Sabrina’s Money Matters

We all know Christmas is coming, in fact it’s just around the corner as indicated by all of the Christmas decorations going up in stores and the ramp up in circulars I’m receiving for local department stores.

Let’s say you have a large family and you find yourself perplexed about how to go about shopping for all those you are obliged to shop for….this is a dilemma I’m familiar with so today I’ve gathered tips from across the internet that can help you save a little money and still get accolades for the Christmas or Hanukkah gifts you give out this year. The first place I came to with some pretty good ideas was Wikihow, I’ve only taken a few for you here because I think a good rule of gift giving is to not give something you wouldn’t want to receive, so I’ve been careful not to include those that aren’t all that great.

Make a homemade peppermint candle.
Buy a large plain white unscented pillar candle and round peppermint candies or stick peppermint candies. Unwrap the candies. Using a hot glue gun or glue dots (found at craft stores), glue candies all around the sides of the candle. It will look like candles sold for $15 and more in catalogs and fancy stores.

Give gourmet candy apples.
Buy a bag of apples, preferably green or Red Delicious apples, as they work best for this project. Also pick up semi-sweet chocolate, wooden sticks or skewers, cellophane wrap, and the toppings of your choice (peanuts, coconut, cookies, etc.) Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler on the stove. Skewer the apples and dip into melted chocolate. Roll into a topping and allow to dry. Wrap in cellophane. You can use colored cellaphane or add a pretty bow. These are a delicious treat for your friends and family.

Here’s another tip, you can learn How To Organize a White Elephant Gift Exchange (also known as a Yankee Swap, Dirty Santa, or Pirate Gift Exchange) as well, but I’ll post a little snippet of it here for you…

A white elephant gift exchange is a lighthearted way to have fun with your friends, family or work colleagues. White elephant gifts are traditionally gifts considered extremely tacky, or that do not fit the tastes of the recipient, and that are given by a friend or close relative (such as a mother-in-law) and therefore cannot be returned or exchanged at the store without potentially offending the giver. The thought behind a white elephant gift exchange is to give everyone a chance to rid themselves of these tacky gifts–and invariably gaining a new one!

These are fun, I’ve been to a few, a little eggnog does wonders for the enjoyment of the party.

Check out the little helpful tips too:

1. A gift that has been stolen three times is considered “frozen” or “locked” and cannot be stolen a fourth time.

2. No one can steal back the gift that was just stolen from them.

3. While it is acceptable to re-gift an unwanted trinket, in practice many people end up purchasing new tacky items just for the party. The goal is to choose wacky, funny or entertaining gifts. If you’re really stumped, just pay a visit to your local dollar store.

Here are some variations on the game, for more tame crowds…

A. Many variations of these rules exist. For example, many people playing the game do not intentionally choose gag gifts. On the contrary, many set a price limit (e.g., $10) and ask that people bring gifts with broad appeal — a calendar for the upcoming year, candles, a card game, or chocolates, for example.
B. Another variation is that the next person in turn does not automatically choose an unopened gift and decide whether or not to keep it, but whether to choose a new gift or to steal one that was already opened. If they choose to steal, the person from whom they stole must make the same decision. This continues until someone chooses to open a new gift. This way, it is always a gamble when you choose to open a new gift, because you may get something no one else will want, and you’ll be stuck with it. However, this variation can move the game along faster.
C. Many families also use this to buy nice gifts such as fire pits for the back yard, artwork for the house, etc. It’s a great way to get laughs and nice things you will actually use and not save for next year’s white elephant.
D. Parents and teachers can use this variation for children’s holiday parties as a lesson in thoughtful re-use: Children bring a gently used toy, wrapped as a gift. The children may take a gift from another child, but it is not described as “stealing.” All of the children leave with a gift that is new to them, there is no money spent in the process, and children learn both the fun of giving and how not to get too attached to a particular toy they may have their eye on throughout the gift exchange.

Well those are a few great gift tips and gift giving tips that you can use to make this holiday season a little bit cheaper and a lot more fun, Christmas shouldn’t be about the money, it should be about the family. You might even start a tradition in homemade gifts!

Enjoy everyone and have a great day!

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