This summer I had a a couple of baby showers and birthday parties to attend. I wanted to buy high-quality gifts, but since I’m on a budget, I didn’t want to break the bank. So I opted for areas I could cheap-out on, like the wrapping paper, gift bags and cards. For instance, most gift cards today are in the price range of $2.50 – $5.00. This seems a bit high to me. One option was make the card myself, but since I was pressed for time, I decided to go with store-bought. Luckily, there are quite a few dollar stores in my area, so I browsed a 99 cent store, and to my surprise, they had a variety of baby shower cards to choose from, and for 99 cents only.
Another area where I could save some money was in the gift bag and wrapping paper area. Again, these items are unnecessarily costly, especially since they are used once and discarded almost immediately. The 99 cent store came to my rescue again. I was pleasantly surprised by my options in gift bags, wrapping paper, and bows. Each item is only 99 cents, so I was able to purchase one item for each occasion and walk out spending a measly $4.00.
Baby shower gifts are usually affordable, most Target’s and Walmart’s sell baby clothes ranging from $2.00 on up to $19 at most. The first baby shower gift I purchased was clothing. I was able to purchase two outfits off the sales rack at Target and keep my gift under $23. Total cost of this wrapped gift: $25.00. Not too shabby. My second baby shower gift I spent even less, mainly because the first and second baby shower was for the same person. I felt I could get away with a slightly less expensive gift the second time around. The second gift was a mother’s plan book from Border’s Books. Using my rewards card, I spent a reasonable $13.65. After placing it in my gift bag and signing my 99 cent card, the total cost of the gift was $15.65, quite affordable.
Luckily, the birthday party I was attending was a child’s party. He was turning five and starting kindergarten in a few weeks time. I decided that an inexpensive and usable gift would be school supplies. There’s no need to purchase school supplies that cost a fortune, reduced priced items are just as competitive and no one would have any clue they came from a discount store. The quality and variety of supplies are just as ubiquitous as a Staples or Office Depot would carry. Total cost of my gift, including a Walmart backpack: $22.00.
Shopping sales racks and discount stores is where I look first, especially now since I am trying to reduce my expenses. Luckily, there are many in my area to choose from, so if I don’t like the quality or variety of items at one, I can browse another and usually find what I’m looking for. I feel like I’m becoming a smart shopper.
