One thing I never like to be frugal about is gift giving. I pride myself on being a great gift-giver because it shows people how considerate and awesome I am. When you’re working with a budget, remember that a card and a hug do not fulfill anyone’s birthday dreams. Being generous is a great quality – here are the easiest ways to give luxe gifts for less:
Services from Groupon: I have zero shame in giving a really great service I find discounted on a social couponing site as a gift to a close friend. I mean, the gift of hairless armpits? That, my friends, is the gift that keeps on giving…forever. Just print out the coupon and stick it in a card – Boom, you’ve gotten them an amazing gift, and they won’t care that you paid less. Unless they’re judgmental. In which case you need new friends.
Magazine Subscriptions: These are a great gift because magazine companies usually offer huge discounts like a whole year of Glamour or Self magazine for $12.99 (compared to $42.00). You can even go to sites like Amazon and valuemags.com to find even further discounted subscriptions. Just print out the confirmation and stick it in a card – and once a month for 12 months your friend will get a reminder in the mail of just how gosh darn thoughtful you are.
Uncommon/Personalized Gifts: You can usually spend less on a gift if it is really personal or uncommon. Like if your friend just started doing yoga, and you buy them a yoga mat and a class at a local studio – it’s so thoughtful/personal they won’t care that it was only $20 (get the mat at TJ Maxx). You can also find personalized gifts on sites like personalcreations (like a mug with their pic on it for $10 – cheesy but it could be really funny and shows that you put some time and effort into the gift). Another great sites with cool gifts worth checking out are uncommongoods (cool gifts under $25).
Great gifts equal not only warm fuzzy feelings but also guarantee that you won’t be known as that friend who gives ugly bad smelling candles. No one wants to be that friend.
