Discount Gift Ideas

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• For gift bags, I bought ones that were brightly colored but not holiday specific so I could use them for other occasions like birthdays, too. The tissue paper I bought this year is just plain white so it can be used for any occasion or craft project.
  
  
• I buy most of my birthday and Christmas gifts for the year right at the after Christmas sales from the prior year. I also get my Christmas cards, gift tags, wrapping paper, etc. at this time. This year I bought my Christmas cards, wrapping paper, tissue paper, some gifts and gift bags for this year at last year's Walgreen's 75% after Christmas sales. I spent $70 on items that would normally have cost four times that, or $280.
  
  
• For Christmas cards I have started getting boxes with assorted selections. When we used to buy boxes of cards that that were all one design, we would throw away the ones we didn't use in a given year and then get a new design for the next year. With the assorted designs we can send fresh card to friends and family each year since each box of cards has multiple designs.
  
  
• I also get most of the birthday presents for the year for my children's friends at the after Christmas toy sales. Although it is tapering off a bit now as my kids are getting older, some years they would get invited to about 40 birthday parties a year between them. At $20 a present, this added up to about $800 a year - a significant budget item if I didn't plan in advance and buy gifts on sale. By buying the toys at half price or less, I can save $400 a year on birthday presents.
  
  
• You can save time an gas money by doing your shopping either online or by mail. We have many catalogs with gift ideas that you can request by mail.
  
  
• Some of our friends have started making their own Christmas cards using their PC. One family always has a cute poem about their year along with some family pictures printed on holiday paper.
  
  
• For young children's birthday gifts I used to just get a gift tag for the present and skip the card. There is little point in spending a lot of money for an expensive birthday card for a child who can't even read yet!
  

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