I've been really enjoying legal thrillers by Brian Haig -- his books are mostly in paperback and I don't mind used copies.
Ask the Readers: What One Frugal Holiday Gift Would You Enjoy? (Chance to Win!)
Photo: trekkyandy
*Congrats to our winners!*
- Comment from Marie #9 - I would love a pretty 2011 calendar! It would brighten up my office and be practical, too!
- Tweet from @semerp - Tweeting to try to win a $20 giftcard so I can buy myself a frugal gift like rechargeable batteries! Woooo! 11:09 PM Nov 2nd via Brizzly
- Facebook user Kara Smith
It's just a matter of time before the big toy catalogs come to my home, where my children will spend precious hours peering through the pages, carefully considering which toys are their favorite, and letting me know about them at every opportunity. As adults, we often put aside this "gift planning" in lieu of reality -- times are tough, and we usually put our own wants and desires on the backburner. While this aspect of being responsible (and charitable) should not be diminished, it's also not a bad idea to have some frugal gift ideas in mind -- you know -- in case someone asks?
What is one frugal gift that you would really appreciate this year? I could really use a potato peeler that actually peels (and works just as well for my left-handed daughter as it does for myself). Do you have a gift need that comes in well under the $20 mark?
If you share your answer, you'll be entered to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card! (And yes, that means that if you win, you can buy your own gift if necessary.)
Win one of 3 $20 Amazon Gift Cards
We're doing three giveaways — one for random comments, one for random Facebook "Likes", and another one for random tweets.
How to Enter:
- Post your answer in the comments below,
- Go to our Facebook page, "Like" us, then "Like" the update mentioning this giveaway (you can comment, as well — but you don't have to for entry.)
- Tweet your answer. Include both "@wisebread" and "#WBAsk" in your tweet so we'll see it and count it.
If you're inspired to write a whole blog post OR you have a photo on flickr to share, please link to it in the comments or tweet it.
Giveaway Rules:
- Contest ends Monday, November 8th at 11:59 pm CST. Winners will be announced after November 8th on the original post and via Twitter. Winners will also be contacted via email and Twitter Direct Message.
- You can enter all three drawings — once by leaving a comment, once by liking our Facebook update, and once by tweeting.
- Only tweets that contain both "@wisebread" and "#WBAsk" will be entered. (Otherwise, we won't see it.)
- Only those who have "Liked" both our Facebook page and the contest update will be entered.
Good Luck!
Best of Wise Bread
I would love a year-in-review homemade photo book and/or art as well as things done with the family. Something to look back on with fond memories.
A pair (or two) of nice trouser socks. I've started dressing a little nicer to work, and my current socks are too thick to fit into my nicer shoes.
I would be so very grateful for someone to help me with prep and clean up this year for the holidays! It's free but means the world to me. There are seventeen adults and four kiddos this year which is overwhelming.
With regular, packaged bread going for anywhere from $1 to $3 a loaf and the fact that my family goes through a good 3 loaves a week, I'd like to start baking our bread. The problem is that I don't have any loaf pans. They're one of those things that I always put off buying because I feel like it would be a splurge. I'd love to get a few of them for Christmas this year. They'd end up paying for themselves within a few weeks!
ohmiss14(at)yahoo.com
I wouldn't mind a pair of hand-knit gloves or a scarf- I just moved to the east coast and it's way colder here than it was at home!
A flashlight. Since I decided to use the bus instead of car to get to work, I've been walking ~1 mile to the bus stop--and now that the days are getting short, it's dark when I leave the house. I could really use a flashlight to keep me from tripping over choppy sidewalk / keep cars from hitting me.
We exchange homemade Christmas ornaments every year. After years and years of this I have the most beautiful tree around. :) We date each one and it is nice to remember as we hang it on the tree the next year. :) They are my favorite presents of all.
I really want a Klean Kanteen double insulated coffee mug (still under $20) - it will be helpful in bringing my own drinks on the bus and thus is both an inexpensive present and a device that furthers my frugal endeavors. :-)
I would like my siblings to give me lessons. Once is a great cook, and the other plays guitar!
I also have friends who are fabulous photographers. I would love a print of their work to frame and display in my home!
I would love to receive homemade recipes from family members. Cooking familiar things is such a comfort, especially around the holidays.
I need a meat thermometer...definitely under the $20 mark...
Or, an inexpensive kitchen scale
Or, an inexpensive timer!
Actually...I may be able to get all of these items for under $20!!!
the little travel tissue packs and Blistex lip balms. I never have them around when I need them and receiving a pack or two of each would just be such a neat gift!
