5 Ideas for Gift Giving on a Budget

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As well as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Birthdays and Christmas, your friends are going to get Engaged, Married and have Babies. All this means money coming out of your budget. We have 5 ideas for gift giving on a budget, so you will come across thoughtful and not stingy.

When you are in full-on savings mode having to fork out your hard-earned cash on a gift is hard. If you set aside $10 a week for gifts you won’t need to dip into your grocery money.

5 Ideas for Gift Giving on a Budget

1. eCards

When you aren’t seeing the person to celebrate their occasion Blue Mountain is a great online eCard service. You can send personalised animated cards by email with just a few clicks. You can schedule the cards in advance and also set reminders so you don’t forget important dates. The annual cost is only $19.99.

2. Charity Giving

With Oxfam, you can gift a goat, a chicken or a well. Each time you buy an Oxfam Gift money from your purchase goes towards projects for communities in need. As well as doing good your purchase is tax-deductible – so keep the receipts. Gifts start at $10.00.

3. Discount Dining

You can find anything from laundry detergent to Ugg Boots at Groupon; everything you never knew you needed. The best feature at Groupon is the food and drinks section. You can purchase a voucher and shout your BFF to a meal on their birthday at a fraction of the usual restaurant prices.

4. Photobook

A Photobook is a great way to celebrate a significant birthday. Online services like SnapFish will print your photos on anything from a coaster to a key ring or a traditional photo album. It’s a great memory keeper.

5. Baking

Christmas is the perfect time to get baking in the kitchen. Make a big batch of Rum Balls, wrap five in some cellophane and a bit of ribbon and a voila – gifts for everyone! And better still – Rum Balls will keep in the freezer for up to two months – so you can start preparing in October!

Engagements, Weddings and Christenings

In addition to these 5 ideas for gift giving on a budget – here are some tips on what to do for big life events.

Engagement Parties

Good news, you are not obliged to buy an engagement present, regardless of how elaborate the party or if there is a registry. A nice card of congratulations and a thoughtful message letting them know how happy you are that you can share this time with them is all you need. Don’t forget to congratulate them in person as well.

Weddings

When it comes to big events like Weddings try and pool your money together with others when buying a gift.

As soon as the invitation arrives – start to increase your gift budget. The average amount to spend on a wedding gift is around $100 per guest or $150 per couple, more if you are close to the couple. Anything less than $50 is not very considerate. Remember to factor in the cost of wrapping paper and the card.

When it comes to Weddings, also factor in the following expenses:

• Is there a Bucks or Hen’s night?
• Will you need to buy a new outfit?
• What will you do between the ceremony and reception?
• Will you get an Uber to and from the ceremony, reception and home?

Remember – if you can’t attend the Wedding – you are not obliged to send a gift. Make sure you RSVP before the due date. No exceptions.

Christenings

You don’t need to spend up big for a Christening. You can give cash for a Christening, which can be put towards the baby’s future or buy a small gift like a rattle or a set of bibs. If you aim for around $25 – $50 you should be on the safe side. If the Christening is for a co-worker a nappy service from the office might be the way to go.