Gift Buying: 102

I haven't had much time on my hands lately to update my blog. I'm substitute teaching at the school where I'm student teaching and it is really exhausting! I did however get the chance to put together a few ideas to continue my previous post on gift buying. Since spring is here, that means lots of bridal and baby showers! It means mothers' day and people moving into new apartments and houses! We all need some gifts to give, yet don't want to spend a lot of money! Here's how to do it:

I first want to mention a few amazing deals I've found over the past few weeks at Wal-Mart. My youngest sister-in-law is in middle school and LOVES High School Musical. I always keep an eye out for the merchandise to go on sale because it can be so expensive. If you know a pre-teen or teen who loves High School Musical or Hannah Montana, then you need to take a quick trip to your nearest Wal-Mart! Here are some things that I found that I intend to give for Christmas:
-HSM winter hat and glove set $1
-2 HSM keychains that play music $2
-HSM hairbands $1
-HSM sleeping bag $5 (it lights up too!)
**I can't believe I found all this stuff for under $10!! Everything was so cheap, but she's going to love it!

Wal-Mart also had other merchandize marked way down. Here are some things I got for my nieces, nephews, ect:
-Dora the Explorer umbrella $1
-Winnie the Pooh light-up pens .10/ea
-Tinkerbell sleeping bag $5 (also lights up!)
-Ironman fleece blanket $5 (also lights up!)
-Scarf and glove set .50 (This will make a great women's Christmas exchange gift)
-Black cashmere scarf .50
**Like I mentioned before, you should shop ALL YEAR LONG for Christmas and birthdays. It really pays off in the long run! Now I can be stress free because half of my shopping is done and I spent about $5 for each of them, getting them amazing gifts!

Since I can often get sprays, candles and plug-ins for little to nothing, I stock up on them in common fragrance scents. This way I can put them all together for a nice gift that still looks expensive! I also like to specialize them with something else meaningful, like a journal, book or piece of jewelry. This means that I'm only really paying for the specialized gift since everything else was free. I usually spend $5 or less on something like this. Here are some gift ideas that I came up with from things I already have stocked in my closet!

House warming/bridal shower/gift exchange:
-Hawaiian Breeze room spray- .50
-Hawaiian Breeze plug-in- $1.50
-Hawiian Breeze candle- $2
-orange colored antibacterial soap to match-free
*Cute basket from Goodwill for $1
=$5

Spa Package:
-Clean linen/sunny days plug in- free
-Waterlily rain glad candle- .22
-Exhale body lotion- free
-Satin Care shave gel- $1
-Disposible razors- free
-Lavender hand soap- free
*Cute basket from Goodwill for about .80
=$2

Bachelorette gift (to take on honeymoon)
-Travel bags $2.50
-Suave travel lotion-free
-Satin Care shave gel- $1
-Dove deodorant- $1
-Dove soap-free
-Crest toothpaste-free
-Kotex pads- free
-Disposible razors- free
-sample shampoos and conditioners-free (these are great because they don't leak and you can just throw them away when you're done and not feel guilty!)
-KY Jelly-free
-Cute underwear- $1 (can usually find on sale at Wal-Mart)
=$5.50

Here are just a few ideas that I have come across that I wanted to share with you all! I've only spent $35 on all that I have mentioned! I'm planning on everything (including the kid stuff) covering 7 gifts! Who hoo! I'm on a roll! The best thing is that my husband's family is planning on doing a gift exchange among the grown children and their spouses. This will save us from buying 5 gifts! I would highly suggest the same for your families if there are people who need to cut back :) Besides, Christmas is not about gifts, but Jesus!

I hope this advice helps you make creative gifts for friends and family that will help you save money and feel proud of the gifts you give! Good luck shopping!