Wrapping for Less

I'm pleased that this post has been included as an Editor's Pick in the Festival of Frugality #158 hosted by The Well Run Dry. I like the Well's philosophy of simplifying, so have a look once you've messed around here. And please subscribe to my RSS feed if you'd like to read more.

Photo by vespar avenue

It's officially time to start wrapping.

I have three suggestions to keep the cost down:

1. Gift Bags

You saved them from last year, didn't you? Wrap a label around the handles so you can easily remove it for next year. Bags are pretty, easy to store, and will last a really long time. Whatever you do, don't buy them individually. They can cost as much as a frugal gift. You can get good deals on multi-packs at the warehouse stores.

2. Artwork

Face it, if you're a parent, you have too much carp, er, I mean, artwork, that comes home from preschool, school, art class, scouts, and other kid endeavors.

Can't bear to throw it away? Find a big box, throw it in. Now come gift-giving season you have the perfect personalized paper. No cost. No loss. Perfect.

3. Brown Paper

No kids? I got this one from a decluttering TV show. Wrap everything in plain brown wrapping paper (the kind you use for Post Office packages.) Splurge on pretty ribbons and bows. (Or for the truly tight, repurpose the ribbons and bows from last year's presents.) This also solves the problem of where to put all the paper in the off season--there isn't much, and you can use it all year.

Wrap on...

Gift List: Solved

Photo by Beatrice Murch

I found an unbelievable bargain for my Christmas shopping. Restaurant.com sells gift certificates at an enormous discount. I mean $3 for a $10 gift card, $10 for a $25 gift card, and $30 for a $75 gift card.

This is the perfect gift for people who are far away and have too much stuff. You can enter their zip code and choose a restaurant near them. And most are independent, not chains. I found a bunch of restaurants I know and like.

Be aware, though that there may be some restrictions on the gift cards. Like it may require an additional purchase, or it may not be valid on weekends. In these cases it's more like a coupon. Still, in these days when fewer people are eating out on their own dime, it's nice to have the cost of a nice meal subsidized.

But wait, there's more. If you shop through (which is a good idea anyway) you can stash 15% of the cost in your college savings account.

Even if you don't have kids of your own, you can designate Upromise savings for some other kid you know.

Win, win, win.

The Yankee Swap

We'll be exchanging gifts at my new office's holiday luncheon. I suggested we have a Yankee Swap instead of a normal gift exchange, because I had heard that they are fun, but had never experienced one.

For non-Yankees, my understanding is it goes like this. Everybody brings a gift. There is a spending limit--in my case $10. Everyone picks a number out of a bag. Number 1 picks any gift from the pile. Number 2 has a choice of picking a gift from the pile or taking Number 1's gift. Number 3 can take Number 1's gift, Number 2's gift, or a gift from the pile. The last person can choose any gift. Some people play that the 1st person gets another chance at the end.

So much question is this--what's the best $10 gift you ever got? What's the best Yankee Swap you ever got? I'm anxiously awaiting your input.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Top 5 Secret Santa Sites to Give Back and Save Money