There may be no greater thrill during the holiday season than watching a special someone open a gift. Seeing a smiling face and hearing the joy in your loved one’s voice makes it all worthwhile. It turns out that you do not need a lot of money to create a wonderful gift-giving experience. Touching the heart of a loved one is less about spending money and more about showing how much you care.
This holiday season will be like every other for those of us working hard to stay within a tight budget. If you find yourself in that situation, don’t let it get you down. Budgeting is a good thing. In fact, a regular habit of financially fit people is to budget all personal spending.
To help with your holiday budget, here are five of the best gifts you can give without breaking the bank:
1. DIY Framed Art
What constitutes popular art has changed over the years. Believe it or not, DIY framed art is hot right now. This is art you create yourself by buying inexpensive frames and filling them with whatever takes your fancy. But of course, you will have to fill them with things that the recipient will appreciate if you’re going to give them as gifts. For your parents, a collage of photos from the entire family is a great idea. For the film lover on your shopping list, an inexpensive movie poster can be dynamic in the right kind of frame.
2. A Favorite Recipe
Perhaps one of the loved ones on your gift list has remarked in the past over a recipe you have prepared. Rather than going out and buying more stuff, why not invite that person over for some quality time and a great meal featuring the recipe. The experience will mean more to your loved one than any object you could possibly buy. Time spent is a precious gift that cannot be quantified in dollars and cents.
3. A Candy or Nut Jar
Who doesn’t love candy or nuts? Well, there may be some, but most of us appreciate one or the other. Some of us love both. The point is this: you can purchase a fairly inexpensive canning jar and fill it with your loved one’s favorite candy or nuts. It would make a perfect gift that should come in at under $10 – if you know where to buy your jar.
4. Bath Beads, Soaps, Etc.
Many of the people on our shopping lists would love nothing more than a good soak in a hot tub every now and again. There’s great news in that regard: you can buy wonderful bath beads, bath bomb gift sets and soaps very inexpensively. Buy them at your local bath boutique, pharmacy, or even big-box department store. There are a lot of choices out there. Best of all, this sort of gift will be remembered year-round.
5. Any Special Experience
Finally, people today are more apt to appreciate experiences over objects. This is where you can really do a lot with a little. What do your family members and friends like to do most? Where do they like to go? Giving experiences is more about giving of your time rather than your money.
Treat your special loved one to a favorite movie at the theater. Spend the day out window shopping. Go fishing, hiking, or museum exploring. It’s all good. The holiday season is gift-giving season. Do not let your limited budget dampen your enthusiasm. There are lots of gifts you can give that will not cost a small fortune.