More "Under $10"  gift ideas.

I bought a glass candy jar, today at the "dollar" store. (Technically, the items at that store cost about US $1.50 each)

The jars were available in 3 sizes - I chose the medium sized one.  I can fill it with inexpensive candy bringing the total cost of the gift to about $4 or $5.

I'm also thinking of filling another of the jars with heart shaped glitter soaps (3 for $1) - I'm guessing that the medium jar can hold about 6 soaps, and maybe a lipgloss (I bought a pack of 12 fruit flavoured lip glosses from about $3.25 at Walmart a week ago - about $0.27 per lip gloss).  Since the jar is decorative (a bright red cherry pattern), I'll just tie a bit of ribbon around - no additional wrapping required.  Total cost of gift - under $4

Another option would be to buy 3 jars, one in each size - it'll be a mini-canister set for just under $5.  A great gift for the organizationally challenged

*I am now running out to buy glass jars*

We have the jars in 2-3 sizes, I never thought to give them as a set, I may fill them with something, just for show because the ones here dont have a pattern. Something else I forgot.

fireworks are on sale around 4th of july and christmas because of new years, sparklers, snapdragons (the little white things you throw on the ground and they pop) and a few other kid-friendy things (the sparklers need a lighter but a lot of things dont require fire at all.) One year we got 2 safety lighters under the tree and a pack of smokebombs for each of us 6 kids..... we were 5,6,8,14,15 and 18 though and were watched carefully.

smoke bombs=2 10-bomb packs=1$

sparklers= 8 boxes of 8 each=2$

snapdragons= 10 boxes of 24 (ish) 1$ at dollar store, 2$ at walmart

A few more Under $10 ideas:-

• A stack of puzzle books from the dollar store.  One of my daughters loves Word Search, the other one loves Sudoku
• Computer versions of favourite board games e.g. the Scrabble computer game is available on Amazon for just under $8

Inspired by something I saw on the internet yesterday - buy a good size plastic jar with a screw-on lid from the dollar store, fill it with marbles (different colours, designs etc)   My nephew and DD11 (an avid collector of marbles) would get a kick out of that!

Another Under $10 idea - straight from the dollar store - A "Budding Chef" gift basket containing an apron, oven mitt, and a dish towel (all colour coordinated) wooden spoon, a few jars of spices and seasonings, a cookbook (or two).  Instead of a real basket, the "basket" could actually be a mixing bowl or a platter!  Total cost $7 or $8, depending on how many spices/ cookbooks are included in the basket

Can you tell?  I'm having fun with this challenge even if no-one else is!!

not as young as you!  not the same energy lol :)  

keep up the good work! lots of great ideas.   I have all the birthdays before xmas so except for the gifts I have bought on sale already...kids are easy its the adults that have everything that are hard. plus they have stopped eating choc etc.

I'm only energetic when it comes to Christmas!  It's just that I seem to have a lot of time on my hands lately - plenty of time to thrash out ideas in my head!

I'm actually writing down my ideas in my perpetual Christmas notebook.  Right now, I have more ideas than I can use, but I can guarantee that either my sister, my mother or DD17 is going to ask me in the usual panic-stricken manner, "Oh gosh!  I have to buy gifts for about 10 more people and I don't have a lot of money.  Have you got any ideas?"  Happens every year, and because I'm the family "frugality expert"  (read unrepentant cheapskate), I get roped into their Christmas gift dilemmas!    I'm grumbling but truthfully, Christmas and getting the best bang for the buck are two of my favourite things! I love it!

and we benefit too

So glad that I could be of some help! LOL!

I just came home from a mini-shopping excursion with youngest DD11, who "absolutely had to have" some beads to finish of her current craft projects!  (I was happy to oblige - I support any wholesome/ productive activity that encourages creativity while keeping the children away from the "screens" - computer, tv and video games!  Mini-rant over - off the soap box)

While browsing in our local Woolworth (we're probably one of the last places on the planet where Woolworth still opeates!) , I came across a few more gifts ideas for $10 or less:-

• A photo frame/ mini-album organizer - I'll try to describe - a wooden box in a lovely cherry finish.  The front panel of the box is actually a photo frame; the box itself contains four or five mini-albums.  Remember those freebie albums you used to get when you processed a roll of film?  The albums in the organizer actually looked those freebie album, but with a wooden spine.   I was really surprised at the $10 price because it actually looked a whole lot more expensive
• Dishes and serving trays - perfect for people who entertain a lot.  The prices ranged from $7 - $10 and they all looked like expensive stuff I'd expected to see in more expensive home decor/ furnishings stores!