by Ashley
Hi all!
I know some of you may be rolling your eyes after reading the title of this post (especially after I admitted to buying my boss some pricey flowers last month), but overall I’ve done really, really well with cutting down on the amount that I’ve been spending on gift giving since I started my debt reduction journey.
I now average about $15/gift, a full $10-$15 less per gift than I used to average.
I want to give one of my little tips about how I like to give gifts that the recipient will love, while saving some cash!
Whenever there’s a big gift-giving occasion on the horizon (lately I’ve had a few baby shower invites and, of course, my friend’s wedding), here’s a little trick I use. I will browse the Momma-to-be (or bride-to-be)’s gift registry, but then use those ideas to find the perfect gift somewhere else for cheaper.
Here’s an example….
One of my life-long best friends (since 10 years old!!!) is having a baby shower this month. Sadly, I won’t be able to make it as she still lives in Austin. But I want to send her something she’ll appreciate. She is registered at two places: Babies R Us and Amazon. I don’t particularly love either of those online sites. Babies R Us is pretty pricey. And although I can find deals on Amazon, I am not a Prime member (and have no interest in it whatsoever, as I don’t do a lot of online shopping), so I would have to pay an extra fee for shipping.
So what do I do?
I check out the registry and notice the types of things my bestie has registered for. I don’t zero in on one specific thing, but rather look at several of the options she has selected. Then I do a little research to find the same or similar products for less.
In this particular example, I noticed that my friend had registered for a smattering of Burt’s Bees products (to the tune of about $14.99 each at Babies R Us, not including shipping). Instead of only giving a single bottle of baby wash, I did some googling and found a lovely gift package with all of the baby basics (lotion, diaper cream, baby wash, and more) at Target for only $17.99. Plus, I have a Target card so I can get 5% off and free shipping (side note: Not sure if I’ve ever mentioned my Target card because it’s never carried a balance the whole time I’ve been blogging. But I do like to use it for this type of thing since I get free shipping. I still track any purchases like normal – gifts come out of my “other” budget – and I pay the balance in full each month).
I did find a couple Burt’s Bees gift packages cheaper (like this one on Amazon for $11.69), but I didn’t like them nearly as much. The packages were smaller, had far less product, and just weren’t packaged as nicely (and, again, the cost doesn’t include shipping, which would take the price up to being the same as the Target package).
I like using this method to find gifts for cheaper because then I know its something the recipient will use and appreciate (it’s basically the same as the things she’s registered for – just put together in a package instead of being separate bottles), and I’m able to score it at a price that works for my budget! Plus, who doesn’t like gift packages? It just looks more “put together” than receiving a single bottle of baby shampoo and its essentially the same price. Am I right or am I right?
BONUS: Buy your product through the swagbucks website to get even more bang for your buck! Why not??
What tricks do you use to save money on gift-giving???
Disclosure: There were several links provided in this post. NONE of the item links (to Target or Amazon) were affiliate links. The Swagbucks link does give me a referral bonus if you sign up, but it’s tied to points (not straight cash) and if you’re a member you can use it to refer your friends/family to earn points, too!
