I love the idea of giving consumable gifts for Christmas. You know what I mean: things that can be used up by the recipient. Consumable gifts could be anything from gift cards to event tickets. My favorite consumable Christmas gift, though, is Christmas candy.

Christmas candies can be a ton of fun to make. Just turn the radio on to your local Christmas music station and plan to spend a day in the kitchen. By making your Christmas gifts you’re sure to save money, and you can be sure your loved one will love his gift. Who doesn’t enjoy a plate filled with his favorite treats?

Below are a few of my favorite Christmas candies to get you started on planning your day in the kitchen. If you can’t find a recipe you like in your own cookbook, don’t hesitate to look for one on the web. They are everywhere!

Broken Glass Candy: This candy is a cinch to make since it doesn’t have many ingredients. Think of it as a Christmas peanut brittle that doesn’t have peanuts. My recipe calls for the use of red food coloring, but don’t feel free to add whatever color you’d like. Then, when it comes time to break the candy up, you can cover the floor with an old sheet (it makes clean up easier) and let the kids go crazy.

Divinity: For an old-fashioned Christmas treat, you may want to include this recipe in your Christmas candy plans. Again, this treat doesn’t have a lot of ingredients. However, there is a little work involved since you have to beat your concoction for a full ten minutes during one phase. You may want to skip this goodie if you don’t have a stand mixer.

Peanut Butter Fudge: For the loved ones who enjoy sweets, but not chocolate, peanut butter fudge is heavenly. Once you’ve formed the fudge into its pan, don’t forget to top it with festive decorations. I’ve seen fudge sprinkled with walnuts or peanuts or drizzled with icing. Either way, it’s perfect!

Peppermint Patties: A little more labor intensive than my other suggestions, peppermint patties are a real treat. There are a couple of different points that require you to let the patties chill, so space in the refrigerator is a must for this dessert. You could, however, let them chill while you’re starting another recipe. Older kids could, then, help you later with dipping the patties into their chocolate covering.

Originating post: Christmas Candy Gifts – Save Money and Make Your Own

Christmas Candy Gifts – Save Money and Make Your Own is a post from: The Family Wallet.

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The question becomes, then, what type of gift basket should you give your loved one. While you’ll have to determine all of the details of your gift baskets based upon what your loved one likes, you basically have three types of food gift baskets to choose from:

The component gift basket – You’ve seen these types of food gifts lots of times. Sometimes, they are jars with all of the dry ingredients you need to make cookies. My favorite component gift basket, though, includes some tool or utensil needed to make the food. For instance, pizza lovers might enjoy a pizza-themed gift basket. Start with a basic, metal pizza pan. In the center, you can pile a jar of pizza sauce, ingredients for toppings, (pepperoni is surprisingly non-perishable), and a recipe for a simple pizza crust. Tie everything together with some pretty ribbon and your gift is complete.

The assortment gift basket – These types of food gifts are easy to put together in bulk. I spend one day making all of my favorite Christmas treats. Then, I put a little of each treat into a pretty box (lined with wax paper). Be sure to customize the box to each recipient. If you know Uncle Charlie loves your peanut brittle, be sure to give him an extra helping of it. For convenience you can also put these assortments into those holiday-themed disposable food containers.

The luxury gift basket – These types of food gifts are more expensive to put together because you can’t make them yourself. Typically it is comprised of the foods you don’t normally get. Perhaps a bottle of wine and fancy chocolates. If you want to find something out of the ordinary for your food gift basket (I’m surprising my husband with an assortment of exotic hot sauces.) try looking in the food section of TJ Maxx or Marshall’s. They tend to have foods that I’ve never seen before

Originating post: Christmas Food Gift Baskets – 3 Ideas to Make Your Own

Christmas Food Gift Baskets – 3 Ideas to Make Your Own is a post from: The Family Wallet.

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Making your own gift wrap is a great way to save money while creating really unique-looking gifts. Friends and family will know at a glance which gifts came from your house. And, while your gifts will look like a million bucks, you’ll know that you didn’t spend anywhere near as much as everyone else did.

Use Plain Paper – Plain paper serves as the perfect canvas to display your creative talents. Brown kraft paper (grocery bag sacks) will look very chic with some well-chosen embellishments and a bow made from jute string. You can stamp cute designs onto your paper or just attach a fun motif (cut from last year’s Christmas cards) to the bow.

