Family Christmas Gift on a TIGHT Budget

Hi K.,
When I was a young single mom& on a tight budget I found the gift boxes of Knott's jams & jellies were great for families.All could sample & enjoy.As with gift baskets.
Good Luck,
Rev.A. Aldrich

California T-Shirts. They are not too expensive and shipping wouldn't cost that much, especially if you shrink them in a ziploc bag.

Hi I read all the others and I love the ideas But I wanted to mention charity this year.

If they are a family of 7, odds are they will be getting loads of gifts and the fact that you rotate exchanging in your family each year says that it's not about getting the gift it's about not having to buy for everyone.

So what about www.heifer.org (you buy a cow or other livestock for a family in need) it goes much deeper then that see their website.

Or any of your favorite charities breast cancer, childrens diabetes, anything that speaks to you and donate as much as you feel comfortable in your family. Then be sure to print up a beautiful letter to say that you have donated it all in their names and how in a year of financial hardship for most everyone, charity seems to be the way to spend our money

Just a thought I am in a position of really not having the funds and having a big family as well

best wishes

You can try Swiss Colony and they ship.
They have a wide variety of items.

They have items like sausages, cheeses, breakfasts etc.

swisscolony.com

I have sent the breakfast gift set to my brothers before and they loved it.

Also, if your interested I offer Mary Kay items, and I do everything from small to not so small items and I can ship and depending on where and the cost I can either take up the full cost or go 1/2's with you.

I have some posted on myspace.com/discoverthemagicofpink

Anything from $2.50 and up. There are womans and mens and I even have itty bitty lotions for the kids.

www.marykay.com/emorta

Good luck.
EO

I don't know the children's ages, but a game for the family to play together would be nice. I don't think it would be wrong to check with the mom or dad as to what games they have (or DVD's) if you decide on that). It is better to get something they can use, unless it is returnable. Another idea would be to get them a gift certificate to a special place like an ice cream pallor or a restaurant that has low priced children's menu so you can afford it and the children could get what they liked best. Just went to Macaroni grill with some children...$5.99 for the complete children's meals. If they live near an aquarium or museum you may be able to purchase tickets that can be used anytime for them (have to check on the prices).
H.

How about a family pass to something they might all enjoy. I gave my son and his family an annual pass to the Discovery Center and they have been at least half a dozen times this year, which came to mind when I read your post.

sometimes a nice box of goodies for all to eat is good, you could buy each kid a ticket to the movies, send them a box of candy to eat while they go, xmas vacation us parents scamble to find things for the kids to do, so a movie pass for the whole family would be excellent, if you buy them on line you save 35 % on the tickets.

It really depends on the age of the kids you did not mention that.. you can also go to walmart and for 2 for $ 10.00 buy some dvd's for the family, who doesn't own a dvd player. Buy the mom some nice tea put it in a nice tea cup, under ten dollars... Dad a box of see's candy.. then give the kids the dvds, should cost you about $ 35.00 plus shipping.

Happy holidays

Hi K.!

I would say definitely stick to something they can enjoy as a family. You could do a gift basket with movies & snacks, membership for a local museum, aquarium, etc... games for family game night. I don't know if you're familiar with Discovery Toys or not, but they have some really fun games that the whole family can enjoy together. You didn't mention the ages of the kids, or I'd be more specific in recommending certain games. You can take a look at:

www.discoverytoyslink.com/julieteutschman

Please let me know if I can be of any assistance! You can email me with any questions at:

____@____.com

I'd also be more than happy to meet with you in person to share some products with you. Items can be shipped directly to the recipient, and if you mention Mamasource, I will give you a discount!!

Good Luck,
J. T.

Most everyone already had my ideas I just wanted to chime in and say how much I loved some of the gifts of this nature we were given as a family. The very best of these so called inexpensive gifts we recieved were games. Ones that we played as a family that were new to us at the time were a lot of fun. The twenty questions ball, bopit, the talking globe, are so much fun we still play them. Your best bet is to try to find something that's novel this year so they don't already have it.

I can relate to your concern. I have several ideas, but realize that I'm big on memories. Giving gifts that provide lifelong memories are important to me. With that said, you may consider some of the following.

I have bought a popcorn popper and combined it with movie style candy and a gift certificate to a movie rental retailer. I've also given gift certificates for movie theaters, bowling, or miniature golfing for the whole family to enjoy. I usually combine it with a family dining establishment gift certificate for a family day/night out experience. In NY, you might research theater deals and see if you could buy the family tickets to go see a stage production for a bargain price. Many aquariums, zoos, science centers, etc. that are very appropriate for families of all ages have a one price family annual pass regardless of how small or large the family is. They are usually for a great bargain of a price. And, it would provide a year of learning and memories. I've been known to give kids each their own disposable cameras with a gift certificate for development and a photo album. It's fun to see Christmas through the eyes of a child. A family game (or a bundle of games) that everyone can enjoy is also a great idea. I love Cranium games for something different than the traditional ones. You could create a theme of family game night. There's a neat product called "Illustory" where kids can write and illustrate their own book. It is created on the pages provided in the kit, mailed to the company, and then bound into a hardback book. This would be fun for each of the kids.

