Frugal Friday's: A Gift Box

FRUGAL FRIDAY'S

For Friday’s I would like to focus on frugal tips for the home. For this Friday I can share about keeping a gift box. When I talk about my gift box (in my case it is a green trunk) I can’t help but think of my Great-Grandma Schmidt. I remember when I was a little girl that I loved to wonder around in her “Busy Room.” The “Busy Room” had several shelves full of craft supplies, she had all of her sewing supplies in there, odds and ends, and her gift drawers. She had a collection of bags, bows, and wrapping paper. Then she had a dresser for gifts that she would pick up through the year at a good price and save back for a birthday, wedding presents, baby showers, and Christmas. It’s just another little lesson learned from a wonderful grandma!

If you have a lot of room you can have an entire dresser or closet devoted to your gifts. If you are low on space it can be a plastic container stored under your bed, in an attic, or a garage. I have had a gift trunk of my own for sometime now and it has been very helpful. I do have some items that are so large they won’t fit in the trunk and they are being stored in the garage in a large plastic tote.

As I go through the year I keep my eye out for clearance items at the stores. I have bought clothes for my sister, toys for my nephews, or gifts that would be good for baby showers and wedding presents. During the garage sale season I can find some really great deals. I found my in-laws Christmas present already, my Mom’s birthday present, my nephews and nieces birthday and Christmas presents, and gifts for my husband at a fraction of the retail price they are worth.

I do want to share a note of caution about buying things that are a fad in February but could be out of style by December. An example would be a Beanie Baby craze that could fizzle out by the time you give that gift. So think “classic” when buying your gifts. Make sure what you are buying could be something that person would want 5 or 6 months in the future. Another caution is if you have little children that know where your gift box, dresser, or trunk is; you may want to put a lock on it. My nephews know my trunk is the gift trunk. One day my nephews were found playing with puzzles out of the gift trunk! My husband brought home a lock for the gift trunk a few days later. (After peeking in it himself?)


If you plan well keeping a gift box could be a wonderful help to your pocketbook. If you have a budget in place simply create a small line item monthly for gift money. Then keep your eye out for those great deals. Your family could be very happy with gifts they are receiving that otherwise you couldn't afford give them.