One of those multi-USB ports. I work at home on a laptop and it has two USB ports. I have three things that I use (keyboard, mouse & printer). Right now I unplug the mouse to use the printer and when I'm done printing then I plug the mouse back in.
I would LOVE a bar or two of nice handmilled French soap. I love good soap but seldom buy it for myself. The difference between that and a cheap bar of supermarket soap or shower gel is huge!
Oh oh...I REALLY want one of those apple corer thingys from Williams Sonoma. You just push it through the center of the apple and the core comes right out. My kids always want a WHOLE apple but without the core. Hello, how do you do that without this tool? Try telling your 3 1/2 & 5 yr old it can't be done unless I have a special tool. It didn't work. :) The best part, it's only $10. It's really one of the very few things I'd like to have. Funny how the small things can make you soooo happy. Please pick me!!!
http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/cuisipro-apple-corer/?pkey=e|cuisipro%2Bapple%2Bcorer|1|best|0|1|24||1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-
There are lots of "frugal" gifts I'd truly appreciate, including...
Homemade baked goods
Help with turning those plastic barrels in our backyard into rain barrels (yup, they've been sitting there for months now!)
Some drought-resistant plants to plant in our front yard
Heirloom seeds from The Seed Bank (http://rareseeds.com)
A simple rain-proof poncho suitable for babywearing
We don't have any, so I would love to have family pictures to display. I'd also like to have a big coffee mug and seeds for my garden next year.
Every year my sister asks what I want for Christmas, and every year I tell her that I would greatly appreciate the help of her and her husband around my house. As a single mom with a house to take care of by myself all of a sudden, I could use help trimming bushes, caulking, painting, etc. A free donation of elbow grease would be so wonderful! But every year she goes to the mall and buys me some pretty little thing I don't really need. Oh well, here's holding out hope! :-)
I would LOVE to have someone(s) come and clean my house from top to bottom. That would be the best gift I can think of.
A home alone coupon. A coupon that would allow me a home alone day.
I would come home and there would be no one in sight. Not a soul, not a sound, NOTHING and NO ONE. I would sit down and relax, put the music I like, take a nice bath, and just enjoy the quite.
They can come back when I go to sleep - as long as they don't wake me up.
Cost: $0
The gift: Priceless!
All things considered, I know exactly what gift it is that I would want. Now, as all of my friends and family know, I chew on straws all day, everyday. I have the ability to chew them inside out. I don’t know if anyone else in the world can, but I can. I usually get extra straws from different fast food restaurants or like 7 eleven or any other gas station that sells drinks that require straws such as WaWa. Some of my friends give me straws when they get extra straws from places, even my girlfriend does so, even though she hates when I chew on them. I buy boxes here and there, but my sole purpose is to chew the straws. So, long story short, I would take a box of straws. Assorted colors are an added plus, that way they match my clothing. Peace!
I would love a shallow, microwave proof bowl for melting candy melts or chocolate. But homemade baked goods are always appreciated!
Knitting needles. I really want to learn how to knit so I can make scarves, socks, and sweaters for myself and others.
I love home baked gifts (granola in jars, pancake mixes, pumpkin bread wrapped in parchment paper & twine). We have a large family and gifts like that are always welcome!
A water bobble! It filter water, tastes good, saves money, and helps the planet- given the amount of water I drink, this would definitely be an awesome gift (:
I would love it if I got new socks! I used to get them as gifts as a kid but now? Come on Mom and Dad! By your baby girl some socks!
Nice walking shoes and supportive socks. I would love to join a gym... but will be happy with shoes/socks and cool music loaded on my mp3. I probably wouldn't get the value out of the gym membership anyhow. Plus getting in shape honors God and the gift of this body, perfect sentiment for honoring Christ's birthday.
Once I gave a best friend a photograph of us eating at our favorite restaurant (she was leaving for Poland because her visa expired and she might never return), it cost less than $0.50 to print at Walgreen, and then I bought a photo frame. Honestly, she had less than a handful of pictures during her time in the US. Ever since then, I make an effort to photograph meaningful memories.
Another friend of mine, well, it turned out that she and I had never taken a photograph of *just us&. Currently, she lives in another state, so I gave her an empty photoframe, with a sketch of us and a note saying that we should promise to hang out again, take a photo and then put it in the frame.
I would like to have a good used kitchenaid mixer.
BTW, your potatoe peeler should work both ways, up and down, if it doesn't get another one. So that means your lefty should be able to use it ok.