There are many more ideas. Although you don't know the family well, you can come up with all sorts of things that would make their Christmas special and meaningful. I hope I helped and you're successful with finding the right gift within your budget. Good luck!

Gift Cards are Awesome! If you know some of the places they shop... go with that. If you don't get the American Express Gift cards or even American Express Gift Checks. Bonus: They all ship out in one envelope!

What about a family gift. You can choose a theme for example movie night and give them a dvd with microwave popcorn and snacks. You can probably included christmas socks, they are on sale for 1 buck at target. Or a picnic basket with snacks and an inflatable beach ball with some sun block.
Good luck!!!!

Hi
You could do ornaments for their tree. Or a board game. Something they can all do together.
Good luck

I was reading through all the ideas, and there are some good ones. I personally would stay away from DVD's, because you never know what they already have, and what they are giving their own kids that year for the holiday. I do like the idea of a fun family board game, you could include that with a family size bag of candy and nuts to munch on, for a family game night. Popcorn Factory (online) has really, delicious top quality popcorn you can have del'd to them---all diff kinds of combos. It's SO not the kind you buy in tins at Target, etc., believe me!!! You could google their address and see if a Chilis, Mimis or some family friendly restaurant is near their home and give them a gift certificate for that, also zoos, museums, etc. often have family passes that are resasonably priced (if they're a smaller zoo, etc.--the bigger ones will be too pricey). Another fun option that we've done is "cookie of the month" club. We bake 2-4 dozen really yummy cookies, wrap them up beautifully, along with a print shop made "cookie of the month" club notification. Let them know what cookie they will be receiving each month. Jan-snickerdoodles, Feb--brownie bites, March--choc chip. You get the idea. That's a fun one, but does require an on-going commitment!

Hi my name is R. and I am a Personal Publishing Consultant
for Heritage Makers...a great gift would be a storybook credit.
You could pick the size of book you want to give them, order it through me online and there is no shipping involved for you.
I send them an informative email about their gift...then they can make their own family storybook/digital scrapbook. When they're done they order online using the credit you gave them and it's shipped directly to them. Easy for you, fun for them.

Check out my website www.alove4stories.com and contact me if you like the idea.

R.- SAHM of 4, wife of a loving and supportive husband, trying to share the power of story with all I can.

my friend just told me about www.snapfish.com , where you can have real bound books of your own digital photos made and sent to you, i knew right then and there that that was what i was going to do for my family. we are on a tight budget as well, my hubby is a phd student and i am a stay at home/ part time student and mom! its not super cheap but if you get one big book for your whole family to share (if they are all in one house) then im sure they would love it! it can be made by you or made by them(i think) and it has your own photos and words!

All I can say is maybe next year you should move to drawing names...that's what our family does and it's ONLY for the kids! We, as adults, don't exchange gifts.

Christmas is for the kids anyway.

Hi K.,

I have an idea, I recently started working for Wal*Mart (as a cashier) and they have pretty reasonable stuff, like kids pants, shirts or even adult items for $2, $3 or even $5 a piece, and good quality too. So as i'm scanning items; some people spend $50 and end up getting alot for their money. Hope this helps, take care.

How about a family pack of movie tickets for a theater in their area? Or an annual membership to a local museum or aquarium?

How about a board game(s) or other family game? We just got a great game called Lasso golf which was inexpensive and provides endless hours of entertainment. You play in teams of two. Something like that would be fun and can be done on a limited budget.

Give the gift of choice. Ribbon gift collection is perfect for any budget and great for anyone on your list. You pick the album/gift card and your family pick out online what gift they want. Free shipping when you spend $75. With Ribbon gift collections everyone wins. You give the perfect gift without the hassle of long lines, trying to figure out what to give and standing in another long line to pay more money to ship oh I almost forgot either paying to have it wrapped or having to wrap it yourself. Ribbon gift collection already comes in an elegant black envelope. You really have to see these gifts. Check them out online www.lwoods.ordermygift.com or we could meet I would love to share the Ribbon gift collection with you.

Take care
D.

I'd put together gift baskets. I'd check craigslist.org and ebay to get new stuff for cheap.

I think giving a gift for the whole family is FUN! Since you don't know them very well ask them directly or someone who is close to them what they are into, what they like, something they've always wanted to try and then brainstorm. In the end since it will be for the whole family try to break it down and wrap up 7 things so each person will have a part to open or layer the wrapping so each person has to unwrap a layer. even if your son colors on paper it would be fun. Label each person's name per individual layer. That way everyone can still be involved. (of course this depends on the actual size of the gift you end up with. lol) Paper is light though so it should add a lot to shipping. Have fun!

Gift baskets are always a nice idea. You can do a family movie night and buy microwave popcorn, M&Ms, and other candies and then top it off with a gift card for Blockbuster Video (I think it's nationwide). It should be fairly inexpensive to ship. You can buy a basket from a thrift store and wrap it in cellophane with a bow.