Christmas on a budget

We're going to start a list of Christmas ideas, tips and recipes, we can all use while staying on a budget. We would love to have you add to this list. This is a really good way to help each other out this Christmas, during difficult times and even for when times are better. We will be posting our ideas soon and look forward to hearing from you.
Danielle and Michelle


Here is my first suggestion in this post. Some of the things I've really loved doing over the years that are budget friendly and from the heart, are gifts from the kitchen. My neighbors used to love it when I would make a loaf of quick bread (lemon, pumpkin, banana, etc) in a small loaf pan, wrap it up straight out of the oven, and send my kids out to the neighbors with it. I also got great reviews from making the "cookies in a jar". One of the neighbors told me they wouldn't let their kids make cookies from it because it was too pretty, so it sat on their counter. None of these things costs much, you can even get used jars from D.I. for pennies. If you need recipes, contact me (Michelle) or get online and look up cookies in a jar recipes, there are plenty.
If you don't want to do something sweet, make up a "dinner kit" or spice mixs for rice, etc. and put them in ziploc bags or jars (if you can sew a straight line, you could make a fabric bag like the ones you find in the store with mixes in, like Lehi Roller Mills) and put it in a cute basket with a bow or just tie a ribbon around the bag or jar. You could also make up your favorite "mix", such as brownie mix, muffin mix, pancake mix, hot cocoa mix, put it in a container (like a plastic bag in a fabric bag like Lehi Roller Mills) for a fraction of the cost of purchasing it from the store.
It doesn't have to be grandiose, the point is to let people know you're thinking of them. What ever you do, do the best you can and be happy with that. Just a couple of cents worth of thought there.
Don't be too shy to share with us. This blog is for you to use and share. We'd love to get ideas from you, too. Be annonymous if need be.