Festive Fivers Contest.

Allexie

Name of Present : Little Box of Inspiration

Make or Buy : Home Made

Total Cost : Bit of time and effort and stuff lying around the house

Details :

Find a small shallow box about 5cm deep and about 8cm across but no need to be too precise. Can be round, square or oblong or any shape really. You could buy a fancy one but being a moneysaver you will probably find something lying around the house and re-cycle it by covering with nice paper or fabric and decorate with flowers, beads, ribbons, buttons or whatever you have to hand.

Fire up your computer and, if you know how, in a text doc do some grids or rectangular boxes with borders, (easier to cut out) about 10cm x 3cm. Otherwise just guess the spacing. Then find an Inspirational Quotations site, (loads of them), such as

http://www.inspirational-quotations.com/
http://www.motivationalinspirationalquotes.com/
http://www.dailyinspirationalquotes.com/
http://www.bestinspiration.com/quotes.php3

Copy and paste, or type suitable/relevant quotations one to a box, print and cut them out. How many you need depends on the size of the box. Take each strip of paper and roll it around a pencil - a dab of Pritt-type stuff to hold it rolled up might be a good idea. Then fit them into the box so that when you look down on the box it looks a bit like a honeycomb. Keep going til the box is comfortably full. That's it really.

The idea is that you give it to someone who might be feeling a bit 'down' or who needs a little boost and they can go to the box and pull out a quote each day, or whenever they need to. Attach a little card explaining the purpose of the box.

Other ideas...

Little Box of Luurve…soppy thoughts for a loved one
Little Box of Jokes
Little Box of Moneysaving Tips!!

Ally

Name of present? Love, X Rated Fun or I Owe You Vouchers!
Do you make it or buy it? Make it
Total Cost? Ermm ... Paper and Ink if using a PC or paper/cardboard & colouring pens when not using a PC. Or maybe an additional for kids, the cost of a packet of stickers - 99p tops!
Details (the more the better) For the O/H you can make saucy ones. I made 30 for O/H on his 30th using ClipArt pictures and normal Word. Forces you to use your imagination and they are the probably the most personalised gift you can get 'cos you can offer exactly what you know they want. We've decided that we will make some for each other on our 10th anniversary - not to far off now! Kids can make them for parents too - "Breakfast in bed" "Bring in the washing" "hang out the washing" "foot masssage" "Head massage" "tidy my room without being told to do so" "no lip for a day!", or for their siblings and other relatives. "Baby sitting for a day/X hours" "hoovering" "washing up" for a friend. The list is endless and it is fun to see what they sender comes up with! Keeps the kids occupied for ages too! I like them best 'cos you can use them whenever you like- not just on the special day!
Where possible please add a link if it's an online offer You can buy them online/instore, but I think personal ones are better as you can add receivers name. Have a search for "Love Vouchers" and you can get ideas about what they look like or what they offer for inspirational ideas!


some examples. Or you can make them look like a contract and use an old T bag to age the paper and make a scroll ... don't forget to sign it!

EDIT: If you are not too keen on the idea ... make sure you add an expiration date in very very very very small print! :rotfl: ....or invisible ink!!! You can add some fun by having variable expiration dates from 60 seconds (kind of like a "quick, Grab it while you can" offer!), 1 hour, 24 hours, 30 day ... or even forever!

carole.uk

Name of present? Xmas cards with MSE link in them

Do you make it or buy it? can buy or make your own

Total Cost? 99p for 100 (pound shop) free if you make your own from old scraps of card paper or down loading images

Details (the more the better) send all your friends and family the link to this site in their xmas card and save them a fortune all year round

Where possible please add a link if it's an online offer
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com

afro_2

Name of present? Tesco Deals Day Out
Do you make it or buy it?Buy it using tesco clubcard vouchers
Total Cost?Free if you have the vouchers!
Details (the more the better) I bought my parents two tickets to the Space Science museum in Leicester for £5 of clubcard points. There are hundreds of alternative days out, from theme parks to pampering days.

It cost me nothing (Other than a stamp) as the vouchers we earned from buying petrol.

My parents were chuffed, as they're big space fans! Tickets would have normally cost £20.

Where possible please add a link if it's an online offer
Look at the Clubcard Deals section at http://www.tesco.com/clubcard/

fuzzyrazer

Name of present -charitiestrust ecards

Do you make it or buy it? - Buy it/donate it/send it

Total Cost - £5.00

Details....This year why not send an electronic greeting card? to anyone of your choice,
It is easy and fun and you will have the added
satisfaction of knowing that you will be supporting
your favourite charity( your choice) at the same time.
Your donation is processed via a secure server and where possible
Charities Trust will claim Gift Aid on your donation thus
increasing the value
of your seasonal gift at no cost or effort to you.
These cards are of lovely designs too...

