Who's Making Their Own Presents? And Requesting Others Not To Gift

dogstarheaven

kSince we're living on a single low-paid wage (I'm the main breadwinner), I've decided to make preserves for Xmas presents this year for my family in order to save me loads of money. I'm just wondering if any of you guys are doing the same thing. I can't stand the excessive waste that goes on in Xmas gifting. I've been feeling like this for the past 10years, and this year is my first year gifting with homemade jams, chutneys using foraged fruit. Previous years, i've personally made-up 12" terracotta pots with spring bulbs and winter flowering plants but this year we're struggling financially, and pots are quite a lot more expensive than the expense of making your own jams! Normally, I would buy for 5 children (inc. my only child) and 4 adults, and told the adults of my reasons why they won't receive presents other than my jams etc., I've asked them that I don't wish to receive gifts from them and they've all agreed and respected my decision tho' I know that my family's 4 teenaged children prob wouldn't understand. One thing that gripes me are my parents'-in-law who would still gift me something despite the fact they're really poor themselves, plus it's usually something that I wouldn't personally use or like. I know it's sounds most ungrateful, but the last two years of presents off them, they've been useless things that i wouldn't dream of buying, and I've always felt that they have don't have to gift anything for me knowing that their assumption of my taste in things isn't correct. I know that they're just wasting their precious money when it could put to good use like paying off their debts (they've always said "we don't give to receive").

Does anyone feel the same way about presents that are unwanted?

I hope there are others like me. I don't wish to sound like a killjoy, but I do want ppl to save their money, and not waste it on items that I don't need. Ideally, I'd love it if ppl just got me garden centre vouchers if they rather buy me something, but I'd be happy to just invite ppl round for dinner as that's my way of appreciating them.

btw, i am intending on making cookies for the children, but I'm not sure if they'll keep for a long time. Is it ok to make them this w/e, to gift for next week's presents? I won't be able to make them too close to Xmas as I work f/t and am usually shattered when I get home (sometimes work lates).

Anyone with a really scrumptious but cheap recipe that they could recmd? I've all the baking ingred tho' I do need to buy some silicon sheets today (which place has the best one?)

marmitepotato

Poundland for silicon sheets, they are in the baking section and are in a green cardboard wrapping. They last and last and are very good value.

I make choc chip cookies for my family and friends, I make the dough then freeze it. I then bake the cookies the night before I am going to give them away. It means less work for me and all the cookies will be crisp and chewy.

This year I have made Vanilla Sugar to give as presents. I saved up the jars through out the year and got my vanilla pods from ebay as they were much much cheaper there.

Sadly you can stop people from giving you presents you dont want. I usually give my useless presents to charity shops, then at least they will make a little money for the charity of your choice.

I will look for the cookie recipe right now...

dogstarheaven

oh, thanks for the tip about going to Poundland for the sheets. I'll get them today. I think I'll need to buy a few more baking sheet trays too, but I don't like the flimsiness of the cheap ones tho. Last time I made biscuits, I had to cook them into batches (like 5 times!) as I only had two trays!

Is it always best to use unsalted butter, or can ordinary marg will do? if so, which one can you recmd? we've stopped buying butter recently as it's got too expensive, and OH loves his toast regularly!) As i'm wanting to do this the cheapest way possible, i'd like the most tastiest recipe to use. so if it means spending a bit more on the choc chips (supermarket is the cheapest, i wonder?) or buying unsalted butter, then i'll do so.

thanks, marmitepotato for your help

Hardup_Hester

I've listed on my blog the items I'm regifting, I've also made crochet hats & knitted scarves, made some soft toys, bought toys/books/jigsaws from charity shops & will make choc chip cookies & fudge for gifts this year, for my DD & her hubby I'm buying B&Q vouchers so they can put flooring down in their kitchen.

marmitepotato

I havent tried marg but have used both salted and unsalted butter. I am sure that a good quality marg would be fine. I have used cheap Tesco value choc and chopped it up rather than choc chips.

