Affordable Christmas Gift Ideas: Festive Holidays Without Breaking the Bank – Part 2

In our first post in this series, Affordable Christmas Gift Ideas: Festive Holidays Without Breaking the Bank – Part 1, we gave you a few ideas and rules to follow to have a fantastic (and affordable) holiday season with your family.

Besides shopping for your family, you probably have a dozen or more friends that you have to get something for. Not to mention the kids’ teachers and the mailman. And $50 per friend? No way! That’s just not going to happen.

10 Fun and Affordable Gifts for Everyone

1. Are you an amateur photographer or painter? Do you have a backlog of photos from last summer’s vacation to some beautiful national parks? Blow your favorites up to a standard frame size, find a multi-pack of frames on sale, insert the photos, and you’ve just knocked several gifts off your list.
2. Another gift idea borrowed from the same theme is the custom photo calendar. Many online companies let you select photos for each month, providing an affordable gift idea that keeps on giving month after month.
3. Walking through Kohl’s when you notice a clearance table holding oven-to-table bakeware with painted Christmas scenes? The price is so cheap you can’t imagine how it made its way across the Pacific to your local store. Bake a pie, cake, bread pudding, or whatever you want. (the Betty Crocker box mix costs extra.) After it cools, wrap it nicely with a ribbon and a bow and you’ve got a holiday winner. Some bakeware even comes with pretty covers or lids.
4. It’s the thought that counts, and what says intentional and customized like a playlist? We used to burn CD’s for one another, but a Spotify or Apple Music playlist gifted to a friend communicates the same sentiment.
5. Buy a set of tea tins and fill them with bags of gourmet tea. This same idea also applies to cookie and candy tins. A set of three candy tins can be filled with jelly beans, mini Reese’s cups, and Milky Ways. While you’re at it, send a set to all of us at the Medallion Group offices!
6. How about a set of decorative insulated cups with caps and straws? Fill them with fancy wrapped chocolates or gift cards to a local coffee shop. Each chocolate-filled cup is a present on its own.
7. More and more communities are trying to get rid of those plastic bags the grocery stores used to give their customers, and get people in the routine of carrying reusable shopping bags instead. Some grocery stores sell very nice, decorative ones for a reasonable price. Take one to your favorite alternative grocery store (Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods work well), and fill the bag with interesting and unusual jams, soups, mixes, marinades, and canned food items. (This idea also works well for a housewarming party or a new baby. How many stuffed animals does your friend’s baby girl need anyway? But give the tired parents a bag full of delectables and I guarantee you will be fondly remembered.)
8. Does your friend like to take New York Times fiction bestsellers on vacation? Buy one and put a fancy bookmark inside.
9. Get a bunch of glass oil dispensers in interesting shapes and colors (shop at places like Marshall’s or T.J. Maxx for the best deals) and pour olive oil in them. Add garlic cloves and dry herbs in one and chili pepper flakes in another for a custom-made set. If your friend is an avid cook your gift is a kitchen counter reminder of how thoughtful you were. Youtube has a number of videos showing how to dry fresh herbs. You can also make your own infused liquors or vanilla extract, but that takes a little more time.
10. Put together your own spa, bath, and soap gift baskets. Target, AC Moore, and Michael’s sell all kinds of baskets. Mix and match different soaps, lotions, bath bubbles, and scrubs.

There are so many more creative gift ideas that will help you stay in budget this holiday season. Your imagination can save you money and make the gift giving experience interesting, fun, and a lot more meaningful. However, if you find yourself wishing you could give more, think about contacting a certified financial planner at Medallion so we can talk about a plan to navigate your finances!

Christmas is just a few short weeks away, so let’s get a move on!

Have a glorious holiday season. Merry Christmas!

At Medallion Financial Group, we believe financial planning is about Family. We have been helping families invest in the future since 1987 through a holistic planning approach. We recognize there are a variety of needs when it comes to retirement planning, plan rollovers, annuities, college planning, life insurance options, and investment management. It is easy to get lost in a sea of choices. Our financial advisors help with the basics and beyond to enable our clients to get the education, advice and management they need to retire with confidence.

Our focus is twofold: first and foremost, we are fiduciary advisors. We stand against any violation of laws, values, and ethics. Second, we treat our clients as part of our family, not only those who call Maryland and Georgia home, but clients across the US who have benefited from our reputation of personal service, integrity, and expertise.

We strive to exceed client’s expectations – because we have high expectations of ourselves.