I saw an article this morning called worth it gifts and included in the list of “worth it” gifts was a complete boxed set of Harry Potter books, a Coach tote and a HDTV. The additional clincher to make you think this was worth buying… Go ahead and splurge.

If you splurge on too many people on your Christmas shopping list you will be way over budget. Let’s say you have 10 people to shop for and you decide to splurge and the splurge equates to an additional 10 dollars per person. That’s one hundred dollars more that you have spent.

It is possible to shop around and make it seem like you splurged on someone and you spend $10 less than you planned to. Yet, this was merely a list of items that showed more expensive items. What about buying a good quality leather bag for less than a non leather designer bag? There is always someone with a book or DVD lover on their list. You can always save money on the majority of titles by shopping online.

Again I say look at your list, do not let the retailers tell you what the perfect item is for your recipients. Let’s say because of the list, people decide that they want to get this particular bag because it was mentioned. The brand doesn’t always equal quality.

What about some gifts that are really worth it? For the price of a lower end designer bag you could make a donation to a cancer, diabetes or Alzheimer’s organization.

If you are feeling really generous buy an ark or a water buffalo or a knitting basket. If you think you don’t have a need for any of these items maybe you could use a rabbit, or a tree.

What about a malaria net instead?

If you give someone a malaria net who was looking for a cool electronic gadget, you may not get the thanks you deserve. Making a donation to an organization or a cause is a tricky situation. You can’t just decide that you are going to give someone what you want them to have because you like it. And as simple as it would be to donate to a charity, even your local food pantry would do, you need to make sure that your recipients would like to know that you donate to an organization for in their name.

I already have a flock of ducks.

Don’t worry about what the hottest gift is. The people on your Christmas shopping list may not care what the hottest gift is. If you look around do you own any of the hottest items? Would you want to own many of the so called hottest gifts?

A quick search for “hottest gifts” yielded a random smattering of articles. Most of the articles were press releases geared toward those indecisive shoppers who need help selecting a gift for a recipient. This search taught me that sewing and needlecrafts are the hottest hobbies around. That is according to one press release sponsored by a sewing machine manufacturer. I am not really sure that people who participate in either of theses crafts would really care if they were participating in a “hot” hobby or not. They do it because they like it.

For holiday shoppers who are trying to stay within a budget buying the most popular items are not necessarily the way to go because the recipient may not necessarily buy into the hype, your wallet may not like the price or you may find it difficult to locate the item.

If you have made your holiday spending plan already, think seriously about your gift recipients before being swayed by flashy sites or advertisements.

Does your cousin have a hobby but you aren’t really sure what to buy? Ask him what stores he likes to go to or ask what supplies he might need for his hobby. Asking for a short list of up to three items in a certain price range also helps too. If you have ever participated in a gift exchange at work and you had to list three things in a certain price range it’s the same idea. That way someone who really didn’t know you would get you something that you would like.

Also, your idea of the hottest gift may not resonate as being that popular with a person of a different generation. A younger relative might not like your taste in clothing or accessories and an older relative may not want another item to take up space in their home.

For those relatives and friends I am unsure of what they would like, I am going to ask them for a list of 3-5 things that they might like. This way my job is easier and my gift would be used. If they really is a problem, hang on to those receipts in case you need to exchange something. But the truly savvy shopper knows that there is always a gift receipt.

It may seem crass to ask, but if someone asked you what you wanted you’d tell them right? Wouldn’t you be happy that they took the time to ask instead of going blindly to the store to get you what they think you might like?

 A few days ago I wrote about what I wouldn’t do to save some money. Then yesterday I was making some lip balm and decided to make one with a tint.

This is something I already do and have the materials for, but I had a lipstick that had some left in the tube. I scraped the remainder out to add to the colorless lip balm I was making.

 I really liked this color lipstick and it wasn’t really expensive but it wasn’t from the dollar store either. When I scraped out the lipstick there was about a half an inch below the line where you could comfortably apply it to your lips.

