Christmas on a budget

So I have no money and my sweet boyfriend insists on buying me expensive gifts and saying he doesn't care if I spend money on him or not. But darn it, I CARE. So for his birthday I made him a teddy bear that... isn't the most impressive, but hey, I'm trying. I also baked him a carrot cake.

For Christmas I plan to If you are sharkythehsharkdogg, don't read this iron a picture of a character from a comic he likes on to a T-shirt. He really likes t-shirts that have bands/shows/video games that he likes on them, and this is pretty cheap. Just get an old white t-shirt, an iron (which I can borrow from his mom) and that special printer paper (not too expensive) and then I'll just iron it on and TA-DA! A brand new custom made shirt. It's.... it's pretty lame isn't it ;_;. But I'm trying.

What do you do for presents for people you love/care about when you are short on funds?

I think that is a really nice present and I think anyone would appreciate a (SPOILER)I hope sharky sees this thread because the next bit will blag him. It really is a nice present though, shion! although I wonder about the costs of feeding it. I also don't think they're legal in Britain but I assume they must be over there.

bake some cookies. Everyone likes cookies. :monster:

I agree with the cookies idea and I also think your own idea is a novel one.

Making self-made/drawn cards is nice, as is writing letters and putting them inside, because cards are boring but letters mean a lot more, they tend to be from the heart. Other things you can do are taking certain chores away from him for a certain amount of time. Favours of any kind (obvious what I'm alluding to, isn't it?).

Making presents is usually better than buying presents, if you put thought and effort into it. Good on ya.

Christmas on a budget. Otherwise known as: Christmas.

Yeah, I get creative here and there. I work in a manufacturing shop that has a laser cutting machine, so I ended up making a Triforce for my girlfriend a couple of years ago. I even had it powdercoated a yellow color, too. She loved it.

Oh, like this isn't extremely tempting! I'll go pretend this thread doesn't exist.

Also, my bear is smurfing awesome.

Post pictures of the bear!

Yeah. Pics or it didn't happen!

Those ideas are really great. I haven't been able to really afford Giftmas presents for my family for a couple of years now and it's kinda hard to shop for my mom & dad.

BUT. I have my mom's gift figured out and I'm really proud of myself.. She -loves- Frisch's Big Boy Tartar Sauce, but since it's only in a few states, she can't get a Big Boy Burger -or- her tartar sauce. BUT! I found out you can order it! So I'm gonna order that, and a box of Ice Cubes Chocolate for her.

My daaaaddd... I'm not sure yet. At all.

And Parker, I'm planning to send her like 1 little treat/toy a day from New York and then I'll figure something out when it's closer to Christmas... Even though it's only 15 days away. -_-; I may wind up just sending a gift card to Toys R Us so that she can pick out whatever she wants, though I tooootttallly plan on hitting up FAO Shwartz... xD

I'm actually on a bit of a budget this year, so I was going to go to the Dollar Store and get some cute plastic holiday plates and bake cookies and make homemade fudge and wrap them in red or green cellophane.

I know that doesn't really work well for a relationship gift!

Steam sale games.

Steam sale games are the answer.

Find something of his that is easily replacable like a stapler, take it apart and remove a piece before putting it back together it so it stops working (or just steal it) then buy a new one for him and he'll be all "Oh thats just what I needed".

This is why I just don't buy people things.
And I insist that they don't get me things.

However, I can never sway my mother from getting me a thing. No matter how many times I tell her I don't want things.
So I accept Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and GameStop giftcards.

A couple years ago BJ's cousin made everyone marshmallow guns out of PVC pipe. We enjoyed them.

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Originally Posted by Pant Leg Eater from the Bad World

So I accept Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and GameStop giftcards.

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Gift cards are amazing. I just tell people to get me Steam/Xbox Live/Nintendo3DS gift cards. Last year I wound up drowning in a couple hundred dollars worth of Steam gift cards and it was basically the best Birthday/Christmas of my life.

shion, I think your gifts are wonderful. Sometimes, though, even homemade gifts can end up being pricy. Some of the best inexpensive gifts that I have received were drawings from Dr Unne and Skye-chan. Those take more time than money but they are priceless to me. :cat:

I give the gift of love.

No but seriously most of the time me and Pep just get each other something small, and not make a huge deal out of it. Or money if we have it any at all because we don't know what to get each other sometimes.

I am unbreakable
But I do not draw
I am precious
But do I have a flaw?

PM/VM answer for a special Ciddies Prize

Won by Calliope - Diamond

You can do DIY crafts. Scrapbook perhaps. :)

I try to make stuff as much as possible because it can be a ton cheaper most times and because the present is so unique! :) I love getting home made gifts too!

My two favorite presents to my boyfriend were two of the least expensive gifts I've ever made/bought.