Make Your Own Paper – Small gifts like DVD’s or books are just the right size for wrapping in paper from your home computer. But don’t leave the paper blank this time. Instead, create your own gift wrap on your computer, print it onto the paper, and enjoy your instant wrapping paper. You may choose Christmas designs from a clip art website or something as simple as the words, “Merry Christmas” written over and over again. Experiment until you have a design you love.

Use Newspaper – Many newspapers don’t include the pages and pages of comics that we had growing up, but you can still find ways to use that newspaper when wrapping gifts. If you have a financial wizard in your family, why not wrap his gift in the stock trading pages of the paper. Or, save those Black Friday ads that will soon be coming your way. The pages from toy ads will add just the right touch to your little guy’s gift; it may even give him a hint about the package’s contents.

Use Fabric – Large or odd-shaped gifts can be hard to wrap with paper. Instead of buying one of those expensive, giant-sized gift bags, why not buy one of those inexpensive flat sheets or pillowcases available at every discount retailer. For under $5 you will have everything you need to wrap that bulky gift. (Don’t forget to check your favorite thrift store, too. You may find even less expensive fabric options.)

Originating post: Frugal Christmas Wrap: Making Your Own

Frugal Christmas Wrap: Making Your Own is a post from: The Family Wallet.

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There are a lot of emotional issues tied up in gifts for you family members. You might think that if you don’t spend a lot of money on your family that they might think that you don’t care about them. Or, perhaps you don’t want them to know that you’re struggling with your finances, so you agree to exchange gifts with your entire family. Many different factors can influence your decisions regarding family gifts.

Rather than going overboard on family gifts this Christmas you should consider choosing more frugal gifts. While you can still share the fun and excitement of exchanging gifts, you will find that the thought put into your gift means much more than the price tag attached to it.

One way to put an emphasis on meaning rather than price for your family gifts is to choose gifts that show that you listen to your family member. Has your mom mentioned while doing the laundry that she really needs new towels? Surprising her this Christmas with a matched set or two of towels that coordinate with her bathroom will really make her day. Pay attention to conversations you’ve had with family members to find gifts that will be certain to strike a chord with them.

Another way to give a frugal gift that still carries a lot of meaning to the recipient is to give a gift of time. No, of course you can’t really give anyone extra time. But how many times have you heard your dad complain about having to shovel the walk. Why not have the grandkids present him with a book of coupons for sidewalk shoveling. Make sure, however, that the gift-giver is ready to follow through with their good intentions.

Finally, choose gifts with a nostalgic value for the most impact on their recipients. For instance, maybe you and your sister used to spend your afternoons playing board games. Why not give her family one of your old favorites so that she can recreate the tradition in her own family now? Board games are inexpensive, but the fun shared while playing them is priceless.

Originating post: Frugal Family Gifts: It Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive

Frugal Family Gifts: It Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive is a post from: The Family Wallet.

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Before you give up and resort to giving your teen cash, here are a few other options that make gift-giving a little simpler. Check these out; they just might be perfect for the teenager in your family.

Car Care Basket – Every teenager with a car will appreciate a gift that allows them to pamper their ride. Stuff a canvas tote with car accessories like cleaning wipes or air fresheners. You might even want to splurge and include a small vacuum that can be plugged into the car’s power outlet or cigarette lighter.

Music Service Subscriptions – The popularity of iPods and other MP3 players have made music services like iTunes or Rhapsody almost a necessity for teenagers. Give your teen an entire month of music for around $15.

Teen Reading – The days of searching to find age-appropriate recreational reading for your teenager are long gone, fortunately. Now there are tons of books (and series of books) available that are suited for boys and girls. Don’t be bashful about asking the help desk at your favorite book store to recommend something for you if you aren’t sure what to pick.

Gadgets – While you probably aren’t going to rush out and buy your teen the latest technology gifts out there, you can’t go wrong by buying a gadget gift. Look for decorative flash drives featuring covers in the shape of a tiger or panda or other drives that feature trendy designs, colors, or even cartoon characters.

Room Accessories – Every teenager loves to find ways to express his individuality in his own room. Look for fun room accessories like Clocky, the runaway clock, that wanders away if your teen doesn’t get up and turn it off each morning.

Originating post: Christmas Gift Ideas for Teens

Christmas Gift Ideas for Teens is a post from: The Family Wallet.

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You have to be prepared to face many different temptations and pitfalls in order to stick to your holiday budget. Compulsive buys, unrealistic expectations, and lack of time can all wreak havoc on your careful planning. When creating your budget and getting your shopping done, be sure to keep these things in mind:

Start planning (and shopping) early. Starting early helps you build a solid gift-giving budget. You will have time to consider gift options for your friends and family and shop for a great price. And, you won’t fall victim to bad decisions caused by frantic last-minute shopping.

