Saving Money on Gifts

It’s time for those after Christmas sales again! Now is the time to buy those Christmas cards, wrapping paper, ornaments, and any other Christmas decoration you can think of for anywhere from 50% to 75% off.  Here’s your opportunity to buy some of next year’s Christmas gifts too. Take advantage of the deals when they are out there. Buying smart when they are at a major discount is a great idea. Nobody has to know when you bought their Christmas gift. Being smart with your money and saving in the process shows you care. Being a smart shopper is the main idea.

Now is a great time to buy candy cheap. I use this opportunity to stock up for gifts for Birthday parties. Every child goes home with a little candy bag as a thank you gift for attending my child’s birthday party. Most candy is marked down to 50% to 75% off. I also pick up little-stuffed animals and ornaments these are great to put into their little gift bags. Buying this after Christmas saves me a bundle on gift bags.

Talking about birthday gifts, I have a great idea that will not cost a lot of money. When we were first married, money was tight and my husband did not know what to get me for my birthday, so this is what he did. He gave me the one present I still have to this day and all it cost was the price of a Walmart picture frame. Every day I read and look at the poem he wrote for me. This poem makes me cry. This gift came from the heart. He thought I wouldn’t like it, but this gift I will cherish for the rest of my life. He wrote me this poem right after our first child was born, and that was 22 years ago and I still have it on my dresser. Making something or writing something will have a lot more meaning than any expensive gift you could ever receive. Here is the poem my husband wrote to me.

The Feather

The sound of a feather

Falling to the ground

I know that I never

will feel that by chains I am bound

From the beginning, when sadness was strong

Cupid pierced my heart with a lance

and in the distance, I heard a song

and I asked you to dance.

You were alone, still, you were scared

Then you let me in

And better we fared.

And now we will never feel all alone

Because our love every day grows,

Yes, your love for me shone

A light in your face glows.

Every morning I awake

Every morning I know

I get up for your sake

for my love for you will every day grow.

So now like a feather floating high in the sky

I want to spend every day with you

Till the day I die.

My mother made each of her 4 children homemade quilts one year, and to this day I still use my quilt. I received this quilt when I was 16 years old, and I am now over 50 years old and still use this quilt during the winter months.

My grandmother knitted blankets and gave all her 20 some grandchildren one for their wedding. This homemade blanket still sits on the back of my couch to this day.

We have been married for 28 years now.  Personalized gifts mean so much more and can save you a bundle of money. Think before you spend. Watch for the after season sales and save big time. Check out thrift shops and you can really find some really nice stuff at a fraction of the price. Now is the time to be thinking about next year’s Christmas shopping if you are a thrifty shopper and want to save money. Don’t let your credit card debt scare you, be a smart shopper and save now for next year.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and have a safe and Happy New Year from Suzie Homemaker.