I don’t know about you guys but doesn’t it seem like there are A LOT of birthdays during the summer months!? (Okay, I’m totally just jealous because I have a September birthday and therefore always ended up with school supplies as bday gifts… boooo! thanx mom)

I totally get it though… What better way to keep warm during those harsh Canadian winter nights than to hang out under your duvet and make some summer babies right? hehe. It’s true though! Do the math…

Anyways, I’m just finding that all of this celebrating is starting to get expensive. I feel like every weekend it’s someone’s birthday, someone’s housewarming, someone’s baby shower, someone’s wedding, Obama’s inauguration… I just can’t keep up.

Now, don’t get me wrong here - I adore my friends. And to be honest, I actually LOVE searching out cool gifts that I know will make them happy. But, realistically, I just cannot afford to be generous right now.

I guess as I get older I feel more obligated to succumb to the expectations of my supposed adult lifestyle (I use the word “adult” very liberally). Once people start buying houses and having babies it seems a little ridiculous to hem & haw about chipping in for some sort of pillow-set on a gift registry… non?

How do you guys deal with this little predicament? Do you still splurge on gifts?

These are a couple things that I do when I’m in a crunch:

Vintage & Garage Sales: Being able to pick out a hot vintage plaid shirt for your friend or a funny “Odessa Fair 1989″ hat for the cottage is much more personal than any expensive gift certificate will ever be.

Photo Frame: With Facebook and other social networking sites heavily increasing the number of posed webcam pics (don’t worry I’m guilty of them too), it’s actually quite refreshing to receive an actual photo in a frame that you can keep forever, like the good ole’ days. Frames are super cheap and places like Shoppers Drug Mart will print your pics instantly for under 30 cents. Tip: Print the photo in black and white or sepia to get the emotional “ooooh’s” and “ahhh’s” for your touching and thoughtful gift.

Plants: As “they” say, going GREEN is totally in right now. So why not go to the local market, grocery store or even department store like Walmart and pick up a funky, yet low-maintenance house plant? Plants symbolize fresh starts, growth and longevity and can make you look super cultured! haha. These types of gifts are great for housewarmings, celebrating new jobs, or even anniversaries!

Baked Goods: Brownies. ‘Nuff said. Okay not enough said. Honestly, knowing that you put effort into cooking something for a friend should be gift enough. Unless your friend is a cold-hearted-demon-child this should be a truly endearing gesture. Not to mention DELICIOUS! Go online and look up “cheap cookie recipes” or something of the sort, pick up some no-name ingredients (no one will ever know) and go with it!

Get Creative: Believe it or not, we are not that money-hungry culture that the mainstream media makes us out to be. When it comes to close friends, creativity and thought really does go a long way. If you are artistically inclined, take the time to make your friend a painting for their place. If you are a musician, write them a song. If you are handy, help them with something around the house that they have been meaning to deal with. If you have a car, drive them somewhere they need to go. Think outside the box, you’d be surprised at how much these sorts of little things are appreciated.

Okay, now that you’ve got your gift figured out, it’s time for presentation! A nice presentation can make a budget-friendly gift (that was me avoiding using the word cheap) seem like something uber fancy and unique.

CHECK THIS OUT: The creative and ever-so-stylish DIY (Do It Yourself) ThreadBanger peeps give some tips on how to make even the cheapest of gifts look AMAZING!

Makes Cents (6)

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 at 1:00 pm and is filed under Arts, Going Out, Living, Money. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Tags: Andrea Guernsey, birthday, Entertainment, gifts, Money, Recession, Saving Money, Savings, Screw You Recession, Shopping, Spending