Let’s face it, holiday gifting can add up over time and without a sinking fund, it may chip into your budget when the season comes. There is enough stress during the holiday season, so don’t let money or a lack of gift giving ideas get you down. Why not come up with an inexpensive and meaningful way to give gifts to your friends and family? Thrifting has entered the chat.
Thrifting may seem like an odd way to find gifts but with a little idea in mind for each of your giftees, you can create a new and inexpensive holiday tradition that your loved ones will enjoy and your wallet will thank you for.
Here are some tips on how to thrift for holiday gifts this season:
Plan Out Your Holiday Gift Giving
Write down each individual you want to get a thrifted gift for and think about things they enjoy. If they enjoy cooking then consider a slightly used but still functional cooking set. If they enjoy reading then create a gift basket full of reads you found at your local thrift store. Having this plan of action will make going to the correct sections of your thrift store a much more seamless process.
Have a Dry Run at Your Local Thrift Shop
You may have a local thrift store in mind, so take a day to drive to your top choice and a few others in your area to see which will have the best selection for the gifts you will need. Some thrift stores have an amazing home goods section, others have a great selection of purses, shoes, and clothing. You will want to find the thrift store that has quality goods and the kind of items you wish to give to loved ones.
Find a Thrift Shop With a Charity You Enjoy
Many times thrift stores have a charity behind them that may be meaningful to you. Some charities support a local hospital, the humane society of your area, or a women’s group that you want to give back to. With each purchase, you will be giving gifts to not only your loved ones but the organization in which you purchased these gifts in honor of–a total win/win!
Get Creative With Thrift Giving
Even with ideas in mind, it doesn’t mean you are stuck with just one thing that they enjoy. Turn the concept into something bigger like a basket of goodies or even creating an entire outfit that you found. The creativity comes from both the finding of the gifts but also the presentation and explanation of WHY you bought this gift.
Putting together a basket for your Great Aunt and stating “I love how you make us delicious chocolate chip cookies when we visit, so we decided to give you this cookware and also these cute oven mitts and apron to bring the entire look together,” is a creative and thoughtful way to thrift and give gifts.
Look Through Your Local Buy-Nothing Groups
If you are still not finding what you need, join and look through your local Buy-Nothing groups on Facebook. A lot of times, there are wonderful items that people are looking to part with that are still fully functional, clean, and in need of a new home. Always practice caution when meeting up with someone you don’t know, but utilize this as another means of finding nice thrifted items.
The holidays no longer need to break the bank! Happy Thrifting and Gifting!
Sarah DeGeorge
Sarah is a digital marketing specialist who works in paid and organic marketing, public relations, and social media marketing and management to help small businesses find their authentic voice for their audience. When Sarah is not working on a digital marketing strategy, you will find her on a walk at a local park, reading, or working in animal rescue and rehabilitation.
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