Cheerful Frugality, Without Cost
One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies. Pennies saved one and two at a time by bulldozing the grocer and the vegetable man and the butcher until one's cheeks burned with the silent imputation of parsimony that such close dealing implied. Three times Della counted it. One dollar and eighty- seven cents. And the next day would be Christmas. --The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
I knew I'd begun to stray from our frugal roots when I recommended nuts as the perfect man-gift. As an affordable luxury, yes; as a rock bottom, are-we-going-to-make-it-this-month idea, no.
Today I'd like to revisit the ghost of Christmas past. Just what did we do in the days when hot dogs were our daily fare? My husband and I have had the best time reminiscing and recharging our frugal spirit tonight.
Let me share some of our favorite FREE Christmas gift suggestions with you:
1. Putting the family cookbook online:
This Christmas Eve I'll bring a full basket to our family gathering. Instead of bags of treats, I'll hand out recipe cards with one short line--the web address for our online family cookbook. And I don't even have to print out a page!
Though we've talked about this for a while, at Thanksgiving I realized that I was tech-savvy enough to do it myself, using a free hosting service like Blogger. I'm letting category labels do the sorting; later the top post will become a master list with links to individual recipes.
The best part? As family members submit recipes and comments, the online cookbook becomes a year round conversation. How's that for a family gathering?
2. Preserving photographs:
Saving family photos is a gift without cost--or compare. Provided you have access to a computer and scanner, digitizing the family albums can cost as little as the time you spend uploading them. Let family members order a CD of their favorites directly from Snapfish. Design a Powerpoint slide show to send via email.
No shipping required for out-of-town family. Relatives close by? Hand them the web address taped to an individual packet of Kleenex. They'll need it.
3. Detailing the car:
While I get teary over black-and-white snapshots, my husband chokes up at the sight of a dust-free dash. (Honestly, he'd be satisfied with a vacuumed floorboard.) A professional cleaning costs $25 and up, making this a valuable gift when you DIY for someone you love.
We agree on one thing: arrange to borrow the car instead of just leaving a homemade gift certificate. Half the impact is in the surprise. Fun way to explain why the windows were fogged up in the driveway Christmas Eve? Make your own pine-scented air freshener to hang front and center on the tree..
4. Shine some shoes:
Little elves can steal away a week's worth of shoes and polish them in the wee hours of the night. Leave them lined up and gleaming in front of the fireplace. My husband is so enthusiastic about freshly polished shoes that I'm afraid he'll be disappointed if the shoe elves don't visit him this year.
Make this gift smell even sweeter with shoe sachets. Tie cedar shavings or spruce needles in squares of fabric and tuck them in each toe.
5. Chopping wood, carrying water.
A rick of firewood costs over $50 plus tip. That can make your neighborhood's fallen tree a warm and generous gift, if you have the time to split and deliver. Live in an urban area? Find a mill that gives its kiln-dried scraps to the public.
Small children can collect dry twigs, which can be tied with twine for kindling. Who could resist a bundle wrapped in your child's illustration of the classic folktale about the strength of family?
Staying Cheerful With $0 Gift Budget:
Make the most of your natural resources. Chances are, what's commonplace to you may be exotic and desirable to others. Live in a piney woods? Present out-of-towners with a basket of giant pinecones. The roadside verbena we gathered in Alabama made a gorgeous potted plant when we returned home. Our Miami relatives sent us starfruit and avocados that they would normally leave to rot.
Likewise, your natural talents may be more in demand than you realize, especially if you're part of the younger generation. My mom's favorite gifts have been when I replaced her smoke detector batteries and figured out how to set up a new phone and voicemail. Older folks crave the conversation, which to you, may be free on cell phone nights and weekends.
Above all, be proud of your offering, however humble it may seem. When a gift is well-matched and from the heart, no price tag is required.
Think back to your leanest time--be it yesterday or years ago. What did you give in the spirit of cheerful frugality? How was it received?
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13 Responses to “Cheerful Frugality, Without Cost”
December 3rd, 2007 at 7:32 am
Last week my best friend had her fourth child so for Christmas (and birthday – we share a birthday on New Year’s Eve!) I’m giving her a gift certificates for six months of meals – one meal per month as she is adjusting to her new family. And, I’m going to try and make the meal large enough that if she can’t get two full meals out of it, there is at least a meal and a good supply of leftovers.
December 3rd, 2007 at 8:26 am
[...] 3, 2007 by adecoratedlife Meredith has a great post over at Frugal Hacks today. I love her thoughts! And the most profound one was her last parting [...]
December 3rd, 2007 at 10:51 am
I really appreciate the idea of an online family cookbook. I can’t wait to get started!
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:43 am
Great ideas! I especially like the borrow the car, then detail it idea, making the surprise part of the present.
Hate those Gifts of the Magi people–what were they thinking????
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:45 am
What a marvelous post! If I didn’t know better, I’d say you and Amy Dacyczyn were separated at birth.
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:52 am
Your idea of nuts as a gift has stuck with me since your original post a couple of months back. We have several pecans trees in out yard and with a little work they are well on there way to make several gifts. The only cost involved is seasonings and thrifted tins to put them in. I hope all our friends and family enjoy…
Spiced Glazed Pecans
Savory Pecans
Habenaro Hot Pecans (especially for my brother)
Thanks for all the great ideas
Carrie
December 3rd, 2007 at 2:14 pm
Nuts are a GREAT frugal gift if, say, you Aunt Joyce gave you a huge bag of pecans from her farm and then your brother left a big bag of assorted nuts at Thanksgiving and you and your kids have been cracking and freezing them for weeks now, in preparation for roasting. I’m just saying.
December 3rd, 2007 at 2:15 pm
That would be “your” Aunt Joyce. Or more accurately, mine. Sorry.
December 3rd, 2007 at 4:03 pm
Meredith, your posts are always so thoughtful. Thanks for sharing!
December 3rd, 2007 at 5:58 pm
Great list! Love the reassurance that simple is perfectly fine! The best gift that cost almost no money was a letter. I wrote to each of my grandparents letting them know in detail how the little things they had done for me over the years shaped the person I had grown into.
A well thought out letter is priceless.
December 3rd, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Long ago and far away, I was a single parent.
No money that year for a Christmas tree, BUT I had a corn plant and white paper and by gosh we decorated that little plant and had our selves a Merry Little Christmas. Twenty-six years later, that is the Christmas my son and I ALWAYS talk about.
Celebrate the REA-”SON” not the season.
December 3rd, 2007 at 11:10 pm
Thanks for the ideas. I love the thought of you and your husband having a ball reminiscing!
December 5th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
Certificates of time are always great as long as we stick with it and DO IT! I find it best to give a gift certificate that they can use pretty soon and then follow up by setting up a date to use it and such. Great Certificates: babysitting, car wash (and detailing!), coffee and a chat (for a great friend), breakfast delivered, dinner and a movie (set up a time for friends to come over and enjoy a new DVD with you and have dinner together too!).
Like I said- certificates of time are great but it takes more time on your part to follow through- What I’ve learned: don’t give a gift certifcate for a car wash at Christmas if you won’t be washing the car until April! Give a gift of time that can be “cashed in” within 1-3 weeks.
Love your perspective Meredith!
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