It’s crunch time people! For those exchanging gifts this season, we got you covered. Today we are talking about some free, or at least frugal, gift ideas! From quick and easy, to thoughtful and genuine; you can engage in this season of giving without sacrificing your budget.
Sponsors:
- Cook Smarts: It’s a meal planning service that provides recipes, instructions, weekend prep options, and a shopping list for 4 meals per week.
- You can start with 3 free weeks of meal plans if you sign up at frugalfriendspodcast.com/cs
- AND use promo code: frugal for 25% off your purchase!
- Saying ‘Yes’ – we’ve already heard about the benefits of saying ‘no’ – but what about saying ‘yes’? It’s a great answer to give when someone invites you over, or offers you a doughnut. It’s also great to say ‘yes’ to budgeting and saving money. If you’re sure you don’t want to say ‘no’, then say ‘yes’!! But definitely don’t say ‘maybe’. Saying ‘yes’ – the next best thing to saying ‘no’.
Notable Notes:
- This article from the Penny Hoarder goes above and beyond and offers 100 free gift ideas! While that’s way more suggestions than what we need, there are some real decent recommendations!
What Jen and Jill have to say:
- We love tip #1 – make bread! This can be fancy for very cheap or free – think fruit breads OR other types!
- Regifting! We’re not above it!
- #37 – give a month of letters – what a great idea for showing someone value!
- Check out local buy nothing group, craigslist free, etc. for items people in your life might like
- #8 – give a personalized recipe book – gather your favorite recipes and give them as a gift – great idea for all those cooks out there with people always asking for recipes!
- #22 – passing along ‘heirlooms’; and other things lying around the house – this can be very meaningful (if you are willing to part with these items!)
- #28-35 – gifts that honor memories; think family tree, videos, framed pictures, etc.
- #60 amazon trade in
- Give the gift of labor (house cleaning, car wash, etc.)
- DIY some gifts, check out CraftGawker for inspiration!
More from the Internet:
- This article from Oprah gives another perspective on the whole idea of gift giving. A family shares about their experience in deciding to have a ‘gift-free’ Christmas and what they realized in the processed. It’s certainly something worth considering – many reasons!
More from Jen and Jill:
- We love this idea, but it is worth considering whether other members of your family will be on board. For those who really enjoy gift exchanging – let them have their fun!
- Consider investing in time spent with one another rather than gifts that may or may not get thrown away.
BILL OF THE WEEK
- If you want to submit your bill of the week visit frugalfriendspodcast.com/bill to leave us a bill
From the Community – Our Favorite Presents!
- Katie Marie’s mom made the 12 meals of Christmas – which entailed a whole bunch of freezer meals!
- Emerald HAD A BABY – what better present exists??
- Jen’s favorite gift was a thoughtful present from Travis
- Jill’s favorite gift a scavenger hunt of presents from her husband. It was more about the fun and the time spent than the actual presents!
Frugal Friends Book Club: It’s December! We’ve begun reading the “The Millionaire Next Door” by Thomas J. Stanley & William D. Danko! – head over to our Frugal Friends Community to join the discussion!
- AND We are still giving away 1 book for every 5 reviews we get this month! You can still get a free copy of this month’s book!
- To enter; leave us a review on your podcast listening device (not just Itunes), screenshot the review, and email it to frugalfriendspodcast@gmail.com
- We’ll select the winners for this book at the end of the month
Thank you so much for hanging out with us today! hit the subscribe button wherever you’re listening to this and we’ll come at you every Friday with more frugal goodness. Until next week!
