Don't break the bank this holiday season!

Don’t break the bank this holiday season!

With the unpredictability of today’s economy, now is not the time to go overboard on holiday gifts! Here a few sweet yet inexpensive gifts that will bring back the true meaning of the holidays... without killing your budget!!

1. Framed Photos: This is my personal favorite because it’s easy, yet very sentimental and the people who receive these really appreciate the gesture. If you caught a great moment with friends or family members show them off in frames that will suit their tastes~ You can get prints from websites like kodakgallery.com (they will ship to many local retailers like CVS) or bring your electronic files to Target or CVS to print there. Then you find inexpensive frames from places like Marshalls, TJMaxx, or Michaels (they even have pre-cut mat-board there!).

2. SWEETS: NEVER underestimate the power of the sweet tooth! This is an especially good treat for co-workers and neighbors because its a budget friendly sweet way to say you were thinking about them this season. You can find crazy deals on break and bake cookies (I live by these) at Publix or Target around the holidays. I just bought 3 packs for $6.00! You can find colorful tins or boxes at Target or even just festive plates to wrap up some goodies for those people on your list... just be careful for the ones on diets this year- you may want to do chocolate dipped fruit which is really easy as well!

3. Spirits: If you have friends on your list (as I do) that love nothing more than a bottle of wine and good conversation this is a really easy one to plan for. I actually buy wine year round when I can find a good value- NOT the normally cheep stuff. I aim to spend around $5-$8.00 and have had great luck at World Market and liquor stores- there’s one in five points that has a $5 rack all the time and they will advise you on the best picks! Then to make it festive, whenever I see wine boxes or bags on sale I snag those too... I found great buys at Michaels, Homegoods, Tuesday Morning, and Target (after season ends sales here) and always $3.00 or less. I keep these on hand at all times as well as tissue paper for any occasion that is cause for celebration!

4. Books: REALLY think hard here though... don’t go out and buy your niece the “how to survive college guide”, however, if you know someone’s interests well enough this can be a fantastic pick. For example, I have a friend who is a personal trainer and for her birthday I found the latest book from whoever and she absolutely loved it! This can be a $10-$15 gift that hits a home-run as long as you don’t get careless- I’ve seen cookbooks work especially well or travel guides. Also consider instructional language books like Spanish for friends traveling to Costa Rica... I think you get the point.

5. Scarves: Ok, this one is obviously geared more towards the ladies, but I think you will find that this makes a lovely gift for the women in your lives and you can find great prices on them nearly year round. I have found some beautiful pieces at Steinmart, Michaels, TJMaxx, and Banana Republic (on sale) all for under $20. Plus, they’ll usually have a gift box for them. This is a great accessory because you don’t have to know a person’s size and it isn’t age specific. You can find fun pink sparkly ones for the younger gals or maybe more neutral colors for someone that will wear it for work. Either way, it’s an accessory that someone can get a lot of use out of and again- not break the bank giving it!

6. Dry Mixes: If and only IF you have a great cookie recipe or something of the like (obviously I don’t because I have no idea what you would call these pre-made mixes) should you attempt this. Basically, what you do (I hear) is place all the dry ingredients for the recipe in layers in a glass jar and then attach a card with the recipe for adding the wet ingredients and baking. You might also be able to do something like beans and rice, but don’t count on me for that one... You can find the jars in some grocery stores and definitely Michaels. I’ve seen plenty of these for sale in stores already made, but I think if you have a large group to give to this would be a great choice. You can add ribbon to the jar to spice it up and voila!

7. Plants: I know what some of you are thinking... bor-ring! Well, you would be surprised at how many people would love to add to their collection or start one. The obvious for this time of year is of course the poinsettia, but don’t neglect other, equally pleasant house plants because the season will last for only so long. I really don’t know anything about plants, but if you go to Ace and ask them what is hard to kill I’m sure they’ll point you in the right direction... You can find coupons for Ace in the Mint magazines as well. And remember, ribbon will be your friend this year... you can turn nearly any normal gift in to a seasonal gift with the right accessorizing!

Well, that’s all I have for now, but I will be sure to add on if I can think of other ways to keep you out of the red this season... Enjoy!