas Biker Rally at Capitol
Great tips! I find that I am spending less on gifts lately, but they are more meaningful. I think a lot of us are feeling this way these days, which makes us seem less like outliers in this regard. Great post!
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The best gift that I’ve received was a gold heart locket with my two sons photo’s in it. My husband gave me this for our 10th anniversary.
I think the best gift that I’ve given, is a trip to see the Indy 500 race for my husband and one of his buddies. He was so surprised and had a fantastic time.
Great tips; happy to be co-hosting with you again!
The Happy Homeowner recently posted..Creative Valentine’s Day Gifts on a Budget….and a Giveaway!
This is such a hard question. The best gift I ever received was a recliner I guess. Is it bad that I can’t name a gift that I have given that was the best?
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A surprise ring for my 50th birthday. Best gift I ever gave was a scrapbook a friend an I spent 12 hours on for my granddaughter
Best received – a dress from my aunt when I was 7.
Best given – Euros to my son for a trip to Italy
I am not a fan of giving gifts, but it is hard to get away from that social obligation! I prefer taking them out for lunch so I can spend some quality time with them, or get them gift cards, so they can actually choose something they like. I’m terrible at coming up with ideas as well!
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The best gift I ever recieved was a trip to a spa for 3 nights with a girlfriend. My husband outdid himself
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The best gift I ever gave was a photo album and CD I created for my friends 40th birthday.
I agree! I love the idea of buying them a dinner and then spending some time with them!
debtgirl recently posted..A Scary, Sad Day
I’m pretty sentimental, so I love homemade gifts or thoughtful gifts where we can spend time together doing something memorable. I know it’s cliche, but it’s the thought that counts, right?
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best gift i’ve ever received was a laptop and the best i’ve ever given was a keurig to my mom because she really wanted it and didn’t expect that anyone was gonna buy it for her.