can i get some suggestions for budget gifts for the upcoming season?

[pitohui]

i have 2 requests: NO homemade food gifts, NO homemade coupon books

homemade food gifts are just a shitty idea because of the large # of people on my list who are 1) fighting to control their weight or 2) metabolic syndrome/diabetic -- i don't want to give the gift of homemade bread or cookies that sends a message "hurry up and die and leave me your money"

the homemade coupon books, i tried in the past, but the receiver of the coupons never cashes them in, so it's kind of like not giving a gift at all (you know, those "good for one day helping you with your yard work," and so on) -- it puts the onus on the receiver of the gift to request the gift and people really just are not going to do that (except for the sociopathic people who have been cut from my xmas list anyway)

so ideas?

oh, and no bubble bath or anything that smells, so i guess that's 3 requests

HELP!!!

[vard28]

1. Photos

Do you take photos? I have started taking more photos and giving them as gifts. And I have also done some scrap books, with and without photos. I know it takes some time, but I find that people have really appreciated them.

[pitohui]

4. yes i'm thinking of going this route at least for some gifts

the photos do seem to be a hit, although one giftee was afraid to use his photo beer mug because he thought the photo might fade!

i also have some frames from free cycle etc. that i could customize

hmmm

[vard28]

7. Mugs like that

can be used for pencils/pens too! I have one on my desk right now as a matter of fact.

[Chan790]

2. $20 art.

www.20x200.com.

It looks like it's more expensive and it's not. Large selection.

edit: More explanation. It's $20 artwork in editions of 200. That's the schtick...they also sell larger works in editions of 20 for $200. Mostly photographs, some lithographs.

[SmokingJacket]

3. My sister once made me a calendar of pictures of us when we were kids

It has to be one of my favorite gifts ever -- all pictures I had forgotten about. And pretty cheep for her, too!

:thumbsup:

[pitohui]

5. that's a good idea "but"

there are no extant photos of me and my sibs as a kid because i was a FLK (funny looking kid) so i have no family photos from that era

something along that line is probably good, but it would to be from after i matured and have a normal appearance, previous to that i disliked photography

[vard28]

6. I've done those too!

It's fun to be able to customize calendars. There are several sites that make it very easy. I just shop around on line and see who has them on sale or gives email mailing list discounts. Zazzle, Kodak, etc.

[pitohui]

8. it is probably worth checking around for online sales

i have a coupon code for snapfish, COOL108 to get 30% off on gift items but it has to be ordered by oct. 31

[malta blue]

9. for coffee drinkers

www.ournameismud.com

[Lil Missy]

10. A $20 gas card.

[pitohui]

12. i only have $300 gas cards

and because i'm an evil person i'm keeping them

[Lil Missy]

13. Alrighty then!

What was your topic again? :freak:

[pitohui]

14. i know but i'm using the excuse that re-gifting is tacky

funny how that applies to $300 gas cards but not so much to bottles of cheesey cologne

:evilgrin:

[Tektonik]

11. If you are a good cook I would make something tasty but healthy

[NV Whino]

15. Donate to a favorite charity in their name

I don't do gifts. What I might spend on gifts goes to "good causes."

[Kali]

16. house plants, or even garden plants (I think you are in the south?)

you could add a nice pot and a bag of potting soil; inexpensive stationary, pens, a few stamps; assortment of teas and a mug or nice, "fancy", "antique" (from thrift store) cup and saucer; nice playing cards/board game combos (can even be made if you are crafty); bird feeder and bag of seed or hummingbird feeder; some nice paper plates and napkins for quick entertaining

How is that for a start?

[pitohui]

17. thanks i think that will be one of my choices

i can see that one of my friends needs new plants after the tender mercies of katrina and gustav and the rest of the gang, so i'm thinking i will make some of my custom planters and share some of my tougher specimens with him

i was into making the mosaic flower pots for awhile, with cute mosaics from old dishes and half marbles and bits of broken mirror, on clay pots, but i quit doing it because of cheap chinese knock off mosaic pots -- may try again tho

[La Lioness Priyanka]

18. recipe books... books that you can buy on half.com? or retrolounge's book store?

i say recipe books because if you know a large number of people with a particular disorder maybe there are books that cater to this (maybe like a south beach diet or atkins book?) that will help your friends in their day to day life