As mentioned in an earlier post, I keep a gift closet from which to draw hostess gifts on-demand. I save money this way because I stock my gift closet with bargains. Some of these come from stores like TJ MAXX and HOMEGOODS. Others are deep discounts that I find througout the year. The day after Christmas is one of my favorite days to stock up. I often skip Black Friday, but never miss the sales on December 26th. For example, I always visit Bath and Body Works on that day. Many items go for $2 to $5 and gift sets are usually 75% off. I often get coupons from this chain for "$10 off of a $30 purchase". For about $20 I can usually pick up 6 to 8 hostess or "just because" gifts.
An assortment of gift bags (many recycled from gifts we've received) and different colors of tissue are also on hand. I do not like to pay retail price for wrappings. The prices are INSANE!
I know it might seem like all I do is shop. Not really, I just keep my bargain radar up when I'm out and about. It is amazing what I can find if I just pay attention! For example, yesterday I went to the mall to exchange some jeans for one of the kiddos. Lo and behold, Yankee Candle had their Fall scented candles (my favorites) on sale, buy 2 jars and get 1 free. Because I had my handy-dandy coupon binder in the car (to be explained in a later post), I had the "$10 off of a $25 purchase" coupon that came in the mail earlier this week. I purchased 3 candles that retail for $14.99. I paid $21.18, a savings of $25. They are snug in my gift closet until I need them.
To be completely honest, stocking up on bargains allows me to give nicer gifts.
Hostess Gift Ideas:
-Candles and/or Candleholders
-Picture Frames
-Quality Liquid Hand Soaps for Bath or Kitchen
-Cookbooks
-Nice Kitchen Linens
-Food Gifts From Your Kitchen
-Plants (if you need last-minute gift)
-Gourmet Oil, Honey or Preserves
-Specialty Coffees or Teas
-Fun Board Games
Don't forget your hosts during the holidays or any other time of year!
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Funny you should post this today. I was just thinking about your gift closet earlier today. For the last two years, since I started making jam, I've been giving homemade jam as hostess gifts. But I've been thinking of some otehr things to keep on hand as well.
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