Comments on: Ask the Readers: Frugal wedding gifts

By: Vermont Weddings

Vermont Weddings — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:56:50 +0000

My mouth starts to water when I saw that deliciously designed cake. But anyways, you can create your home-made wedding gifts. Just a little creativity and your done. Wedding gifts need not to be expensive. What’s great about home-made wedding gifts is you can have your own design the only limit is your mind.

Good luck!

By: Celebrate That New Home with a Great Housewarming Gift

Celebrate That New Home with a Great Housewarming Gift — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 23:27:37 +0000

[...] for a New Home – House WarmingYou Can Mosey on Over to the Housewarming, and Bring the Best GiftAsk the Readers: Frugal wedding gifts :: Money Saving MomUnique Housewarming Gift IdeasCelebrating Moving Day! ? La Fuji MamaMost Popular Personalized Gifts [...]

By: Linda

Linda — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:07:28 +0000

I just posted pictures of two gifts that I put together for my sis. http://lindasporchswing.blogspot.com/2009/02/bridal-shower-gift.html – here I posted about samples as a gift.

By: Lauren

Lauren — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 21:51:21 +0000

I think a thoughtful gift for a wedding to give the couple their wedding invitation framed. You can have it professionally done (Michael’s, AC Moore, etc often had coupons for framing discounts) or just buy a nice frame and do it yourself. This is what I almost always do for my friends and they always end up on the wall!

By: Diane

Diane — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:43:23 +0000

i love all the comments above and the Family Recipe book idea is great! An additional book idea is to collect some really great house hold hints from family and friends and divide into catagories – laundry, cleaning, how to be a housewife and retain your sanity ( I need to read this chapter), etc.
Give an address book with the names and numbers of repairmen, emergancy numbers, etc.
Give a date book with the birthdays of both sides of the family marked. You could add some homemade cards.
I love the idea of giving a prepared coupon organization system – you could get a few copies of coupons in the newspaper that week and arrange them in the organizer for her.
I developed a basic filing system for my niece when she married. It was something she could add to and change but gave her a place to start. ( you get a ton of appliance books that need ‘a place’ as well as gift receits and this gives her a place for them.I have the labels saved to the computer and when each of my children moved out I started them one as well.

By: Candra Probert

Candra Probert — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 15:33:42 +0000

Put together a kit. (i.e. movie kit, date night kit, spaghetti night kit, game night kit, etc)

For spaghetti night you could find a cool, inexpensive serving bowl filled w/ a box of noodles, jar of sauce, martinelli’s cider, etc. Depending on your budget you could just keep going with the theme.

For a movie night kit, buy a popcorn bowl, microwave popcorn, movie treats, and a cheap dvd.

I think you get the idea. Good luck!

By: Brynn

Brynn — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 12:33:44 +0000

What I have seen done I think is really cool and I wish someone would have done it for my wedding…..I have seen people get a shadow box from say michaels and they have coupons every week for 40% a regular priced item. Then when you go to the wedding you take little keepsakes (invites, napkins, favors, pictures, etc.) and put the different things in the shadow box and then they have a keepsake of everything to hang on the wall to remember their special day! It would be given after the fact but with the shadow box and hot glue or craft glue it would be pretty inexpensive. Good Luck

By: Anna

Anna — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 11:23:41 +0000

I was looking for cheap gifts for Christmas and decided to give my parents an HERB GARDEN. The seeds are cheap and all you have to do is get it started, buy a nice container on sale, and put them together in a beautiful way. If you don’t want to do it from seeds you could probably buy the herbs already started at a home and garden store soon.
I use my herbs when I cook and it always adds a little bit more to the recipe

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:43:21 +0000

One of my favorite gifts that I’ve ended up giving myself was an “emergency wedding kit”. It was in a beautiful box with a ribbon and “Heather’s Wedding Kit” typed out and nicely applied to the top. Inside was everything you possibly need at the last minute right before your wedding that you could possibly forget. For instance, a nail file, a comb, lotion, clear nail polish (in case a nylon snags), a small mirror, tooth brush and small tooth paste, small mouthwash, small sewing kit,granola mix, etc. I can usually get a box and most things at the dollar store. I usually include a small thing of pain reliever too (I had the worst headache ever before mine, but didn’t have any in my kit). Most of these things are things I now get with coupons. The great thing is it’s an unusual memorable gift, it’s inexpensive, easy to do and so practical! I used almost everything in mine.

