Comments on: Cheerful Frugality, Without Cost

By: Amy W

Amy W — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 18:51:38 +0000

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!

By: Chief Family Officer

Chief Family Officer — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 05:10:48 +0000

Thanks for the ideas. I love the thought of you and your husband having a ball reminiscing!

By: Carol

Carol — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 00:19:41 +0000

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.

By: Jane

Jane — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 23:58:27 +0000

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.

By: Christi

Christi — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 22:03:22 +0000

Meredith, your posts are always so thoughtful. Thanks for sharing!

By: Jeana

Jeana — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 20:15:04 +0000

That would be “your” Aunt Joyce. Or more accurately, mine. Sorry.

By: Jeana

Jeana — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 20:14:31 +0000

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.

By: Carrie

Carrie — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 17:52:41 +0000

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

By: Cat

Cat — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 17:45:47 +0000

What a marvelous post! If I didn’t know better, I’d say you and Amy Dacyczyn were separated at birth.

By: RR

RR — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 17:43:04 +0000

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????