Thrifty Christmas
This year with the economy being what it is and all, we’ve made some cuts to our Christmas spending. I’m making and baking more gifts than ever and I’ve also been buying gifts for our toddler from *gasp* resale shops.
So far I’ve bought a few books from the resale shop and I also found a few pieces to the wooden Thomas the Train set off Craigslist for our toddlers big gift. I’d also like to try my hand at making some of these wool critters from old wool sweaters. And seeing those, gave me some other ideas for things I may be able to sew up. With only 2 weeks left I have a feeling I may not be able to get his quilt done on time, but I’ll be setting up the sewing machine tomorrow and hopefully, can make some good progress.
Gifts for family have been a bit harder to save money on, but I do plan on making a few gifts and the rest will of course be bought on sale! (I’d tell you what I’m making, but my family read this blog!)
Most of all though, I’ve really been feeling the need to simplify our lives. It’s amazing how little a toddler actually wants to play with his toys when you take them away. Over the last month or so, I’ve weeded out over half of his toys, and he still finds enjoyment out of the things he has. Which is yet another reason I’m not going to go crazy buying him things this year. Plus, with another baby on the way we just plain ‘ol don’t have room for tons of toys!
*and don’t forget about the giveaway from Flaunt It Maternity!
It ends Sunday at midnight!
About donielle
Donielle is an amateur herbalist and natural momma to two littles (with another babe in heaven) after struggling with infertility. She has a passion for nourishing nutrition, natural living, and spreading the word on how food truly affects our health. Her blog Naturally Knocked Up focuses on fertility and reproductive health and her book on natural fertility will be available in June 2012. She also runs a local blog (Grand Rapids Natural Living) and is active the local community in order to provide the area with resources and information for natural families.
I’ve decided to quit buying for my niece/nephew. They both have more than they could ever use.
Before each gift time (birthdays, Christmas, etc) I call my sister and ask if they need anything. If she can’t come up with anything, they get a trinket to open and then she gets cash for their savings account.
Money is to hard to waste on things that won’t get used.
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We have been doing a lot of the same things this year. I think it makes the gifts more meaningful when you spend time creating something beautiful for another person.
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When my firstborn (now 26) was little, a lot of his Christmas gifts came from garage sales. In fact, I still do the thrift and garage sale thing, as long as the product is in excellent condition.
I’m making a number of my gifts this year, and most the materials are things I already have on hand. And I set a $50 limit for each kid, a lot less than usual. Hey, they all work now and can afford anything they want. My 18-year-old makes more than I do, LOL!
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