Build room in your budget for those necessary, but unforeseen, expenses like sales tax or shipping charges. You may find a great deal at your favorite website, but internet shopping often requires you to pay shipping charges. In the best circumstances, you will be able to use coupon codes to decrease or eliminate these charges. However you shop, online or in person, you should make plans to include the cost of sales tax in your budget.

Be flexible in your Christmas shopping whenever you can. You will find that there are some items that make their way to your shopping list that can’t be fudged. If your kids have their hearts set on a specific video game, you can’t exactly find a generic version of it. Less specific items may leave you a little more wiggle room. Look for similar products in the same color or style when shopping for home décor items, clothing, or kitchen goods.

Shop with cash. Going over your holiday budget is easy if you’re putting the total of your purchases onto plastic. There’s little to no pinch as you make your way through the checkout line. But, if you’re shopping with cash, you will know that you can only shop until the money runs out. That factor will make you much more cautious as you fork your hard-earned cash over to the cashier.

Originating post: How to Make a Christmas Gift-Giving Budget and Stick to It

How to Make a Christmas Gift-Giving Budget and Stick to It is a post from: The Family Wallet.

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Coming up with a last minute, but affordable, birthday gift for a child would be much easier if you instituted your own gift closet. A gift closet is simply a supply of gift items that you have on hand for a gift emergency. Now, when you find out that your son has to go to the little neighbor’s birthday party the very next day, you can simply browse through your options and choose one the birthday boy will like.

Setting up a gift closet is easy, and fun, too. All you have to do is keep your eye open for bargain-priced gifts while you are doing your regular shopping. If you’re getting groceries at Wal-mart, make a point to check out the clearance aisle to see what items are available. Discount stores like Marshall’s or TJ Maxx are other great sources for affordable, but nice toys and gifts.

While selecting items for your family’s gift closet, be sure to think long-term. Cool winter toys, such as sleds or hat and glove sets, can be bought late in the winter months and saved to be given next fall. Likewise, summer toys like water guns or jump ropes, should be bought in the fall to be given in the spring and summer months.

Having a gift closet will also help you keep the cost of these birthday gifts to a minimum. By shopping ahead of time, you are able to take your time and make economical, as well as fun, choices. You can also select the timing of your purchases to make your cash flow so months that are particular filled with birthdays won’t be such a burden.

A gift closet should be an institution in most young families.  It will take the stress out of preparing for birthday parties and allow you to just enjoy the fun.  Just take care to keep your little ones out of the closet!

Originating post: Starting a “Gift Closet” for Children’s Birthday Parties

Starting a “Gift Closet” for Children’s Birthday Parties is a post from: The Family Wallet.

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However, making sure their happy couple’s marriage is built on a strong financial foundation is also a great way to smooth the path for a marriage that will last for many, many years. More than simply giving money to the bride and groom, a financially-themed gift will help the pair learn to talk about and deal with their finances before they hit any of the snags that other couples experience. Depending upon your budget, there are several things you could give to the newlyweds to jump start their financial futures.

Personal Finance Book – There are several personal finance books in publication that are specifically targeted toward newlywed couples. A book that speaks directly to the issues that recently-married folks are facing will be much more palatable to the new pair than a generic finance book. A quick web search will reveal several different options.

Certificate of Deposit – You can get the couple started on the path to saving for a rainy day by giving them a certificate of deposit (CD) in lieu of a traditional cash gift. This gift can be paired with the personal finance book, if you’d like.

Personal Finance Software – Teaching the newlyweds how to manage their finances is easiest when they don’t have a lot to manage. Getting good habits and tools in place now will pay off as they mature in the years to come. You can even offer to come over and help them set up the software when they get settled in their new home.

Will & Testament Kit – Many newly-married couples don’t necessarily have very complicated estates to deal with. However, it’s a very good practice to encourage them to start thinking about what estate planning. A will kit is a tool that will help them draft their first will while their lives are still simple. This first will could serve them until they have children or their assets become more complex.

Presenting the newlyweds with a financially-themed wedding gift is just one more way to show your love for them, as well as your desire to see them succeed in every part of their married lives. Dealing with important financial issues now will give the new couple a guideline for dealing with more complex items as they embark on their new journey together

Originating post: Getting the Newlyweds Started on the Right Financial Path

Getting the Newlyweds Started on the Right Financial Path is a post from: The Family Wallet.

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