Budget Gifts Just Need a Little Imagination

Finding the right gift for someone can be difficult under the best of circumstances but when there is little or no money to spare, it can be sheer agony. Try substituting thoughtfulness and add a bit of creativity for the cost. You may find that yours is the only gift remembered.

I'll be adding to this category from time to time so check back in. For now, here are a couple of ideas:

THE 50 CENT GIFT BASKET
I recently bought some multi- packs of the new light bulbs, (the cheapest I could find) and noticed that each bulb came in its own little unmarked box. What a discovery! I knew they would come in handy some day.

The apple mugs were $.25 each at a yard sale and the little basket was free. I took a picture of the apple on a mug and printed it out for a homemade card, the label on the Spiced Cider Mix (in the light bulb box) and the tag on the candle (left over from last Christmas). I will need to buy some cinnamon sticks but for the purpose of getting a photo to you, I just grabbed some twigs from the woods and tied them together with raffia.

The finished basket will make a nice gift for an autumn birthday, a mother whose child is headed off to school for the first time or someone who is under the weather. The mugs could also be given individually as teacher gifts, filled with cinnamon candies, and wrapped in cellophane gathered at the top and tied with a red bow.

The Gardener's Pot is a breeze to put together, a little more costly but a thoughtful gift when visiting over the summer. The pot was $.50 new at a yard sale. The spiral bound book is blank inside for a gardener's notes. Hand tools and garden gloves are extremely inexpensive as are a few packets of seeds. The little spray bottle contains Listerine with a handmade tag that explains its use a mosquito repellent and the card is made using one of my old photographs. Everything is coordinated in the recipient's favorite color - blue.

Remember that a gift is always more memorable, appreciated and special when it reveals that you actually KNOW something about the recipient - a favorite color, activity, struggle, leisure, flavor, etc. So, make your gift giving lists now and keep your favorite people in mind, looking for ideas as you go through your days, read magazines, watch television and roam the aisles of stores. And visit here often for more ideas.