Counting the Cost

Creatively Frugal
Group Gift Exchanges

Whether your group is a large extended family, or a Sunday School class, or an office where employees exchange gifts, what creative means has your group come up with to keep gift-giving fun and low-cost for everyone?

"Exchange toys in the office holiday party. Then after everyone is finished playing with the items, take them to a toy drive for poor children such as Salvation Army, Toys for Tots, etc. A variation of this is to bring children's books and give them to 'A Storybook Christmas,' which collects books and gives them to needy children at the holidays. Or bring canned goods and take them to holiday food drives for the needy." ~ Lynn

"Our choir is having a Christmas party soon. The gift exchange will be a $5 ornament." ~ Jennifer

"One group to which I belonged exchanged
Christmas ornaments. Each year, after Christmas,
I'd pick up a few ornaments for a fraction of
their original cost. It was a Chinese Gift Exchange, so the most unusual ornament was the most popular. In other groups, I take a gift I've bought new at the thrift shop for $1 - $2. I buy them all
year, so have quite a collection from which to
choose when Christmas comes." ~ Betty

"I like to bake during the holidays and I like to do cookies in jar. That's easy for anyone to do even if they are not bakers. I like to do homemade hot orange spice mix. I like to give away pumpkin rolls to teachers...to office personnel, I like to give away nail files, along with trial size lotions and baked goodies on nice dishes from the dollar store that they get to keep for the years to come." ~ Sabino

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"Frugal giving is fun! My church group and my school participate in a 'white elephant' or 'Chinese gift' exchange. Everyone brings something from her own home that is collecting dust. I mean something that they don't use and won't miss if it were gone. Each person who is at the party puts her wrapped gift under the tree, or on a table, or whatever. Then we all draw numbers. The first one picks whichever gift suits her fancy. The next person can either steal that gift or get another from the pile. This happens all around the group with each present having the capability of being stolen by someone. If your gift is stolen, then you get to steal from someone else, or pick another wrapped gift. This ends when a stolen gift reaches the third person to have it. Then that person gets to take that gift home. It doesn't cost you a cent, it is very entertaining, and fun.

We all bring food and have a potluck dinner; we may also sing some songs, or share some favorite Christmas memories.

This Christmas we are asking for others to bring gifts from the heart to the celebration at our house. It can be a poem, or some goodies to eat, or some homemade craft item. It can be some songs or favorite movies taped, or family pictures in a frame. It just requires a little thought and time, but not a lot of money. My kids choose things from the dollar store in town and their friends all get a little token of love.

Christmas is about making memories, not about spending money!" ~ Tina

Editor's Note: Thanks to everyone who took the time to share his or her ideas!