The Gift Cupboard!

Sofa_Sogood

Marigold123 wrote:

I have taken to going mad in Boots when all the gift stuff is reduced to 25% or less towards the end of the January Sales.

I'm not a great user of Boots, but I bought in batches, and it worked out very well, with points from the first batch going towards some of the presents from the second batch, etc.

Marks and Spencer's sales are also a good source of nice birthday and christmas presents, but as I said, you do need the space to keep them all.

I've saved an absolute ton of money on presents this year, so I'm well pleased. I may need a bigger garage, though.

I want a garage for Christmas ... because of Boots and M&S I've saved a fortune too ... thanks to this site Marigold123. What I'm buying now, or will before December, will only be Boots, M&S, and eBay bargains.

Harrods starts in January

rammy007

Mines not so much as a gift cupboard but a gift pile on the bedroom floor cos of all the work we have just had done on our house,i have never been without a present if one is needed unexpectedly

edda

My gift cupboard (drawers, boxes or anywhere I have space) always has a few items in it for emergencies and includes birthday cards that I collect throughout the year. Thay way, I have my own selection of cards to choose from when any birthdays are due - and it's much better than trawling round loads of shops at the last minute.

However, one new addition to my cupboard this year - a gift receipts folder :idea:

Since many shops now have a limit on when you can return without conditions(e.g. Littlewoods is only 28 days; M&S 90 days), I ask for a gift receipt for anything that I am putting away as a future present.

I hang onto the receipts in most cases until I know the gift is wanted / fits ok etc. But where the present is for children, I usually put the receipt in a sealed envelope with the present, so that a resposnsible adult can exchange it (or whatever) if needed.

bluep

I keep both a card box and a gift box (although this has expanded to take up most of a cupboard LOL).

Cards I pick up as and when I see them - the post office was doing half-price on lovely Tate Art cards recently and The Books Warehouse (chain shop you see everywhere) is doing a box set of blank Turner cards for £1.99 (20 cards!! perfect for birthdays etc...) plus they have a range of cards at 4 for £1 - some good ones in there and 2 for £1 - better ones in there! For the home-makers, they are selling nice ivory or white blank DIY cards for 50 for £7.99 or 2 packs for £9.99 - I print out little pictures of our daughter on the pc and stick them on for instant thank you cards or just a "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" printed on the front in a quirky old font, makes a great last minute card. TK Maxx have a great selection of normally expensive christmas card packs (or at least, they did throughout the whole summer!) £2-£3 per pack rather than £8-£10.

My gift box takes a little bit of future investment but pays back in dividends. I go a bit mad in the January sales but pick things that aren't "fashion" i.e. great for that year but completely old hat by next year. Classic christmas stuff always gets massively reduced becuase they just can't sell it at all, but it is just as good for next year - a nice touch for present wrapping is to include an expensive looking but massively reduced (woodern etc...from The Pier, Debenhams, John Lewis, Monsoon, Habitat...) christmas tree decoration on the outside so your recipients build up a lovely collection over the years. I got some last year for 25p reduced from £4.

As for presents, I pick them up when and where I see them in the sales and throughout the year - bargains include WH Smith micro-kites for kids at 49p from £2.99 - got 5 of these and with some chocolate, that does all the kids in my extended family from the ages of 5-10. T K Maxx is great for sale items for kids clothes (as is Debenhams and Mothercare) and my latest source of bargains has been Oxfam - their section of brand new books, toys, educational toy packs etc.. has been brilliant - stuff reduced by 50% - woodern brightly pictured dominos sets, puzzles, woodern trucks and pull along elephants - all £2.99 - £4.99. At least your money is still going to a good cause!

Boots has been great - £18 cd/mp3 player (reduced from £50) did my stepson's birthday nicely - wish I'd bought another one of these for my partner's christmas present!

My point is, its September, I just went through all of my gift cupboard yesterday and realised that I only have a couple of little things to pick up for christmas, everyone else's presents are already got!! So, by the time the January sales come around, I'm going to be itching to do some christmas shopping AND have the cash there to do it...setting me up nicely for next christmas! If you can find the money to spend out twice in one year (once for christmas and once in the sales), it saves so much money the next year...and the next...and the next...etc...

squeaky

For those of you new to Old Style and joining us from the link in the news letter I thought you might like to know that we have a
Christmas Support Thread
which will include a six week count down starting late in October (complete with planner from organised.home).

We also have all sorts of gift and hamper ideas listed in our Collections which you can find in our "Indexed Collections" sticky at the top of the forum listing, or you can follow the clue in my signature any time you see it or...

..you can use the Indexed Collections link in the Blue Bar at the top of every page which looks something like this:-

inkie

Christmas? I have that all sewn up by the middle of Jan - go around and buy up all the stuff in the sales, wrap it up and put the gift tags on and then put in the loft until the desired moment. Sorted! This means that I can spend my time on focussing on the reason why we celebrate Christmas in the first place - its my busiest time of year work-wise as i'm a minister of religion.

Trollydolly_2

This is my first year in my own house and so have no money what so ever!

Ive turned into an avid carbooter and have managed to get loads of pressies sorted and put into a box.

These include 3 Tshirst for my sister 2 x DKNY ones and a ralph lauren one i paid a pound for them, washed them and they look like new!
also got toys for all my nephews and niece for under a pund each, Vtech and fisher price etc.
As for cards i got a huge pile of them for 50p that are really good quality and cover everything from Birthday, christmas to anniversary and birth! There is about 100 there!

Also went to the next sale and bought 10 smelly gift packs reduced from about £12 to £3

So i thinki have everyone sorted now, just a few bits to get and i should do that this sunday at my local carbooty!

Anyone i havnt managed to buy for will get some printed A5 letter writing sets with there name and address on that im gonna print on the puter!

As for wrapping paper i think the wallpaper idea is fab!!!

Gift tags... Im going to print a wallet sized piccie of each person and cut it out and use it for a gift tag!

Thanks for all the ideas guys and gals!

TD xx

PS Car boot sales are the way forward!!!

Londondub

Sofa_Sogood wrote:

sending gifts via World Vision

I did that last year for work gifts and everyone seemed to love the idea.

aliasojo

Nice to see this thread on the go again.

My gift 'drawers' have turned into a gift 'loft' now. I've collected so many bargains over the year that I have no space for them. Any time I need a pressie, I have to haul the ladders out.

None of my stash has been full price, lots have been freebies, Boots errors, Grabbit bargains or other offers.

I made the mistake of not keeping note of what was bought though, so I have to go rake every time I need a pressie. Oh well, that'll teach me for next year.

elona

I have just dug out a small notebook which is about to live in my handbag.

It has names of people I want to get presents for and a rough note of ideas.

When ideas are firmed up and ordered I will note it in the book and then tick things off as they arrive and as I wrap them.

DDs keep changing their enthusiasms so I cannot just repeat what was so popular last year.

Have already got some jewellery and some cosmetics are ordered- have also joined a book club as they have a good deal on books for youngestDD.