If you have been couponing for a while (or even if you are just starting out there is still time before Christmas!), you probably have a nice size stockpile of health and beauty items. Instead of buying gifts for people on your list, you could put them together a nice themed gift basket. I know I would personally LOVE to receive a basket full of everyday items (if I wasn’t a couponer), because that would free up my money to spend on luxury items I need (such as a mani/pedi).
You can easily put together a basket worth $50-$100 worth of items you got for FREE or cheap by couponing. I know many people who stock up all year so they can gift it out at Christmas.This is couponing to Christmas at it’s very best!
Also if you normally spend $100-$150 on gifts and you give them baskets made from your stockpile, that’s extra cash for your fund!
Be sure to check out the Couponing to Christmas category for all the hottest coupons and deals for this Holiday season. You can also read through my planning articles here.
Good reminder. Thinking of doing this for my parents this year. They’d probably appreciate it. And I can take advantage of deals that I sometimes don’t because I can’t use it all myself.
Good idea Kristen! But i coupon to SURVIVE! I get great deals thanx to u. You and your website really help me out financially. Kudos to you!!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully one day I can coupon to give away.
I love this idea! I even have some baskets and large glass bowls on hand that I got for free at “curb alerts’ and garage sales that would make for a pretty presentation.
This would be a great gift or care package for a college student!
We play dirty Santa and my aunt brings a bag full of goodies and that is the gift that everyone fights over… We love it…
I did this for my mailman last year and added a starbucks giftcard that I got through some promotion or other. My husband thought I was being cheap but our mailman LOVED it!
I have done this two years in a row for my mom and her two sisters. I cant afford to buy nice gifts so I give them name brand goodies just like you have pictured above. I always look for an inexpensive piece of jewelry or shirt for them as an added gift. This year I ordered that jewelry you posted on amazon they are gonna love it. I just my swagbucks gift card so only paid 20 cents. .
I used the Gerber baby food coupons that were just out and I got my 7 month old nephew a bunch of baby food that I will put in a gift basket for him. He is too young to really understand Christmas anyway, so I am really just helping out my sister. I know she is on a tight budget, so I thought this would be perfect. I was able to get the Grabber packets from my local grocery store (that doubles coupons) for .09 a piece! So, the gift was almost free and I know my sister will love it.
I did these for my two nieces who had their own apartments and my son’s girlfriend. I got some nice lotions for $1 a bottle from rite aid (they were normally 8.99), mini pads, cleaners, tp, papertowels and trash bags, pain killers and other otc meds, band aids,deod, shampoo and conditioner, tooth paste and floss and brushes, hair ties and some other personal items. They loved them, it was stuff they needed that they would have spent their own money to buy. Put it all in laundry baskets.
Sometimes you have to bring folks along slowly, so maybe do a smaller basket with a smaller than usual gift card enclosed…
one other thing that would be great to do – a greeting card assortment and stamps, or a basket of snack foods plus some homemade goodies, or a movie night basket with a dvd and snacks you got with coupons, or a dinner and a movie basket with a movie plus free pasta and sauce you got with coupons.
Good suggestions!
OH! STAMPS! Great call, DB! I used the free Vista Print sticky pads, address labels & Tiny Print thank-you cards to make my aunt personalized stationary… A pack of stamps would be a GREAT addition! Thanks for the inspiration.
I love doing these. I have been doing them for the past couple of years. My 18 year old daughter and my fiance’s family love them. Saves them and me money.
@Alyssa -I had 4 baby showers last year so this year I picked up deals left & right because I have 5 this year, but what I did different this year since I started couponing is to do up a separate bag or basket for mom at the hospital. I know the hospital has stuff, but I figured she could either bring it or have extra of toothbrush/paste, deo, lotion, bodywash or soap, air freshners (because we know the smell in house will change) mini pads & whatever else I have that I think new mom will like. The 2 I’ve been to so far have loved getting pampered, not just stuff for baby.
Great Idea!! I will b doing this for my Family. But I’m going to put all in a picture box that were 6/$10 at Michaels. Cant wait to put it all together.