If you do not make lip balm, invest in a lip brush with a cover. Some lip brushes are even retractable. Then when you have lipstick that is down to the nub and you can’t apply it from the tube any longer, use the brush. I have done both. Using a brush you actually get a more even coverage and will use less so your remaining lipstick will last longer.

Since I was making lip balm and had some lipstick remaining, I wasn’t going out of my way to do this. Saving money sometimes takes a little effort but using a lip brush is a painless way to save some pennies. To me, these methods are almost effortless.

Saving money is important; otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this. There are some things that I will do to save money. Reusing plastic bags, clipping coupons, shopping the sales, and buying better quality items are just some things that I will do to save money.

I was looking at some money saving tips online and some of these tips were hard to fathom.

Here are a few:

Melt the remainder of the stick deodorant and pour into a mold to get those extra uses out.

If you are careful you can just twist the deodorant all the way up to the top and use it without the extra work and without scratching your underarms. Or you would just use a roll on.

Soften scraps of soap and then shape them into a bar of soap.

An easier way to do this would be to get a washcloth, fold it in half, stitch up two sides, and attach a velcro fastener on the third. Put your soap scraps in there and use them while exfoliating in the shower. If you have limited sewing abilities you can do this and also you could sew a couple up for stocking stuffers.

Take or ask for free condiments, napkins or utensils from fast food restaurants. Save the extra and use them at home.

If you have left overs from a legitimate trip, or you made a purchase and then save them to actually use them later fine, but by requesting extra and not using the items is just wasteful and if everyone did this prices would increase.

Take the remote control batteries from a hotel remote.

The soaps and other toiletries I can understand, but the remote control batteries? Even if you won’t use them yourself, if you travel a lot, collect the toiletries and donate them to a shelter.

Take the hangers and pillowcases from the hotel.

Some hotels have changed to a narrower bar or the kind off hangers that have a metal tab at the top that slip into a notch to prevent theft. Would you really want just basic white pillowcases that have been used and used and used?

There are some things that I will do to save money but when some of them flirt with compromising my morals I refuse. If it costs too much money to scrape, mold, melt or alter an original item to eek that last bit out, it’s not worth it to me.

Don’t get me wrong I have cut open a tube to get the last bit of lotion out or refill a smaller bottle to take on a trip or carry in my purse but I draw the line when it comes to taking extras that I didn’t need in the first place.

Explore other options

I went see the Chicago Symphony Orchestra last night and was talking to the person next to me about things to do in Chicago. Then he said I will definitely bring my out of town guests here sometimes instead of going to the Bulls games or just doing the regular touristy things.

Which made me think that in comparison the least expensive package for 11 Bulls games is more than the least expensive package for a 10 concert series. Granted you wouldn’t take a visitor to 10 games but even for yourself. The threshold for 11 games which is the least amount you can get to get the real savings is $385.

Chicago Bulls: 300 Level (corner rows 8-17)—$385 ($35 x 11 games)

For the symphony you can get main floor seats, lower end price for $380. For similar tickets in the balcony are about $160. The season has already started for the symphony so the price would be for 8 or 9 performances depending on what series you select.

There are different types of music that you could hear and experience something different. The CSO offers jazz concerts as well as the traditional classical.

If you want to get out for some entertainment, take advantage of other types of events that you are interested in but never thought about. Sporting events are often more expensive but community and small theatre companies often put on good performances for less than the price of a movie ticket.

How flexible are you? For less than $100 you can get a 4 play subscription to the Goodman theatre. If you buy two subscriptions you can get a Lettuce Entertain You gift card for $25.

If you are looking for big Broadway spectaculars, then you could try the same day ticket places. For students there are often cheap rush tickets for about $10 – $20 depending on the venue or production. This applies to graduate students too.

Look around, culture doesn’t always have to be expensive… expand your horizons.