Summer is here...which, for us, means a flurry of weddings, graduations, bridal showers, birthday parties, and baby showers. I love being invited to these fun celebrations, and I love picking out special things for the guests of honor.
However, if you have a LOT of these type of things, it can be pretty stressful on the small budget. Here are some ideas on what you can do to still show your support and joy...without breaking the bank. :)
Gifts aren't always purchased.
If you can't afford a gift, think about what you can do that is a service. This is very helpful for weddings. :) Our wedding gift for our friends getting married this weekend was my husband's design of their wedding invitations. It worked for both of us! It's also pretty common here for people to help pitch in with reception/wedding shower food in lieu of a gift.
Go together
We have a couple of ladies that often join together and buy gifts together.
Think outside the box.
Do you clip coupons and watch sales? Some of my favorite shower gifts were the most practical: cleaning supplies and kitchen supplies. At a friend's recent shower, three ladies joined funds, coupons, and sales and got her a trash can loaded with cleaning supplies. It's a fantastic gift because it can be expensive to stock a new household...but it can be very economical if done right. Another cool gift I saw a year or two ago was a basket full of spices. They can be expensive, but, if you combine coupons and sales, it's a lot cheaper.
Don't waste money on wrapping.
This is a weakness of mine, but the Dollar Tree has saved me. They have cute stuff for a fraction of the price. Another thing I've been known to do is use something practical for wrapping. For an upcoming birthday present, I chose to fill a plastic sandbucket with
little summer things and just stick a boy on the bucket. It was the same price as the bag and would bring her far more pleasure than a pretty bag. :) I also religiously reuse all gift bags.
It really is the thought that counts.
Can you make something? Do a homemade card. Create a small scrapbook with words of advice. One of my favorite wedding gifts? A $10 Starbucks card. It was a date night for us when we were broke newlyweds. What about a coupon for free babysitting? Or housesitting? Or a homecooked meal?
