Post Christmas sales are going on now and this is the best time to grab up some deals for next year’s Christmas cards, ribbons, bows and seasonal items.

Even if you decide that you are only going to send a few cards, you can get Christmas cards at half price at most places. Even the dollar store has half price Christmas items.

To really get some significant savings out of wrapping paper, search for some that can be used for gifts throughout the year or for seasonal birthdays. Gold paper looks nice at any time of the year. Know for certain that you will make cookies or need some Christmas-y containers? Then search for some at the end of the season.

So far in the sales after Christmas I have my cards for next year, some reusable picks and decorations to spruce up my Christmas wreath. All of these were at 70% off the regular price.

Gifts can be purchased ahead of time such as ornaments or craft items that will be used to make gifts for next year. Shopping now helped me save a lot of money and get some really great things for less than regular price.

I can’t remember when I last bought Christmas cards the year I sent them out. Although buying them at 70% off this year was like buying two boxes for the price of one. 

Christmas towels and home decorations are also included in most of the sales, you if you don’t have a Christmas tablecloth or winter decorations you could find something to help decorate your home. Not all Christmas decorations say Merry Christmas, some just show winter scenes so if you decide that you want to have some winter themed placemats or towels to use in your home, then buy those. What about solid colored table cloths, Some people do like to use red, white or ivory cloths on their tables at other times of the year. Why pay full price when you can get them on sale?

Post Christmas sales can help you keep cash in your pocket.

Christmas is next week. If you haven’t decided what you want to give other people there is still time. Although it is rather difficult to try to make all the gifts you may need for this Christmas, be realistic about what you can and cannot make. 

More and more people I talk to this year are giving money to people on their lists. Many are afraid of giving store gift cards because so many stores are going out of business. Giving cash isn’t a taboo as much anymore and this gift giving season it can really help you keep things in line with your spending. If you say you want to spend $25 for a person is that with or without tax? If you give $25 to a person then that’s it, you have given your gift and don’t need to worry about additional taxes, shipping and handling which could add another 15-20% to your budget.

Giving cash is a great way to simplify your gift giving. I am giving cash to some people and have no qualms about doing so. I may make the gift a little more interesting by giving the person all singles in a basket or other interesting container that I already have but I am going to stay within my budget!

When spending for Christmas, make sure that you include the price of gift wrap, decorations and other small things that will definitely add up and break your budget.

If you have gift wrap from last year, use it. Before you buy any more, assess what you already have. Using gift bags instead this year? Take stock of how many you really need before making any new purchases.

Do you need to buy a box? Before the recession stores weren’t giving away boxes as much, so that means you may have to make a trip to the dollar or craft store to buy some boxes if you aren’t using other containers for your wrapping. If you are shopping at a store that does give away boxes ask for them. Especially if you have several gifts that are going to the same person in one box, you will definitely need a box at some time.

Don’t forget to compare prices. 

A basket or reusable bag may cost more but if your recipient can use it hundreds of times or use it as a household container this is a better deal than just buying a bag or using wrap that will be tossed out. Either way, you need to plan for this expense or you will have to wrap gifts in newspaper, or give them naked (sans wrapping).

It’s easy to get caught up the in the cute seasonal wrapping that is offered at the higher priced card/stationer shops. Go to the dollar store or craft store when it is on sale and buy wrapping paper. (Make sure that when gifts are being unwrapped, you put them in a bag for recycling.)

Rather than just giving someone a gift bag that they will discard,
give them a reusable tote bag or shopping bag
that can be used over and over again.

Smaller tote bags are available from craft stores. If you want to do something a little different just get a bag from your local grocer and put the person’s gifts in them. Most of the bags are green anyway. Then if you want, you can just add a ribbon and a tag.

This is useful and practical because most gift bags cost about $1-$5. Using a reusable bag as gift wrap will give you an opportunity to give someone an additional part of a gift that is useful. Also, it is possible to encourage reuse. In larger cities I am sure that you have seen people carrying the heavier shopping bags from boutiques and other stores. It may be because of the fashion but after a while even those bags break. Help your loved ones out by giving them a nicer bag that they can use for many purposes. Chico and Envirosax have some nice bags if you don’t want to get the ones from the grocery store.

If you choose the really cheap route and if you have the inclination, you could also go to the thrift store or a dollar plus store and buy some misprinted bags. The bags may be cheap, but again like advertising for a grocery store, you are giving away free advertising. Some of the reusable shopping bags available at stores do not have the store’s name or logo on them.

It’s your choice but I would rather spend a few dollars more on a present by giving them something useful, not just for a bag or other wrapping that will end up in the garbage a few minutes later.

How hard is it to stick with the changes that you made? It is really difficult to make changes in your spending habits around Christmas it’s like trying to start a diet just before Christmas. It doesn’t work. What would work is trying to stick with spending in moderation as much as possible.

I try to be very frugal all the time. This does not mean cheap because I do like nice things but I do not like having to replace them all the time. Even when giving gifts, I can tell I have grown because I would rather give a quality gift than a cheap one. Quality and an expensive price tag are not always synonymous. Using coupons and shopping the sales along with a little creativity also helps me to get things together and make them look fabulous.

I have seen some shopping tips on saving money on Christmas gifts lately and some I do not necessarily agree with unless you are very young. Buying a set of lip glosses and then separating them among several people will not work for everyone and what if you give someone a shade they don’t like and would like to exchange it – awkward.

Buying a gift basket and separating out the different items that you like and then giving it to the recipient or to several people (not in the same office or household) would be the same. To stick to your budget, you would buy something small that you know the person will use, like and definitely appreciate and then wrap it attractively. Sure there are some things you can get at the dollar store that you can tell they cost a dollar and then there are things that are worth more because they were purchased from a closeout or discount from a manufacturer or other store.

I gave someone some brand name cologne that I bought from the dollar store before. The bottle’s design was being changed and the cologne is still made. Also, I’ve seen leather iPod cases from a reputable case maker for four quarters as well. Both of these items were worth more than a dollar and were individual gifts not cookie cutter gifts.

Sometimes buying gifts for people means hunting and gathering. Looking for gifts in the places you least expect them. When you see something that is really great and at a great price – buy it even if you don’t have a specific person to give it to, especially if the gift is reasonable and you know that you will need a gift for someone. If you see an item and know that you would never give it to anyone, don’t buy it.