Getting off easy this year!

**Joshin** · 11-18-2011, 02:09 AM

Looks like Christmas is costing us $50, which is good since I'm having issues with a couple of clients so income is a bit lower than usual through the first of the year. I'll share my gift list in case anyone else on a tight budget needs some inspiration.

My oldest is getting an FX lightsaber (his "big" gift-$30 on sale), handmade pj pants (repurposed an old fleece blanket), hand knit hat and scarf (made from stash), a wooden board game set w/6 games ($1.25, thrifted), 4 books (10 cents each, thrifted), and a 0-degree mummy bag ($4, thrifted).

My youngest is getting an FX lightsaber (Husband won it online through Hasbro, we received it last week!), Pj pants, hat and gloves, a new in box Sorry! sliders game ($2.00, thrifted), 4 books (10 cents each), and a kid's art easel (3.00, garage sale) -- I added a new box of crayons, markers, watercolors and paper from my back to school sales stash.

A couple of the books are for the stockings. I have a bunch of stocking stuffer Christmas candy/toy/ornament thingies I bought at the after sales last year to finish filling those out. I think I paid 10 cents a piece for them a couple of weeks after Christmas.

Hubby is getting pj pants, hat and scarf, and some homemade buckeye candy (his fave! ingredients around $2)

Nephew #1 gets handmade felt magnetic fish & a magnet fishing pole (stash and $1 for the magnet). Nephew #2 gets handmade felt food (stash)

Mom gets framed art. I found a $1 frame at the thrift store that holds 3 pictures and has a metal plaque under each. I made silhouettes of her 3 grandchildren for the frame and put their names on the corresponding plaques.

Dad gets a pocket tissue holder, made from stash and $1 for the 3-pack of travel tissues. I also made a little pocket in it for his toothpicks. He always stuffs a handful of tissues and toothpicks in his jacket pocket before leaving the house in the winter.

We'll give a couple of friends and neighbors homemade bread baskets, like we do every year. These cost almost nothing to put together. My guess is about $5 for the ingredients, since I buy all my baking supplies in bulk.

Usually I spend around $150 on Christmas, but with the contest providing one big gift and some serendipitous thrifting, this year is much better