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How to be a SCROOGEHoliday shopping on a college budget
It’s time to shell out some cash. Fortunately, there are ways to be a total Scrooge with your money and still manage to give some pretty memorable gifts. Remember, it’s the thought that counts (as long as you have the receipt). Here are a few frugal holiday gift-giving ideas. Salvation Army Shopping Spree. Who doesn’t like going on a spree? Sound expensive? Wrong. Fifty dollars may only get you half a pair of pants at the mall, but there’s a way to stretch ten dollars into a buying bonanza. How can it be done? A Salvation Army shopping spree! This gift is gold. Send your friends on a shopping safari with a gift certificate to Sally’s on Cambridge Street in Worcester (yes, Sally’s does offer gift certificates). Any trip to Sally’s is an instant adventure, plus proceeds from your spree go to help someone else have a better holiday season, too! Bargain Hunting. If you’re a style ninja, you could even do your own Christmas shopping at Sally’s or at a consignment shop like Upscale Consign MINT on Lincoln Street in Worcester. The novelty of thrift shop finds is priceless, but you might want to stay away from used shirts with someone else’s name written on the collar. You can find some pretty sweet accessories — hats, jewelry, ties, scarves. But if you have a hard time figuring out what looks good while shopping at The Gap, maybe you should leave this for the more fashion savvy. Flour Power. Don’t forget about food. Baking is a great, inexpensive way to tell people, “I love you… but not enough to spend money on you.” Cookies, cakes, pies, breads — almost anything sweet will fly. Not a big cook? No problem. Friends and family will usually give you the benefit of the doubt during the holiday season. If anyone comments that your presents are ‘a little dry,’ just say that they’re ‘low fat.’ Coupon books. I bet that everyone out there has made one of those coupon books for somebody. You know, it has cute little homemade coupons in it that say things like “good for one hug” or “I’ll do the dishes” and there are little crayon hearts drawn all over it. Here’s a little modification: put in actual coupons. ‘Tis the season to advertise and lots of businesses are willing to offer specials this time of the year. Collect them and put them in a book. For example, Dirty Dancing on James Street in Worcester offers a free dance lesson. Do some detective work. Free piano lessons, free samples… and, sure, you can throw in some free hugs, too. Those presents are great for friends and siblings, but what about gifts for the rest of the family? What can you get for them that’s not too expensive? Socks! Also, don’t be afraid to recycle last year’s presents. Give the gift that keeps on giving. Happy Holidays! |
December 2004 -
It is better to give than to receive.” Some rich guy probably said that. Let’s face it, giving can be an expensive habit. Sure, you could get away with gluing some elbow macaroni to a piece of construction paper when you were younger, but, by the time you hit puberty, you were officially no longer cute enough to be pawning off homemade birdhouses as Christmas or Hanukah presents.