I'm Dreaming of a "Centsible" Christmas.....

**forHISglory** · 11-30-2007, 12:22 PM

Hi Christmas shopping is DONE!! Actually most of it has been done for some time. I have a small closet that I call my gift closet. I fill it with items I find on the clearance racks, at yard sales, second hand stores, etc. I include stuff that I intend for certain people for birthdays or Christmas, but also more general items that would be good for showers, house warmings, hostess gifts, etc. I also put in clearance or discounted wrappings, bags, ribbons (and of course I recycle all that I can every year). I had found that running to the store at the last minute for a gift was expensive! So the gift closet came into being. Yesterday, I got out all the Christmas gifts and got half of them wrapped. You have to understand that we don't go overboard at Christmas, so if this sounds Scroogey, that's why. We just don't think the original intent of Christmas was to impress others with huge gifts. But we LOVE the idea of giving! Anyway, we have oodles of neices and nephews. I buy ornaments AFTER Christmas for a dime or so apiece, and personalize them, and those are gifts for the n and n's. Last year I found bath sets on sale after Christmas. Really nice: body wash, soap, bubble bath, loofah or sponge, scrubbies, lotion all in a nice basket and they were all shrink wrapped. Cost? $1 each. Also found Christmas themed linens (pot holders, towels, placemats) for 10c to 25c each. I'm also making personalized photo albums with albums that I found on clearance for 25c each, and I can get my digital photos processed at Walmart for a few cents each. For my parents, I'm making them a photo scrapbook and giving them McDonalds giftcards, which they consider to be such a treat. They really don't need more "stuff" around the house. And for hubby: a set of CDs that he has been wanting, plus coupons for cooking favorite meals, backrubs, and other such things. Anyway... My total for gifts this year is about $50 . And if you know anyone in my family, shhhhhhh.......

**coltsmama** · 11-30-2007, 02:44 PM

that is fantastic! I really don't believe that the price tag should matter,it's the thought behind the gift. I am really impressed over the $50 price tag .Give yourself a pat on the back .

**DAAC3DEC** · 11-30-2007, 02:49 PM

Way to go!!!!!

**mcphlips** · 12-02-2007, 06:39 PM

That is really impressive! I always want to save at the after Christmas sales, but I never find bargains that I can remember to save for..(like who) One year I tried this, and ended up with a lot of extra gifts that really didn't fit the people I needed to buy for!
Your gift closet is very impressive!