- The Friendletter
- Posts
- FREE Gift Alternatives
FREE Gift Alternatives
12/23/24 - Monday
How’s it going?
Over the last few weeks, we’ve been talking a lot about de-influencing the holiday season.
From setting boundaries to making lists, we’re doing our best to end this year focused on what really matters instead of spending outside our budget and values.
BUT we also know—sometimes you wake up on Christmas Eve-eve with the dreaded realization: you forgot to add someone to your holiday shopping list!! 😮
We may be down to the wire, but there’s no need to panic and dip into funds we don’t have!
Instead, turn to some low-cost options for those last minute gifts! We’ve come up with 6 ideas to get you started. 😉
📦 Shop your home. Inevitably you have a nice vase, book you enjoyed reading, or kitchen gadget you don't need anymore, but would be useful and welcomed by a friend/family member!
🖼️ Print a picture of you and your loved one (the recipient) and write a nice note on the back of it. Maybe a memory you enjoyed together with that person, or an encouragement to them! You can print it either at home or take advantage of the discounts/freebies routinely offered by CVS, Walgreens, or Walmart to print a 5x7 picture.
🪴 Propagate a plant you have. Pothos, ivy, aloe vera, spider plants, snake plants, monstera and more are all very easy to propagate! You can give as a gift in a recycled jar or pot you have on hand!
🌳 Plan a day your loved one will enjoy. Spend time together in the coming weeks/months visiting a free museum, going on a mural tour in your city, cooking a new recipe together, or visiting a free botanical garden.
🥧 Cook or bake their favorite dish/dessert! Bonus points if the meal is freezable, not needing to cook in the week to come will be a blessing!
⏳ Offer your time! If you know they are working on a house project, or lead busy lives with kids, offer to babysit for a date night, clean their car, or help paint that room they've been wanting to finish.
📖 And finally, our favorite last-minute gift idea—spread some holiday cheer AND share some great tips on identifying what you love spending money on. Pre-order Jen and Jill’s Buy What You Love Without Going Broke! While it won’t be delivered until the release on January 7, you could print out a picture of the cover and add it to a cute card to let your loved one know it’s coming! 🪄
👩🏻🍳 Been there, cooked that Bill 👩🏻🍳
Ummm, why didn’t anyone warn us adulthood seems to be a never ending cycle of deciding what to feed yourself?
What do you do when you’re bored of all our go-tos meals, but can’t think of any alternatives? Taco Tuesday again?
Been there, cooked that.
It can be exhausting on a good day to find interesting and nutritious options, but the mental load of figuring it all out gets even more unbearable during these busy seasons.
The good news is, you don’t have to figure it out alone!
Start your 14-day trial today and let Cook Smarts whip you up a fun new meal plan, grocery list included! **
What’s your favorite low-cost gift idea? |
Spending is a skill and you can learn to master it. If you’ve ever struggled with being unable to stick to a budget or felt guilty about spending on something you enjoy, Jen and Jill’s upcoming book is going to be your next favorite read.
Grab your pre-order gifts. Free With EVERY pre-order. 🥳
Later!
Misti
⭐️⭐️ P.S. Want to share all this goodness with your friends AND earn cool Frugal Friends merch?
**Means this is a sponsored or affiliate section. We may earn a small fee or commission when you choose to try one of our sponsor or affiliate partners. But opinions are still 1000% our own.