10 frugal last minute gifts

December 13, 2012

By Sheryl Smolkin

The clock is ticking and if you haven’t finished your Christmas shopping, you may be starting to get nervous. You may also feel like you have no option but to descend on the local mall and buy something for everyone left on your list, even if you end up spending way more than you planned.

But the fact is that most of us already have way too much stuff. With a little creativity, you can give more affordable gifts that will mean more to the people who receive them. And you won’t have to fight the last minute crowds.

1. Plan an outing: Give friends and family tickets or a computer-printed “gift certificate” for an inexpensive post-holiday outing. Curious children will love a visit to the Saskatchewan Science Centre. The entrance fee is under $10 for adults and children. Toddlers get in for free. In 2013 the Globe Theatre is mounting great shows like Pride and Prejudice and The Drowsy Chaperone. Economy tickets start at $29. Every town has community sports teams that play regular games.
2. Donate to a charity: Donating to a charity in honour of a person who has everything can be a welcome gesture. If your child has been to the zoo in Saskatoon and fallen in love with one of the animals, consider the adopt-a-critter program for $25 that will get you a picture, certificate and fact sheet of your chosen animal. Of course then you might have difficulty explaining why the monkey Tarzan can’t move in.
3. Re-gift an heirloom: Do you have a locket with your children’s baby pictures? How about the china teapot your mother left you? Are you downsizing to a smaller home in the near future? Consider passingbeloved items you no longer need or have room for to friends and family who will give them new life.
4. Make something yummy: I’m not a crafty person so I won’t suggest complicated make work projects to add to your holiday stress. But a double or triple recipe of something simple like cranberry sauce or chutney will make dozens of small jars for only a few dollars. These make great gifts for neighbours, co-workers and teachers.
5. A Boxing Day IOU: Although many stores run sales through the whole month of December and Black Friday has moved north of the border, many items still cost more on December 24^th than two days later. If an item someone you know is coveting is still too expensive, give him an IOU for a Boxing Day or Boxing week shopping trip.
6. Give your time: Do you play with your smartphone when you should be playing with your children? Do elderly relatives need snow shovelled or help with grocery shopping? Give tickets or homemade gift cards that can be used to reserve a specified number of hours of your uninterrupted time.
7. Make memories: I have boxes of baby pictures that I never put into albums. And now that pictures are digital, we rarely print them. Most camera stores offer templates online or in the store so you can assemble attractive hard cover photo books to preserve your memories.
8. Popcorn and a movie:  Whether you buy gift certificates for the local Cineplex, rent a DVD or take movies out from the library, a movie and popcorn can be a welcome treat for kids of all ages.
9. Buy a book: My absolute favourite gift to give and receive is a good book. Our family always gives the short list of Giller prize books and then we re-circulate them so everyone gets a chance to read them all. The great thing about books and gift cards for books is that you can order them online and have them delivered anywhere in Canada on very short notice.
10. Your favourite recipes: My husband’s family does a potluck Chanukah dinner. Everyone loves Lil’s chiffon cake and Anne’s noodle pudding with fruit cocktail and Joel’s potato latkes. If your family has a similar tradition, why not put all the recipes together so newer family members can carry on the tradition?

These are just a few of my ideas for last minute frugal gifts. Tell us about yours by sending an email to so*********@sa*********.com. If your tip is posted, your name will be entered in a quarterly draw for a gift card.

And remember to put a dollar in the retirement savings jar for every dollar you save…….