I really need some warm socks w/out holes! Also, some wooden clothes pins for hanging my laundry because the cheap plastic ones I have are snapping in two one by one. lol
I'd even just love grocery staples. You know ... dry beans, spices, sugar, etc. I'm easy to please.
I actually love receiving socks for Christmas. When I was younger, my mom, or "Santa" always used to gift socks to me. Sure, it was a practical gift, but I enjoyed receiving them :)
Every weekend for the past ten plus years me and my husband have spent apart due to a sick family member. I go to the nursing home every day and he goes every weekend. The best frugal gift that anyone could give us is an entire Saturday together. What's cheaper than the gift of time? That would be a tremendous blessing!
i'd really just like some time with family, friends, and boyfriend. it's been so long since i've hung out with anyone!
I'd like a decent pair of scissors/shears for my sewing/mending. With a Hobby Lobby 40% off in-store coupon....that would make the cost even better. Thank you!
Every year, I ask for one thing - home repairs. Not big remodeling jobs, just simple handyman type things like re-hanging a cabinet door whose hinges broke, cutting a wooden curtain rod, hanging blinds, etc. *sigh* I'm still waiting......
I could really use some new oven mitts and potholders. I was roasting pumpkin seeds this weekend post-pumpkin carving and realized that my mitts are pretty ratty!
I'd love a gift of homemade soup and bread or cinnamon rolls, something like that--it's nice to heat up a meal on hectic days...
I would love another pair of Smart socks. They are merino wool and wonderful for colder weather. I am doing my best to keep my heating bill low in a very large old house, wearing these socks has been great. They are noticabley warmer and more comfortable than any other socks that I have. Plus you can wear them with regular shoes and boots and they don't make the shoes fit more tightly.
A plastic egg separator! Nothing fancy, just a glorified version of a slotted spoon. My parents have one, but I haven't been able to find one in the stores whenever I've looked. That would be so handy!
I gave my mother a few years back a little Christmas Cactus in a beautiful pot (costs me about $10)...and now I want one. The thing is gorgeous and blooms twice a year! Plants are a great gift that bring life into one's space.
I would love, love, love to have some really nice house slippers. I have been wearing my flip flops as slippers and it's just not the same now that it's cold. Oh, and some ear plugs. That would be wonderful!
I'd like a new set of measuring spoons. Nothing fancy, just something simple and durable. My current set has very flimsy handles and most of them are bent.
I also love to get little toys. Matchbox cars, little plastic dinosaurs, slinkies, yo-yos, plastic finger puppet monsters. Mom...erm...Santa always gives me Silly Putty in my stocking.
I would love a gift certificate from paperbackswap.com . I can get 3 books for $10.35. Then I can post those books when I'm done, and so on and so forth. It's really the never ending gift!
I would love a little food processor. We can use it to make smoothies and vegetable soups (squash/pumpkin!) at a fraction of the cost @ a restaurant. Plus, you get to edit to your tastes!
Two sets of measuring cups and measuring spoons. We are doing more cooking at home for our 5 kids and 2 adults and I hate having to stop and wash them out every 2 minutes when mass cooking.
Breakfast in bed!!! I have asked for this for every holiday for years, but apparently, I am supposed to wake everyone up first to remind them to fix it. Kinda ruins the moment...
I would like a good quality, durable book light. I saw one at Wal-Mart and almost bought it, but I decided to ask Santa for it instead!
The gift I would like is if everyone would bring their favorite dish it would save cooking time for me and everyone would really have something they enjoy.
I would love a box of inexpensive chocolate covered creams in various flavors.
kg4rmt at arrl dot net
A cherry pitter. It's something that I would never think of to buy for myself, but would come in dead handy when I'm working on cherry-riffic desserts.
I would love a coupon organizer. I've recently started using them and I get overwhelmed with the amount of coupons I have to keep track of.
I would appreciate getting a pair of knee socks or thick tights! I wear skirts practically every day so need to stay warm.
I would love a pedometer. Something to let me know when I need to ramp it up to increase my fitness level. Good for the heart and pocketbook!
I also love the ideas of reusable lunch sacks for chips and fruit as well as for sandwiches...
I would love a new pie pan and a new muffin pan. Really stretching would also include a couple small pie/tart pans. Haven't been able to replace these for the last several years and missing them more as I have been cooking from scratch more these days since we are now down to a one income family.
Seems almost too frugal to mention, but I'd love it if someone gave me a big "bucket" of the Cascade ActionPacs for my dishwasher, the kind you get at the warehouse clubs. It just kills me to take money out of my grocery/household allowance to buy those and this would be a gift I'd appreciate everyday!