do you want to make cookies regulary or just once a year? If its regulary then i would invest in decent baking trays. If just once a year I think cheap trays with silicon would be fine.

nopot2pin

dogstarheaven wrote: »

Is it always best to use unsalted butter, or can ordinary marg will do? if so, which one can you recmd? we've stopped buying butter recently as it's got too expensive, and OH loves his toast regularly!) As i'm wanting to do this the cheapest way possible, i'd like the most tastiest recipe to use. so if it means spending a bit more on the choc chips (supermarket is the cheapest, i wonder?) or buying unsalted butter, then i'll do so.

thanks, marmitepotato for your help

Personally, I use marg to bake with in almost all circumstances, even when the recipe calls for butter... and I haven't had a problem so far.
I have tried supermarket own brand large tubs of marg, like THIS, if I am really skint... but I must admit, that I feel Stork does give better results.

MrsE_2

dogstarheaven wrote: »

I've decided to make preserves for Xmas presents this year for my family in order to save me loads of money. I'm just wondering if any of you guys are doing the same thing. I can't stand the excessive waste that goes on in Xmas gifting. I've been feeling like this for the past 10years, and this year is my first year gifting with homemade jams, chutneys using foraged fruit.

I'm making chutneys & jams as little xmas treats for people.
This is not a money saving exercise at all.
They are either for people I wouldn't normally buy for or extras for people I have already bought for.

I think they are lovely to give at Christmas & not at all a gift "on the cheap".

marmitepotato

This is the recipe I use for cookies, there are lots of hints and tips on these cookies both before and underneath the recipe. The cookies are delish, I take them to work and the boys have scoffed them before the morning tea break!!



http://www.aspoonfulofsugar.net/wp/2004/09/ultimate-chocolate-chip-cookies/

dogstarheaven

MrsE wrote: »

I'm making chutneys & jams as little xmas treats for people.
This is not a money saving exercise at all.
They are either for people I wouldn't normally buy for or extras for people I have already bought for.

I think they are lovely to give at Christmas & not at all a gift "on the cheap".

i've kinda imagined that making your own is a lot more special than shop-bought items, and sometimes it can work out more expensive, esp. the personally-made winter/spring flowering pots i've gifted in the past, but i didn't realise that preserve-making is that more costly - is it? as it was my first foray into making them this sept/oct, i have about 35 or so jars in my cupboard (jars were freegled). i suppose there were quite a few hours expended on fuelling the fan-assisted elec. cooker for sterilising my jars and cooking the fruit and buying lots of sugar...

has anyone costed a jar of jam or chutney before on here? i'd be curious to know pls. thanks.

MrsE_2

dogstarheaven wrote: »

i've kinda imagined that making your own is a lot more special than shop-bought items, and sometimes it can work out more expensive, esp. the personally-made winter/spring flowering pots i've gifted in the past, but i didn't realise that preserve-making is that more costly - is it? as it was my first foray into making them this sept/oct, i have about 35 or so jars in my cupboard (jars were freegled). i suppose there were quite a few hours expended on fuelling the fan-assisted elec. cooker for sterilising my jars and cooking the fruit and buying lots of sugar...

has anyone costed a jar of jam or chutney before on here? i'd be curious to know pls. thanks.

No I don't mean they are expensive to make (but they are not particulary cheap either).

What I mean is I wouldn't view them as a "gift on the cheap" but rather a lovely, thoughful, gift better than the factory made stuff on sale in shops.

marmitepotato

MrsE wrote: »

I'm making chutneys & jams as little xmas treats for people.
This is not a money saving exercise at all.
They are either for people I wouldn't normally buy for or extras for people I have already bought for.

I think they are lovely to give at Christmas & not at all a gift "on the cheap".

I agree, home made gifts are lovely and it means that someone has invested in time in making the gifts and has done it with care and attention. I love to receive home made gifts thats why I love to give them too.