tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720122887391988458.post3414523239453904817..comments2024-02-24T19:36:18.629-06:00Comments on Proverbs 31 Living: Saving Money on GiftsAbbihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01842277589160618685noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720122887391988458.post-66729827466123192762011-03-22T20:10:39.454-05:002011-03-22T20:10:39.454-05:00I came back to view what others said again...I agr...I came back to view what others said again...I agree with Amber...I am SO not a gift person...I would rather my husband take me out to a nice walk along by the water or a hike or write me a nice well thought out note...seriously...I would rather have that than a gift, any day! And that applies to friends and other family too...I would rather spend time with them or have a nice note than a gift. Bonus for them, then its free...after many years my husband whose love language is gifts is finally getting it LOL and then I am also finally getting that he LOVES gifts and so I have to think harder than I am programmed to think (I think about writing him a nice long card about how I love him!) LOLNolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09393799796909322628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720122887391988458.post-14228632767413076712011-03-21T23:21:51.384-05:002011-03-21T23:21:51.384-05:00I think the only thing that's missing is that ...I think the only thing that's missing is that gift giving (or receiving gifts) is one of the five love languages... so while the people whose main love language is not giving gifts may not need one... those who do need gifts to feel loved. <3 (But I like your ideas, because they do not always have to be new gifts!)Ambernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720122887391988458.post-20243475100126483732011-03-19T21:14:23.534-05:002011-03-19T21:14:23.534-05:00I tend to regift usually if we recieve too many gi...I tend to regift usually if we recieve too many gift cards. I feel a little sick to my stomach if we recieve too much and would rather use the cards to bless people we know who may not have recieved much. I have also regifted (I usually only regift at Christmas) when I came up a present short (ACk!). <br />I just started making my list of gifts that I will be working on this year for Christmas. I am to the point where-ugh! we and our families have too much! So, they will get a homemade gift and if they don't like it-oh well. I almost don't want to recieve store bought gifts from people because of our abundance-small homemade gifts I would love (but only get from my mom who is a wonderful knitter!).<br />As for reusing items, if they don't look tawdry-use them! I have been buying fabric and clothes to repurpose from the thrift store now and love the idea of reusing items. Of course their is always the people you know that you can't get away with doing homemade or used with and with them just buy small items. I always hope that my frugalness with these people will lead them to stop exchanging gifts with me and then I don't have to worry about them :).<br />I want to bless people with my gift giving and that is the direction I am going in now with my gifts.Rachelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03554865994584932252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720122887391988458.post-2547900998991143502011-03-19T18:49:25.294-05:002011-03-19T18:49:25.294-05:00I love the idea of gifts that are handmade. I wish...I love the idea of gifts that are handmade. I wish I had more time to do that, but now is not the season for doing much of that for me. However I am open to doing that in other seasons of life.<br /><br />I love receiving handmade things, and no, it doesn't have to be from all new stuff or anything. We often give second hand gifts in our own family, but I have yet to do that for others. For example we usually give our kids used books for gifts. I've also got them second hand games and other things. My husband did make the kids a kitchen set (a sink and stove/oven) for Christmas out of a dryer box (also used a plastic dish pan we weren't using and part of the old furnace's filter...the plastic part, it was shelf-like for the shelf under the sink. We also used duct tape. It turned out great and we are so happy with it and so are the kids.<br /><br />I don't often like the idea of regifting. This is why: because I can usually tell that is what has been done when its done for me, and then I have something that is just as unuseful to me as it was for the first person. They are regifting because it was useless for them, but its also useless for me. I think that this would only be appropriate if the gift WAS useful for the next person. I am sure there are times when it can be.Nolanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720122887391988458.post-75767277850119108502011-03-19T17:15:08.705-05:002011-03-19T17:15:08.705-05:00I make handmade gifts for the children for Christm...I make handmade gifts for the children for Christmas and birthdays. My husband and I usually do not exchange gifts. I also have given hand-made gifts (usually consumable) to friends and family, such as homemade jams and jellies. <br /><br />When my daughter gets invited to birthday parties, we also give handmade gifts. We have printed up lots of <a href="http://theprudenthomemaker.com/FrugalGifts.aspx" rel="nofollow">paper dolls</a>, made bookmarks, and made <a href="http://theprudenthomemaker.com/sewingforless.aspx" rel="nofollow">headbands</a> (my daughter made them). <br /><br />I also make baby gifts, such as embroidered bibs and burp cloths.