Don’t Let Holiday Gift Buying Break the Bank
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It is hard to believe it’s that time of year again. As soon as many people finish paying off credit debt from one holiday season it’s time to do it all over again. Others who believe in good old savings clubs build up their funds only to find out each year they need to add more and more because the prices of things keep going up.
A few years ago I decided enough was enough. I had to reevaluate what the holiday season really meant for me and what I wanted it to mean for my kids. I asked “is it really necessary to buy a bunch of expensive gifts for every kid in the family just to end up in debt or in a hole at the end of the year?” I remember thinking about the gifts I bought my kids once a month or so passed and realizing either the novelty wore off, they broke it, they lost it or in some cases even gave my gifts away to their friends. At that very moment, the light bulb came on. I can’t speak for others but for me the holiday season includes Christmas which for me personally is a holiday with a religious base. I wondered what it really meant for others and if they too spent time reflecting afterwards on whether their efforts and hard earned money were merely a blip on the memory screen.
Because of my discovery I devised a plan! The plan was for one gift the kids really wanted, one gift that had a religious base and a couple of small things that they needed and that was it! Fast forward to 2015….it worked. The real emphasis is still spent on time together and being creative. However, that still left the issue of family gifts. We only give kid gifts in my family, but that can be pricey too. Hence the list of 10 places to buy gifts under $10.00 . And don’t pre-judge, you’d be surprised at how nice the gifts are you an buy in these places. So here it goes…enjoy!
- Walgreens – This drug chain has a cool seasonal aisle or two that changes with every season. Everything from slippers to fuzzy blankets, small electronics and more can be found here and often for $10 or less.
- Five Below – Whoever created this store was genius! If you’ve never been, you must go! Everything is either $5 or less! I pick up little things throughout the year in case I forget a gift for a niece or nephew. Gift cards for the store go over well with kids (and adults too especially for phone accessories).
- Ollie’s Army – This is like a flea market on steroids. They have all kinds of name brand products for everyone. There’s always a coupon and lots of cool stuff in Ollie’s clearance aisles of brand new products that you’d pay probably 5x the price at a regular retailer.
- AutoZone – Yeah baby! Have you ever checked out their sale paper? When you go inside the store there are all kinds of goodies at the front of the store and I’m proud to say the men in my life have never been disappointed with the gifts.
- CVS – Yup you guessed it…another friendly chain drug store located in a neighborhood near you. Their seasonal aisle seems to change almost every week and I’ve picked up a lot of cool things in that aisle as well as in the discount bin aisle. Don’t underestimate them!
- Boscovs Department Stores – Holidays are lovely at this store. There are lots of cool things in the accessory area and small gadgets that can be bought for under $10 and if you feel generous $15 can get you something even cooler.
- Dollar Tree – I know you may think this is corny but WAIT! They have lots of picture frames and guess what….grandparents love photos! You could also purchase a bunch of them and if your kids are creative they can paint parchment paper with different designs and cut to place in the frames. They also have ones with cool sayings.
- Your house – Ummm…can we say re-gifting? No matter how many of you say it’s tacky, the odds of you NEVER receiving a gift that was re-gifted are slim. Just make sure the person you give it too wasn’t the one who gave it to you or wasn’t around when you received it last year, lol.
- Kohls – The commercials are everywhere for this department store but going inside the store is like finding a gold mind. Check for displays near the register or in the aisles in between departments
- Burlington Coat Factory – This gem is not all about coats! I just purchased cool pajamas for my son for you guessed it$10.00. And yes they were name brand in the back of the store in a bin full of hidden treasures.
Good luck and remember ….it’s not all about the gift price but the thought behind them.
Photo: TaxCredits.Net / Flickr
Nice list ….
Other then the grandkids, the adults in our home draw names and place like a $50 limit. The twist is that we all have to buy gifts from places like Savers (not for profit resale store) Everything from kitchen stuff, clothes (designer) to electronics. Amazing what you can get for $50. Gotta look at the clothes closely though and make sure there aren’t any stains and check out the electronics to make sure they work. It’s a win win … $ goes to charity and ya get a lot of good stuff for Christmas.