By: Elaine Huskey

Elaine Huskey — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 09:24:40 +0000

Spices! I remember when we were first married. I didn’t even have salt and pepper! Even though I bought frugally, I still spent more than $20 on spices! (This was 27 years ago.)

Give a gift basket with spices and other little kitchen tools you know the couple would use if they cook, i.e., various types of knives-paring, boning, chopping, etc., zester, potato peeler, measuring spoons and cups, pan scrapers, etc. One kitchen item we received and still use–a set of steak knives!

I took a lot of stuff for granted as far as kitchen tools, I mean everyone has knives?!, right? Except for me when I first got married. It takes a lot to equip a kitchen with the basics.

Elaine in OK
HS Mom of six, four graduated, two to go, one 2nd grader and one preschooler (This is what happens when you have two more children after you turn 40.)

By: AH

AH — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 08:56:59 +0000

I purchase a baking dish set at IKEA for around $6. I place in it one of my favorite recipes and then wrap it in gold tulle with a beautiful big ribbon. Altogether, it costs around $7-8 and looks BEAUTIFUL!

By: Ashlee

Ashlee — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 07:08:09 +0000

I have given a tub full of Christmas decorations a few times. I stock up on things when they 90% off after Christmas and fill a whole tub for a few dollars. Things like ornaments, stockings, tree skirt, placemats, hotpads, twinkle lights, ornament hangers, etc are much appreciated when the couples first Christmas comes around!

By: Mrs. Jo

Mrs. Jo — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:03:13 +0000

I’m doing a series of gifts for the honeymoon when my brother gets married in a month. Because they are missionaries, they can’t take a lot of things with them so the gifts have to be small, or flat or perishable. They are honeymooning for a couple of weeks in the states, using a car, so I plan to give them a box of wrapped gifts when they leave the reception. Here are some ideas for what will be in each gift, with instructions to open one gift per day on the honeymoon:
*A package of snacks for the honeymoon (we were starving when we reached our hotel room)

*Coins for hotel vending machines

*CD made with our favorite love songs and their favorite love songs to listen to while driving

*Fireproof DVD

*a Dave Ramsey book

*Some advice cards

*Special letter to the bride and groom

*Popcorn and cocoa mix for a “night-in” in a hotel

*Love quotes/verses from the Bible

*Breakfast basket

*A packet of special family recipes that my brother loves

*Paper plates and napkins

*Wet wipes and hand sanitizer

*Favorite marriage book (Like Love and Respect)

*T-shirts that say “My Husbands Rocks” and “My Wife Rocks” (www.christianbook.com)

*Restaurant gift cards

I hope this little gift-a-day thing will be very memorable and fun for them and most of the gifts will be used up so they won’t have to pack much

By: Christie

Christie — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:10:05 +0000

I always watch clearance racks for universal gifts. I once scored a Shark dustbuster-like thing for $7 at Kohl’s.
A gift I would have appreciated would be a few freezer meals for when the couple gets home from the honeymoon. Not having to go to the store that first day back, jet-lagged, would have been a god-send!
My favorite gift was from my cousin who offered to come help set up the reception hall with me and my parents the day before our wedding. It was great to not have all that stress on us!

By: Emily

Emily — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:01:20 +0000

For my cousins wedding I gave her a copy of all my favorite recipes and the non-perishable ingredients to go with them. I tried to pick from my favorite recipes ones that were unique and she probably hadn’t had. I was able to buy the ingredients a little here and there to stretch out the cost and she loved it.