Frugal Christmas
By CraftyCorner
@CraftyCorner (5600)
United States
December 20, 2008 1:48am CST
Christmas doesn't have to break the bank. Frugal gifts can brighten a child's life for little money. When I was a kid, frugal presents often lit my Christmas.
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My gifts from the parents (Mother, Step Mother, Father, Stepfather) tended to be practical. I often got a bicycle, (because I outgrew my old one,) or before I learned to ride a bike, some sort of plastic Big Wheel. Art supplies were often under the tree, like crayons, pens, paper, clothes sometimes. There was the occasional story-record, a vinyl record in a story book. (I'm aging myself!) A few times I got a child's vinyl record player. I do remember a Light Brite that I used long after the black paper was gone. There was other stuff, but I don't remember it. It was never overly expensive, but it fit my personality. I never had presents that were discarded a month after Christmas!
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The tree featured heavily in the Christmas celebration when I was very young. My older sister and I would play under it, and I would hang two or three Christmas balls on one hook, calling them 'Bobs'.
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Christmas taught me how to wait for things when I was young (about 6).
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Children can be 'given a smile' with little expense if you get them things they like, such as if they are into hot wheels, a few two dollar cars. Artists can be pleased by a 64 pack box of crayons and bulk paper! Bicycles can be bought second hand. Balls too can please. This is vital in today's economic climate.
4 people like this
5 responses
@happythoughts (4109)
• United States
21 Dec 08
Even if we were not in this economic mess it is still a great idea to be thrifty durring Christmas. My kids are the only grandkids on each side and we usualy end up bringing home a truck bed full of new things Christmas morning from their Grandparents. It really isnt necessary to go so overboard. Buy something that means something and it will be better then a million toys.
@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
22 Dec 08
That is definately so. My parents got gifts that matched my personality and interests, even if they didn't always cost a lot. I would only ever discard things when I literally grew out of them; such as the time I grew out of my first children's bike and crushed it under my weight.
@sunshine4 (8703)
• United States
21 Dec 08
Alot of the gifts my kids are getting this year were either free or very close to it. I earned a burger king giftcard from staying in hotels all year, so that is one of my daughters gifts. I also got a dry erase board from freecycle and it is like new. I just bought markers and wrapped it up as a gift. I found a digital picture frame free after mail in rebate along with a travel alarm clock. Then my husband donates blood and he received 2 free stuffed animals for his donations that are going to be gifts.
1 person likes this
@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
22 Dec 08
That is very commendable giving. And the gifts themselves sound really nice.
@GardenGerty (169477)
• United States
21 Dec 08
You are very right about economizing even when we are giving.
@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
22 Dec 08
When you can't think of a thing to get/make for someone, take the easy path, through their tummies with cookies, or home made popcorn balls...
@cdparazo (5765)
• Philippines
20 Dec 08
I do agree with you. I just explained to my 6-year old daughter that even at her age she could give gifts when she came to me complaining that she doesn't have anything to buy gifts for her cousins. I told her that she could recycle or give something from her things that her cousin wants. I also told her that she could make a card and color it and give them to her aunts or cousins. I told her to think of something creative and not on buying because it would be more appreciated. I thought that maybe I was too hard on her because she's only 6 years old but she did something that makes me think that she understood what I meant. She made lots of drawings and asked me to xerox or photocopy them on a nice paper so that she could make them into a card or even paste them in the cover of a cheap notebook to personalize them and then give them to her cousin to make as diaries. It's nice and I am glad that my daughter that Christmas is really giving something from ones heart and not from ones pocket.
1 person likes this
@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
22 Dec 08
The first time I ever gave a gift was when I was six as well. I had a kit which let you sew, then stuff a pillow in the shape of a little whale. I sewed and stuffed it with help from my Mother. It had a paisley pattern, but I colored it with different colored markers. It was a going away gift to my best friends who were moving to another state.
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
20 Dec 08
Hello CraftyCorner. I also think that it doesn't have to be very expensive to buy some gifts to our loved on any special holiday. It is a good idea to be frugal at festivals without wasting too much on those stuff, especially during the recession. Take care and Merry Christmas to you, my dear friend.
1 person likes this
