'No cost' Christmas Presents

lostinrates

If anyone knows me in real life and fancioes cleaning, wouldn't have to be a bathroom....a sitting room would be fine!, this is what i would really love for christmas. And not even doing it for me, but with me.

Or, a hand, reciprocated, with a spring clean or major clean. Or helpipng me sort through my junk to organise and de clutter. All, wonderful. Meaning ful gifts.

Ofcourse, these could relate to the garden too......a day weeding, hedge cutting or even, giving the dog a shampoo and groom so its frgrant for christmas!

Valli

lostinrates wrote: »

Or, a hand, reciprocated, with a spring clean or major clean. Or helping me sort through my junk to organise and de clutter. All, wonderful. Meaning ful gifts.

I do that for my sister (just because I love her!)

ragz_2

Valli wrote: »

I do that for my sister (just because I love her!)

I do that for my best mate... cos I am an interfering mare! lol

Fab ideas though, I am already started on this year but next year I will see if I can do one for everyone. DH can do gardening (he is a gardener though so they may wait a while!) and I am happy to clean, babysit etc. I wonder how it would go down with the family though as we all do a lot for each other anyway... worth a try. May add homemade sweets to 'sweeten' the deal...

Baileys_Babe

Bargainloverbec wrote: »

That's a fab idea - hopefully someone will give me an ironing voucher!

Not quite the same thing but I took the plunge yesterday and broached the subject of not buying Christmas gifts for all our friends' kids this year. So far theyve all replied very positively and I think they are all pleased someone got round to suggesting it, as we are all in the same boat!

A few years ago friends of ours suggested we don't buy for the adults any more just the children, I pointed out the children already get plenty of presents from their extended families but us adults on the other hand hardly get anything by comparison so I would rather we stopped buying for the children and only exchanged presents for the adults or whole families, this seems to be working well and we haven't excluded our friends who don't have children. I also find it easier to produce presents cheaper or for free for adult recipients.

At Christmas we usually get together as a group at our house exchange presents, play games and have a bring and share lunch. All great fun and very low cost.

Own_My_Own

We save coffee and jam jars through the year, then decorate and fill them for Christmas presents.
You can customise them for each person.
Although the contents may not be free, it is a lot cheaper than bought gifts. Most supermarkets now do 3 for £1 sweets.
We also make our own chocolates and nut brittle which always go down very well.

kitschkitty

Jennie wrote: »

Here is a cheap, low cost idea for a Christmas present:


Take an empty, wide, short tin (like a tuna tin). Take off the label and wash out the can. Take a pack of clothes pegs (wooden) and peg them all around the tin. Add a tea light in a little glass and…. Voila you have a lovely candle display. My 13 year old daughter has just made a couple and she decorated the pegs with glitter, stick on rhinestones and paint. They look really fabulous!

Here's the fab blog by Camilla who made them http://cfabbridesigns.com/craft-projects/clothespin-planter/#.UEEAz8FlSFk and lots of other great craft inspirations there too.

kitschkitty

Possession wrote: »

Ooh I'd love someone to clean my bathroom (although possibly I might not want anyone to see how dirty it gets!).
I was thinking of giving DH's grandparents vouchers for taking them out for the day to suitable places (grandpa is very restricted mobility wise) but then realised they wouldn't let us pay for anything. So while it would be a free present for us it wouldn't for them.

Maybe you could put together a special/posh picnic hamper to take with you if they are the kind of people who like to pay for things - include flasks of tea and coffee!

gibson123

My Aunt give her daughters a little embroidered bag filled with babysitting beans, she has 4 daughters and they all have 2 or 3 children. They get a dozen beans each. Each bean is one day or one night babysitting. Not only is it a great prezzie, but it means my Aunt has decided EXACTLY how much babysitting she is prepared to do in the next year... my Aunt is a geniius xxx

gibson123

Sorry a "bean" is actually a glass pebble, when one is handed back to my aunt she puts it in a bowl on her coffee table for next year.

SailorSam

Take_it_like_a_man,_sonny wrote: »

Nan used to treeat her GranbKids all the same. They got ........ and love.

What better present could anyone ask for ?