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Frugal Christmas Gift Ideas for Grandchildren?

I'm on a tight budget this year for Christmas gifts for my grandchildren. Any idea what I can start buying them before Christmas comes.

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Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 196 Feedbacks
June 25, 20180 found this helpful
Best Answer

How about the gifts of experiences! Some of my best memories are baking with my nana and my grandmother playing dolls with me.

Set up a special day with each punkin grandbaby and do something you both can do together...like dolls, baking, etc. They did special things with my brother also...I just wish I remember what it was...probably baking and playing with his toy cars.

Take lots of selfies so the can share with their parents!

If you feel you have to give a tangible item...are there things that have special meanings to you that you could pass on to them NOW and enjoy watching them enjoy them today?

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Both of my grandmothers gifted me with jewelry of theirs when I was old enough to appreciate it. It was costume, and totally NOT my style, but I appreciated having it.

Memories keepsakes are the best gifts! Have fun creating them for the holiday!

 
June 25, 20180 found this helpful

I'm not that close to my grandchildren, but I still get them gifts. But, I want to get them something that isn't that exspensive. Last year I spent almost $150 on each grandchild. I want to spend at least $50 this year

 

Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 196 Feedbacks
June 25, 20180 found this helpful

My aunt (grandmother's sister) made each of the kids (her grandchildren and my grandmother's grandchildren) a crochet blanket in our favorite colors at the time. Mine was blue and green. We all still have them (MANY, MANY, MANY years later in varying states of decay). When she gave them to us we were young and it seemed like a weird gift, but then it grew on us (at least my brother and I). I still hold that memory dear.

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With coupons for the big box stores, you can get yarn for reasonable prices.

$50 is a nice sum to spend if you are going the traditional gift route. If you know their likes/interests, you could put together special custom gift baskets from dollar stores, thrift stores, etc.

For example, if they are little and still color, $50 could buy a large number of books, crayons, markers, and tablets from the dollar store. Or if they are older and girls and like hair products...hair spray, pony tail holders, a make up mirror, etc. Older boys often like cell phone gadgets, earbuds, and videos...which our Dollar General always has an abundance of those choices.

I am still a firm believer in it is the thought that counts and less is more, but that is me :)

Hopefully whatever you choose, it will create a special memory and a new bond!

 

Diamond Post Medal for All Time! 1,246 Posts
June 25, 20181 found this helpful
Best Answer

We had a frugal grandfather and we really looked forward to his gifts. They were very similar year after year:

  • An empty peanut butter jar filled with loose change
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  • One small doll/action figure that was popular that year
  • One year magazine subscription to kids science magazines
  • Cookies

WE LOVED IT!

 

Gold Feedback Medal for All Time! 949 Feedbacks
June 25, 20180 found this helpful

You do not say if your grandchildren live near by or it gifts will have to be mailed and that could make a difference in what type of gift to consider.

  • Sometimes it is very difficult to select a gift for children even if money is no object and it seems the older they get the more difficult it becomes.
  • No one likes to give a present that is not well received and also it could make the recipient feel bad if they do not genuinely like the gift.
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  • Hopefully you are familiar with the likes and dislikes of your grandchildren and would know right off if you see something that seems "just for them".
  • If they are within visiting distance then I think Pghgirl40 has a good idea about a gift of "time" but that may not always be possible.
  • If there are several children and a mix of boys and girls then it may be difficult to give them any of your "keepsakes" as children can easily misunderstand the reasons you may have selected "this" for me "that" for her sort of thing.
  • You may even hear something like "why does she get that - you know I always wanted that!".
  • I'm just saying - if you choose to give anything you presently own - please give it a lot of thought before deciding.
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  • I have known of long-term resentments over just this sort of thing.
  • When my grandchildren were young, I shopped at thrift stores, church sales, consignments shops, and yard sales all year picking up items I thought they might like for their birthdays and other holidays. It worked well as I usually had several items for each so hopefully, they would like at least one item.
  • One main thing about this type of present (they knew where most items were purchased) they could never compare prices and say more money was spent on one than the other.
  • I do not know if any of this sort of thing was done by my grandchildren but I know it has happened in other families.
  • Now that my grandchildren are grown, I no longer think it is necessary to exchange gifts, other than birthdays, and this seems to be okay with everyone. A visit and dinner seems to satisfy everyone.
  • If you are handy at making things, you might consider making something (maybe the same thing) as this can sometimes be less expensive.

Hope you can work everything out so that you and your grandchildren will have a marvelous Christmas.

 
Anonymous
June 25, 20180 found this helpful

I shop throughout the year and especially shop at the end of each season because there are great sales!

For example: If you have a Sears nearby they always have on going promotions, like right now - if you spend $30 on select clothes, you get $30 back in points ($15 back first, then $15 back later, reference the fine print).

You could buy $30 in clothing then use $15 & $15 toward other clothes or toys, etc. Points do not roll.

Other stores like Macy's offers lots of good promotions like Spend $25, get $10 off coupon. Be on a look out for clearance/rollbacks at your local stores like Target, Walmart.

Other ideas is if you look at your local grocery stores they have some discounts on gift cards. Recently I was able to purchase $50 gift cards and have $10 toward my grocery shopping deducted, so it's like I spent $40 on the gift cards!

 

Gold Post Medal for All Time! 677 Posts
June 25, 20180 found this helpful

You can give a book of coupons. Ideas would be:

Step 1
Mani/pedi

Step 2
Day of cookie baking

Step 3
Sleepover

Step 4
Homework help

 
June 25, 20180 found this helpful

Try to get to The Dollar Tree to Purchase Good Quality Learning Books,sometimes they have even books for teenagers.

 

Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 131 Posts
June 28, 20180 found this helpful

One year when money was pretty tight, my papa simply made everyone treat bags. We are all grown, so it had candy, a pot holder, and a special surprise walnut. He had hollowed out each nut and placed $20 inside, folded up. Then he closed the walnuts back up. It could have been a dollar inside and I would have been just as happy. The time that took to do for seven people touched my heart. I still have my walnut and it has been several years.
For younger kids, you could still do treat bags and add in a couple useful items like crayons or puzzles, cheaper toys, books, craft items, etc. You can find some neat and inexpensive items at Dollar Tree, Mighty Dollar, Roses, and Big Lots. Hopefully you have some of these stores in your area! Whatever you decide to give them, they'll appreciate it.

 

Bronze Post Medal for All Time! 107 Posts
July 27, 20180 found this helpful

I want to say that $50 is MORE THAN ADEQUATE as a gift for a grandchild! I don't remember any relative aside from direct parents and Godmother giving me anything more substantial than that.

So saying the first hurdle of course is to know what they really like/want. Are they more sporty, musical, beauty queen, nerdy?

most kids this age really like tech and phones and such of course, and most kids have some sort of iPhone or Android. The simplest thing to do is to ask your kids what brand of phone the grandkids have and just buy accesories - a nice case, earbuds (ALWAYS welcome because they always break), a mount, chargers, maybe some cool camera accessory. These things on ebay and amazon are pretty cheap. www.amazon.com/.../ (Affiliate Link)

Speaking of Amazon, Amazon provides a 'wish list' service where most ppl actually post things they would want www.amazon.com/.../search (Affiliate Link)
you can visit that link and type in their names and see if they've listed anything, or ask your kids to ask the grandkids to start a list. Most ppl want things that only cost $10, $20, as well as higher ticket items.

another option is to ask your kids if there's any big ticket items your kid wants and just say you'll pitch in $50 to buy it and that will be your gift.

 
September 17, 20200 found this helpful

Where to buy hollowed walnut shells for crafts

 

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