Online link to servicehttp://www.charitiestrust.org/ecards

bylromarha

Name of present? A mini martin makeover
Do you make it or buy it? Both
Total Cost? Up to £5
Details (the more the better):

Loads of my friends know about my moneysaving, but have a thousand different excuses why they don't do it themselves, ranging from "But it takes ages to read up about it all" to "Can't be bothered". However, every now and then they confide they would like to know the stuff too.

Therefore, give a wrapped shoebox to a friend containing:

1) a voucher offering one evening to sit down with them to go through their finances, so you can share your accumulated knowledge from this site on the biggies- mortgages, credit, utilities and the like and sit with them while they sign up via internet/ring mortgage brokers etc, so you can help with any difficult questions that may arise.

2) 2 face packs/bottle of wine/ big chocolate bar OR 2 minitures of JD and 2 cans of coke.

3) 2 striped shirts from the charity shop (if you really want to get into the Martin-ness of the evening)

Have fun with your buddy AND know that you have helped a friend to stop being ripped off in the present and hopefully in the future too after showing them how easy it is.

bylromarha

...well, probably the over 12s, and adults too I guess!

Name of present? A mosquito net
Do you make it or buy it? buy it
Total Cost? £5
Details (the more the better)
There are too many people living in disease and hunger in this world. Let's teach our children to be givers as well as receivers. Most kids I know would be a little grumpy to think they they could have had another present for the money, but when they realise their gift means a death may have been prevented, they would soon be chuffed with it.

Where possible please add a link if it's an online offer


http://www.greatgifts.org/(i4aozgfsdyefquyaw2s5mlvt)/giftselection/products.aspx?pmin=5&pmax=20

competitionscafe

Name of present? a mosquito net
Do you make it or buy it? buy it (via World Vision)
Total Cost? £5
Details (the more the better) Mosquitoes are not just a nuisance, they spread malaria which kills two million people every year - most of them children under five. This life saving gift screens children and adults from the potentially fatal effects of mosquito bites.
Where possible please add a link if it's an online offer
http://www.greatgifts.org/GiftSelection/productdetail.aspx?GiftID=301

MaureenHB

carole.uk wrote:

Name of present? lottery tickets
Do you make it or buy it? buy it
Total Cost? £5.00
Details (the more the better) buy them five lottery tickets and you could really make someone very very happy
Where possible please add a link if it's an online offer[/B] https://www.national -lottery.co.uk

I have used this before as a present, I bought a cheap gold coloured pot and filled it with gold wrapped chocolate coins with the tickets peeping out of the top. Wrap the lot in clear cellophane and tie it with a Christmassy ribbon, and it looks really nice. Maureen
(PS, love this thread!)

rolpaula

Name of present? Mobile phone signal booster
Do you make it or buy it? Buy it
Total Cost? £1.95 (save 80%)
Details (the more the better) What does the signal booster do ?

The Tiny Signal Booster Chip...A Revolution in Mobile Phone Reception and Clarity...As Seen On TV.
"It's like having the power of a 4 foot antenna on your mobile phone."

Fed-Up With Static and Dropped Calls Interrupting Your Important Conversations? Finally, there is a low-cost, highly effective solution to the nations' mobilel phone reception problems. This fantastic product is one of the hottest selling new items on TV. The Signal Booster, is a new, ultra-thin antenna booster that dramatically reduces static and increases reception by up to 50% on ANY KIND of mobile phone, cordless phones, pager or two-way radio. Just put it on and instantly see your phone's signal bars shoot straight up.

Where it Works: Works in elevators, cars, boats, mountains, tunnels, buildings…or anyplace your signal may be weak! Installs in a second! Just think no more static or dropped calls!

How It Works: Like a satellite dish, The Signal Booster captures stray static electricity around your phone and focuses it back to the signal, dramatically improving reception. Installs in seconds underneath your battery (so no one will even know its there). Works with ALL Mobile Phones: Works with ALL Mobile phones including digital, analog and tri-band phones. Also improves performance of pagers, cordless phones and two-way radios. FREE shipping on this item
Where possible please add a link if it's an online offer http://www.gadgetsuk.com/product.php?productid=16851&cat=0&page=1


***I think this may be free today if you buy anything else from that website as it stays in my basket when looking at other stuff!!!***