{"id":1907,"date":"2011-05-16T05:50:48","date_gmt":"2011-05-16T12:50:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/?p=1907"},"modified":"2011-05-12T08:51:52","modified_gmt":"2011-05-12T15:51:52","slug":"frugal-gifting-ideas-for-your-spring-occasions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/frugal-gifting-ideas-for-your-spring-occasions\/","title":{"rendered":"Frugal Gifting Ideas for Your Spring Occasions"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Spring is full of gift-giving occasions. Between graduations, bridal\u00a0showers,\u00a0weddings, and Father\u2019s Day, gift-giving can become expensive! How can we give generously and thoughtfully without our gift budget\u00a0spiraling\u00a0out of control?<\/p>\n<p>First, consider the <em>real<\/em> reason for giving a gift. A gift is much more than an opportunity to show the recipient how much money you\u2019re willing to spend on him or her. It\u2019s an opportunity to show how much you care. Fortunately, that sentiment can be expressed without spending a lot of money. The most thoughtful gifts demonstrate to the recipient that you know them, care about them and want to give them something representative of the relationship you share.<\/p>\n<p>Creativity can go a long way to helping you come up with gifts that are personal, meaningful and \u2018just right\u2019 for the occasion. Thankfully for your budget\u2019s sake, creativity is free. Even if you don\u2019t consider yourself creative, the following suggestions will help spark gift ideas that will mean much more than they cost.<\/p>\n<h3>Gift Baskets are a Good Option<\/h3>\n<p>Fill a basket with individual items that together, comprise a gift on a particular theme. Actually, the basket doesn\u2019t even need to be a basket. Any type of container that is pertinent to the gift can serve as the receptacle while also being a component of the gift itself.<\/p>\n<p>Some examples of creative gift baskets and their possible contents:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Colander &#8211;<\/strong> Add a can opener, kitchen shears, measuring spoons and cups, kitchen towel and other small kitchen essentials for a housewarming gift for a first-timer.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Flower pot &#8211;<\/strong> Fill with live flowers or herbs for almost any occasion. Alternatively, make it a \u2018gardener\u2019s kit\u2019 by including seed packets, potting soil, gardening gloves and implements for a new gardener or housewarming.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Bucket &#8211; <\/strong>Include car wash solution, sponges, chamois, gloves and wax for a teen or new car owner.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Decorative tin &#8211;<\/strong> Fill with homemade cookies, popcorn, candy or other treats for anyone.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Mixing bowl &#8211;<\/strong> Add pancake mix, wire whisk, dried blueberries, hot pads and a spatula for a housewarming gift.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pet bowl &#8211;<\/strong> Fill with dog\/cat treats, pet brush, claw clippers and a collar for pet owners.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Plastic sand bucket &#8211;<\/strong> Include bubbles, a kite, sidewalk chalk and a jump rope for a \u201cfun in the sun\u201d bucket.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pot or pan &#8211;<\/strong> Fill with spaghetti, a jar of sauce, pasta spoon, Parmesan cheese and a loaf of Italian bread for a \u201cmeal in a pot\u201d gift for newlyweds, new parents or college survival.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Inverted hat &#8211; <\/strong>Add barrettes, comb, brush, mirror, various hair gels, glitters and temporary hair colors for fun gift for a young girl.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Small suitcase &#8211;<\/strong> Fill with toiletries, toiletry bag and travel supplies for a first-time traveler.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ice bucket &#8211;<\/strong> Include a bottle of wine or champagne, bottle opener, glasses, fancy crackers, caviar or cheeses for a celebration to go.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Memory Boxes Share Special Times<\/h3>\n<p>Memory boxes are containers designed to display memorabilia from an event or of significance to a person. Its contents represent a time, place or person. Empty memory boxes, which usually resemble deep photo frames, are available inexpensively at craft stores.<\/p>\n<p>Memory boxes can display such items as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Ticket stubs\/boarding passes<\/li>\n<li>Newspaper clippings<\/li>\n<li>Brochures<\/li>\n<li>Souvenirs<\/li>\n<li>Invitations\/place cards<\/li>\n<li>Certificates\/Documents<\/li>\n<li>Photographs<\/li>\n<li>Record albums<\/li>\n<li>Books\/magazines<\/li>\n<li>Locks of hair<\/li>\n<li>Small items of clothing, handkerchiefs, or scarves<\/li>\n<li>Greeting cards<\/li>\n<li>Pressed flowers<\/li>\n<li>Small, significant items<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re giving a gift to celebrate today or remember yesterday, gift giving need not be costly. Personalized, one-of-a-kind gifts are greatly appreciated by recipients. By combining items that individually are inexpensive (or you already have), gifts become about the recipient, presentation and your attention to detail rather than the price tag.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Spring is full of gift-giving occasions. Between graduations, bridal\u00a0showers,\u00a0weddings, and Father\u2019s Day, gift-giving can become expensive! How can we give generously and thoughtfully without our gift budget\u00a0spiraling\u00a0out of control? First, consider the real reason for giving a gift. A gift is much more than an opportunity to show the recipient how much money you\u2019re willing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[8],"tags":[510,23],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1907"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1907"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1907\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/couponshoebox.com\/tips\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}