Cheap Ways To ...

SERVICE-ORIENTED GIFTS

If you’re aware of a need someone has, whether it be their gutters cleaned, a babysitter, a brochure designed, offer your services as a gift. Write a thoughtful note to give to them when gifts are normally exchanged and outline your intent to provide a service to that person. Ensure it’s something the person wants done and make sure you follow through as soon as possible. Within the week if possible, or at most within the following month. It could cost you nothing except time and effort and could be so much more valuable to the recipient than a cheap gift.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Last year I gave quite a few magazine subscriptions as Christmas gifts. Each were under $15. I think it’s a great, economical gift—and works even better if you get a magazine that is especially suited for the recipient. This year I’ve already received one gift magazine subscription from my aunt. It’s for a magazine that I had heard of before but never had really checked out. I can tell I’m really going to enjoy it, so it was a perfect gift.

PERSONALIZED GIFTS

For some reason, I’m really into monogramming right now. Some of my friends and family members are getting personalized items from LLBean. To me, this is one of the easiest and best ways to personalize a gift. Mom loves the Tennessee Vols, so she’s getting a bright orange tote bag (which I found on sale for $14) from LLBean with her initials monogrammed on it (an additional $5). Always look for sale items first!

Neighborhoodies.com is a fun site that allows you to personalize apparel with colors, messages and fonts. Last year I got my husband a shirt for our anniversary with his nickname on it. Shirts start around $20, but it’s worth it if you have the perfect idea for a T-shirt, hat or hoodie.

PHOTO AND PRINTED GIFTS

Photo and printed gifts have become very popular these days—and with good reason. Since everyone can shoot like a pro with today’s cameras, it’s easier to enlarge prints and have them screened on calendars, posters and even mugs. Snapfish.com is one site to check out, but if you have a membership to a warehouse like, Costco.com, check out their offerings, as they’re likely to be cheaper.

To take this idea a step up, visit Lulu.com, a site that allows you to self-publish and print on demand any book you create. Take those photos from your trip to Europe and create a photo book that you can order a handful of copies (costs are comparable to regular books) to give as gifts. Or, if you have a collection of family recipes, compile them and have them printed.

VIDEO DOCUMENTARY

Interview the eldest member of your family about his/her life and the beginnings of your family. An oral history will be invaluable to your family for years to come. Have it burned on a DVD and make copies for your family.

THEMED GIFT BASKETS

If you have a friend who is a movie fanatic, think about a themed gift basket. Take a popcorn tub and fill it with a couple of bags of popcorn, a favorite movie (that you found in the clearance rack), seasoning salt and a book like The Film Snob’s Dictionary.

GIFT CARDS

I used to abhor the idea of gift cards. I thought they were an impersonal gift, but I’ve come to change my mind about them in recent years. They’re great as thank-you gifts, especially for a service or favor someone does for you, but they’re also great for occasions like when someone moves into a new home. They’ll be spending loads of dough at Home Depot anyway, so they can probably get more use out of a gift card than they can a cheap bottle of wine.

I have heard a good rule of etiquette about gift cards is that they should only come from a store/restaurant/etc. that the person wouldn’t normally go to (because it’s too expensive) or because the gift card could buy go toward a service (like a pedicure). I agree with this, but also see the value of getting a gift card for something more practical if its for an occasion like a baby shower, graduation or house warming. But since it’s Christmas, let the gift cards be creative if you go that route.

20 GIFTS FOR $20 OR LESS

I’m editor of a young women’s lifestyle magazine called Radiant. We recently ran a Holiday Gift Guide of 20 gifts for $20 or less. It occurs to me that many of these gifts would be appropriate to list here in my Cheap Christmas Gifts series. For a PDF view of this story, click here: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4 and Page 5.