It seems like there are so many people to buy Christmas gifts for these days that it seems impossible to save money. If you have school aged kids you need gifts for teachers and their assistants, special curriculum teachers, and bus drivers. You might even want to include office staff and lunch ladies.

If your child works with speech therapy, physical therapy, counseling, or a tutor, you might even need something special for them. My son attends his child care three times a week also so I need gifts for his teachers. Don’t forget your mailman/lady, house cleaner, friends, Bible Study group — wow the list can climb!

The good news is that you probably don’t need to actually buy something for all of these people because Christmas gifts can get expensive and add up. There are several ways you can still pass on some holiday cheer while being able to also save money.

Save Money With These Gift Ideas

Ornaments — Ornaments are cute ways to have a teacher or special person remember your child. Applesauce ornaments or salt dough ornaments are great ways to have the kids make something or put their handprint/fingerprint on something. It’s quick and easy — but leave time for drying. I also love to use cheap dollar store ornaments to accent a gift. There is a great pin on using the dollar store for Christmas decorating and gifts. I like to buy a big batch of felt ornaments for adding to packages and cookies/candies. It’s a cheap way to decorate. You can also buy ornaments after Christmas on sale for next year.

Candy/cookies — This is a great way to provide for a large group of people. You can make a batch for office staffs, small group gatherings, parties, and to divide and give to friends. Hosting a cookie exchange party is a great way to gather a variety of cookies if you want to hand some out as gifts. Also, making cookies ahead of time and freezing them helps save time around the holidays. Check out our Pinterest Christmas Cookie and Candy board for some yummy ideas! If you are looking for something different than cookies, make candies like homemade caramels or fudge.

Mixes to go –– Another great idea is to make a mix in a bottle for someone special. If you have several people to buy for, you can buy your supplies in bulk and make several mixes ahead of time and put them into canning jars. Ideas for mixes can be hot chocolate, soups, cookies, brownies, teas and coffees. If you want to be creative you can put it into clean plastic ornaments and have your child or yourself decorate the outside with colored sharpies or paint pens.

Gift cards –– You can buy small increment gift cards in bulk and give out $5 or $10 gift cards to people too. If you know they like a certain coffee, buying a mug stuffed with Hersey kisses and a gift card is simple and cute. Fast food gift cards in small amounts are a fun idea too. Some restaurants or fast food restaurants offer deals on buying in bulk or buying one and getting another amount free.

Framed photos — You can also be creative with something even more unique like having your kids paint a canvas or decorate a picture frame matte before framing a picture of them. You can buy canvases on sale for buy one get one free at times and use a coupon for something low cost for grandparents.

Christmas can be stressful when you have a lot of people to buy for, but think outside the box for cute, unique and easy-to-do ideas. Check out Mumbling Mommy’s Pinterest page for more holiday gift ideas, recipes, and step by step how tos for around the house.

How do you save money on gift giving?

Category: Saving Money

Tags: Alyssa