This year will be a frugal holiday season for many folks. Lavish spending has always bothered me. My own children have routinely come home and reported post-holiday break about the families who took a trip to Hawaii or that bought a fleet of snowmobiles or 4-wheelers for their kids- (approximate value of gifts- over $10K) (OMG). I applaud those who actually can afford those sorts of gifts. Who wouldn’t want to live like Warren Buffett? But the harsh reality is- most people couldn’t afford what they bought in years past. Even fewer can keep the fiscal pace up this holiday season.
I talked to one lady who has sworn off giving gifts altogether. This is unfortunate. In my opinion, there is something in between wild, frivolous spending and zero gifts. I’ve personally lived it. To be truly frugal but “un-scroogy” you really need prep time- which also is free, but necessary.
Here are creative ways to gift others on the free or almost free. (You’ll need time to accomplish this, so start today).
Start Stocking Freebies-Though time is limited, you can still rack up FREE items by signing up for free samples as many places as possible. Granted, some that are mailed to you might not make the holiday rush via snail mail, but others will arrive in a flash. Take a gamble and see what comes in. Additionally, as you frequent various sites, you’ll also find occasional print-out coupons that you can instantly redeem for samples at a retailer.
For example, currently Aveda is giving away trial sizes of products with a printout coupon at their salons. Build a Bear was recently offering $5 off coupons on $10 Bears. Make use of free items at CVS and Walgreens, too. Combine coupons and in-store reward bucks and walk out each week with a few free or nearly free treasures. If you have a reward credit card, such as Discover, you’ll pile the savings on (provided you are responsible in payments).
Some spots to try for freebies:
Fan “Free Samples” on Facebook and check daily for new samples. This is a great site, as it hones down the items to real freebies, not “participation required” ones. Free Samples is updated several times daily. If you have time, check their Facebook wall a couple times a day for hot items that go quickly.
Read the Sunday Flyers and pay attention to items that offer Register Rewards (Walgreens) or Extra Care Bucks (CVS). Combine these items with manufacturer’s coupons and you’ll often get free shampoo, shavers, personal care items or cleaning supplies.
Totally Free Stuff. Scan this site’s freebies- at least three times a week- BUT don’t waste time on “too good to be true” items, like $500 gift cards or $1k shopping sprees. Those require additional purchases, hours of scrolling through pages applying for other junk, etc. Stick to the listed freebies that seem legit, like samples of tea or cereal, beauty products, or coffee. Remember, any site that wants you to “participate” for free items is just an advertising gimmick. Don’t waste your money or time on these!
What do you do with all these items, once you start accumulating an arsenal of them? You can use these goodies as stocking stuffers or inventive gift baskets.
Suggestions:
Get a ton of coffee, tea, hot chocolate or other beverage samples. Add a thrift store tea cup or mug and you’ve got a snazzy gift basket. Total cost- (depending on the coffee mug/tea cup price), under $3.00.
Pick up those “buy one, get one free” makeup sales that occur every week like clockwork at drugstores or K-Mart. Use coupons on both the purchased item and the free product to get ultra bargain prices. I bought 2 Revlon nail polishes on a buy one, get one free sale- (retail normally $4.99 each) for $2.99 total with 2/ $1.00 coupons. At $1.50 each that’s a great deal- especially when I used CVS Extra Care Bucks to pay instead of cash. This meant the items were free! Use makeup purchases for girlfriends, teenagers or female relatives. You can add eye cream samples, moisturizer or other makeup products to create cheap and very original gift baskets. For extra samples, go to your local mall’s beauty counters and ask for samples of everything that isn’t nailed down.
For the men in your world create gift baskets or stocking stuffers out of shavers, shaving cream and samples of shampoo. There are weekly sales at drugstore chains like Walgreens and CVS that knock these prices down to nearly zero, when coupled with reward bucks and manufacturer’s coupons. Other guy friendly finds to look for include: Chapstick, vitamins, aftershave, lotion or candy bars.
Use spa samples, lotions, skin care, soaps, candles, etc to create a spa gift package. Glade has a plethora of coupons recently for their scented candles (most are buy one, get one free). Watch for sales at CVS or Walgreens and use your reward points to nab some for under $2.00.
Get the whole family toothbrushes and toothpaste on those same drugstore sales that abound. These make great stocking stuffers.
While these, obviously, don’t take the place of big ticket items for immediate family or friends, you’ll save a bunch for those little gifts and be able to creatively produce stocking stuffers without gouging your bank account. Christmas is for giving. Give the gift of creativity, time invested and thoughtfulness, while staying frugal, not scrooge-like!