He loves Oblivion and this is one of this favorite books from the game. I changed the font, printed it, coffee/tea/paint stained the pages, and bound them in a book with thread and padding glue. I made everything and it cost me about $11.00

Attachment 49163

This one cost me $1.20 to print. :D

Attachment 49165

DO NOT READ, SHARKY!I LOVE the idea of you doing an iron on for him. Another fun one to do is bleaching out black t-shirts with a stencil. :D It is a TON of fun! Here's a link for instructions but there are a ton of them all over the internet: Stenciling with Bleach | Lil Blue Boo

Here is the bear I made him for his birthday:
http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...2-05204723.jpg

Awwwwwww! That is adorable! :love: I love the button eyes and I'd make those little arms flap around everywhere!

Your idea is beautiful Shion, do it. I recommend it. It sounds awesome!

As for Christmas I've got a similar-ish problem. My boyfriend really doesn't want me to buy him anything. It's like, he doesn't want me to buy him anything because then he'll feel like he'd be guilt-tripped into buying me a present, or something, even though I keep telling him (and all my other friends) that I never expect gifts in return.

What should I do EoFFers? Sorry Shion for sort of detracting from your own thread, its just I'm sort of wondering: should I not buy him a present? For I really want to.

Don't buy him a present. If he says not to, then respect his wishes. Make him a card or a mixcd or even frame a photo of the two of you, but don't do anything bigger than that or buy him a gift - you wouldn't want him to feel awkward or like he can't reciprocate your gesture.

Making someone a video as a gift is like the new "giving them a mixtape". If you have a webcam or smart phone/camera phone this can be easily done.

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Originally Posted by Calliope

Don't buy him a present. If he says not to, then respect his wishes. Make him a card or a mixcd or even frame a photo of the two of you, but don't do anything bigger than that or buy him a gift - you wouldn't want him to feel awkward or like he can't reciprocate your gesture.

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I once bought a gift for someone who asked me not to and they made me feel horrendous for it. Now, it someone says, "I don't want you to get me a gift" and they sound like they aren't joking, then I don't do it, no matter how good I am trying to make them feel.

I found this - Christmas on a Budget: 50 presents that cost absolutely nothing | Herald Scotland. I don't know why they name presents for specific people here - these could really be for anyone and everyone.

Those are great ideas - I'd love some whiskey (although uhh, that costs money??), photos together, a trip to a museum, friendship bracelet, family scrapbook, quilt (omg!!!), drawing, letter, handwritten jokebook...seriously these ideas are all gold.

You can't possibly go worse than what my sister got -me- one year...

She bought me a bunch of cheap ass Suave Shampoo & Conditioner.

I can't even -use- that trout. I have to use the entire bottle of conditioner just in one shower to get my hair any type of "normal" + my hair is like 3 ft long literally (speaking of.. I'd like to measure it one day, actually haha...)

I never know what to get anyone when I have money. Gift cards is pretty much the fallback gift we pass out around here when we either want to save money and/or have no idea what you want. Then we just stick it in the card. Though one time my dad put a gift card in a box on top of bigger boxes and gift wrapped it. Or was that a card? I can't remember.

Lottery tickets are always a fun gift that doesn't cost a lot. Plus there's a bunch of different ways you can present and gift them.

I've always found that lottery tickets are a hit at white elephant parties and as secret santa gifts when you don't know what to get the person and you don't want to do a gift card.

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Originally Posted by Shorty

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Originally Posted by Calliope

Don't buy him a present. If he says not to, then respect his wishes. Make him a card or a mixcd or even frame a photo of the two of you, but don't do anything bigger than that or buy him a gift - you wouldn't want him to feel awkward or like he can't reciprocate your gesture.

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I once bought a gift for someone who asked me not to and they made me feel horrendous for it. Now, it someone says, "I don't want you to get me a gift" and they sound like they aren't joking, then I don't do it, no matter how good I am trying to make them feel.

I found this - Christmas on a Budget: 50 presents that cost absolutely nothing | Herald Scotland. I don't know why they name presents for specific people here - these could really be for anyone and everyone.

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Originally Posted by Calliope

Don't buy him a present. If he says not to, then respect his wishes. Make him a card or a mixcd or even frame a photo of the two of you, but don't do anything bigger than that or buy him a gift - you wouldn't want him to feel awkward or like he can't reciprocate your gesture.

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Okay, thanks guys. I'll probably draw him something. I'm sure he'll enjoy some crude childlike drawings. :D

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For the woman in your life

- Pick a bunch of wild flowers with holly and berries and present her with a Christmas morning bouquet

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Pick wild flowers
in the middle of nowhere.

Sure thing, equatorial dwellers and australians. You do that.

Yeah, they'd be looking at a wreath of dead twigs and deer poop this time of year...