<br /><br />I have reused clothing and sheets for fabric for gifts; I used an old pink sheet (that was given to me) which had no matching sheet as fabric to make a nightgown for one daughter as a birthday gift (we strive towards useful gifts over toys here; they have enough toys and can usually use clothing).<br /><br />I don't mind gifts of hand-me-down clothing. I have a friend who sometimes sees clothes that she knows that I would like for my girls at the thrift store and she gets them and brings them by. I think they're great gifts!The Prudent Homemakerhttp://www.theprudenthomemaker.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720122887391988458.post-51813527871463627752011-03-18T12:26:54.569-05:002011-03-18T12:26:54.569-05:00Thank you ladies for sharing your ideas and though...Thank you ladies for sharing your ideas and thoughts with me! It is helpful to me to know that others are thinking in similiar ways.Abbihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01842277589160618685noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720122887391988458.post-17229088253694974582011-03-18T11:08:06.975-05:002011-03-18T11:08:06.975-05:00This is a really great post and is definitely food...This is a really great post and is definitely food for thought. We just spent the last 4 months minimizing the excess "stuff" from our lives. It was very humbling to see all of the items that we had brought into our home with no real purpose other than to take up space. With that in mind, I am trying to use what we have on hand to make gifts. I'm also trying to make items that are useful and won't contribute to more clutter in the lives of others.<br /><br />Unfortunately we have some relatives that live a very "stuff" filled life and love it that way. Handmade gifts are ill received and I have actually found some of the items that took hours to make at their yard sale. Although it was very hurtful, I had to realize that handmade items just weren't for them. <br /><br />Some items that I have made that were greatly received are crochet scarves, little makeup bags or multi-purpose zippered bags, grocery totes, and lunch bags. Also, doll clothes for younger girls. My grandmother appreciates me coming over to clean for her and the men in our family appreciate food (of any kind). Oh, one other item was a pouch filled with handmade all occasion cards that I gave to some ladies at church. The love to send cards and can no longer find boxes with "all" occasions in them. The loved the ones I made.<br /><br />Great ideas Abbi! Thanks for the food for thought.<br />MirandaMirandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03330065273141216438noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720122887391988458.post-4196350358160737052011-03-18T09:37:55.771-05:002011-03-18T09:37:55.771-05:00forget to mention I can only sew very little and c...forget to mention I can only sew very little and can not knit or crochet, because the stuff you make is awesome!!!Becky Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02099347717228504160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720122887391988458.post-85289340986588552912011-03-18T09:37:28.060-05:002011-03-18T09:37:28.060-05:00I love to make and recieve homemade gifts. But som...I love to make and recieve homemade gifts. But sometimes th etime it takes to make stuff, doesn't equal to what gift appears, so I think I am being cheap. <br /><br />It is hard because most people I know buy gifts (and nice expensive ones at that.)<br /><br />For Christmas I made green clean kits: <br />homemade laundry soap, homemade hand soap, cut up rags for cleaning, I made scubbies from veggie bags, I also put together in a tote or bucket. <br /><br />Some people enjoyed, some people were like "oh thanks" (but I could tell they thought it was weird.)Becky Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02099347717228504160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720122887391988458.post-58282647165750459412011-03-18T09:26:53.018-05:002011-03-18T09:26:53.018-05:00I forgot to mention that I love what you did with ...I forgot to mention that I love what you did with the baby socks & onesie! :)Debrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03179975836835123468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-720122887391988458.post-23129282429192069892011-03-18T09:26:16.785-05:002011-03-18T09:26:16.785-05:00I love this post! I struggle with gifts sometimes...I love this post! I struggle with gifts sometimes, too. I really like the idea of the consumable gift - food, coffee, bath products, coloring books and crayons. I have definitely regifted but I make sure it's something I know the recipient would like & something I would go out and buy if it wasn't sitting in my gift closet.Debrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03179975836835123468noreply@blogger.com