I think this is a great idea. I had already planned on putting together some baked goods for Christmas gifts. One thing I did was go to a local thrift store that I shop at alot. She had all of her Christmas items for 50% off. I bought probably 15 cookie tins and 8 or 9 Christmas mugs. I paid anywhere from .05-.50 each and some still had the price tags on the bottom showing 1-2.50. I am going to wash them and use as part of our gifts. This will be great to pair with that.
Another thought I always try to look for the cloth grocery bags to re use or I have taken a flat cardboard box, wrapped with Christmas paper and arrange all the goodies in their. I also add some homemade candy, cookies, and cake balls to the basket!!
I been making gift baskets like the one shown for two years. Other than toileries, I also like to add cookies, jams, coffee, etc.
My family loves them.
I will be doing this for my side of the family, for sure. My husband’s family would just think it’s tacky. They already think I’m “cheap” for using coupons! I would love $100 worth of free stuff like this and I know my fam would too!
Wow, Amy. Your husbands family should appreciate the fact that you are saving a lot of money by using coupons. It is money that you both work so hard for…
I think you should give them what you can afford, if it’s the baskets than be it. Stay true to your heart. :)
I have made baskets for the past 2 Christmases and my family LOVED them. Doing it again this year!
I love doing this for gift giving! Perfect for Last Min gifts for teachers and bus drivers who, I’m sure, are sick of candles and “teacher” gifts! Not to mention how hard it is to gift shop for the adults in my family and friends- its down to a gift card or cash! Making little baskets or goodie bags stuffed with stuff they can actually use is so much better!!!
I will say this much…My growing stock pile of cleaning,h&b, and toys are a great life saver – but you wouldn’t belive how many boxes it takes to pack it all and move it to another house!!!!! I won’t even mention the food stockpile! :-x
I’ve been picking up cheap everyday baby items (such as shampoo, lotion, desitin, baby powder, etc) to put together really nice baskets for baby showers (there are 3 upcoming baby showers this year alone!). I love that I can give someone so much more for what I would have spent on one item. I had not thought of extending this idea to Christmas gifts . . . *muses*
I found a fabric Liz Claiborne tote on sale. I used two additional coupons, and bought it for $2. I am filling this with couponing goodies for a Christmas gift.
My mom gave me a christmas gift bag full of stuff last Christmas and some of it I am still using. Soap, lotion, deoderant, tissues etc. I loved it. As a single parent it is a gfit I would greatly appreciate. While not as pretty arranged as the basket you can pick up an inexpensive gift bag. Just a suggestion maybe there are single moms in your church, work etc that would appreciate a gift that you could give to them where as you wouldn’t spend much money on a gift for somone who is not a friend. Spread some of the true meaning of CHRISTmas!
Love this idea..just made a basket for a.gift at a bridal shower ..great gift idea for someone just starting out …who doesn’t need soap
*I* think it’s a really good idea! but, the people in my family would just make comments like, what, you think i stink?, need to clean more? what a crappy gift! they wouldn’t be grateful unfortunately.
I know exactly what you mean….. unfortunately -__-
My family would say the same thing!
Your family isn’t the only one. I can’t even purchase an already packaged gift basket (such as the $10 ones from walmart with the styrofoam and shredded paper) without getting those comments.
Maybe you could try a theme basket with some purchased items. Add a gift certificate to a spa for a massage or mani/pedi. Paperback books. Movie tickets. etc. If you think of a theme, and then it isn’t just everyday items, they might be pleased. If family acts that way with a gift, maybe they don’t understand the concept of gratefulness.
I LOVE this idea…now my sister and a few close friends will be taken care of!!
Another idea is to use some of the free samples you have rec’d in the mail as stocking stuffers! I plan on doing this with health and beauty items like cologne samples. Just an added little thing in there to make a smile. :)
I do this for Christmas only we call it the Goodie Box… we sometimes use a laundry basket or rubber maid tote (since they are bigger) and we add toilet paper, paper towels, and laundry soap ect …
Most people go overboard @ holidays and then run out of everyday things they don’t budget so these are great gifts. :)
What a great idea! Unfortunately I do not have a stockpile yet. LOL
if you shop at rite aid this weekend you can start your stockpile with mm tooth paste and tooth brushes and free hand sanitizer, plus mm candy corn. That is a start!!
These are great for gift exchanges! They always are stolen a lot!