Top Five Money-Saving Tips for Giving

Keep your personal Scrooge under wraps with our top five favorite tips for giving gifts with good in mind for all, including your wallet.

Here are our top five favorite tips for giving gifts with good in mind for all, including your wallet.1. GIVE FROM THE HEARTHomemade gifts, no matter how frugal, always strike a chord because it’s clear that you spent one of your most valuable resources…your time. Our Holidays 2010 site has simple “Gifts from the Kitchen” opens in a new tab recipes opens in a new tab (with printable gift tags) like the yummy Gingersnap Cookie Mix in a jar opens in a new tab.2. WASTE NOTWhole Foods Market opens in a new tab® gift cards opens in a new tab make sure the recipients get just what they want – no re-gifting, no returns – and of excellent quality, if we may say so ourselves.3. SHARE THE LOVE…OF HEALTHY FOOD!Gift a healthy eating cookbook or put together a recipe box or binder with Health Starts Here opens in a new tab™ recipes from our website opens in a new tab and a list of your favorite healthy eating tips and foods.4. FEEL GOOD ABOUT WHAT YOU GIVEA gift that you believe in is worth all the more. Whole Trade opens in a new tab™ chocolate and flowers opens in a new tab are great examples because they are committed to ethical trade and the environment as well as the highest quality. Plus 1% of sales goes to Whole Planet Foundation opens in a new tab!5. WRAP SAVVYYou might not realize how much you spend on wrapping paper and ribbons until you get your credit card statement. Try these ideas instead:

  • Place your gift in a cute reusable bag that is a gift in itself and one that keeps giving. Here are the top 10 reasons to use our “A Better Bag” instead of gift wrap opens in a new tab.

  • Reuse bows, ribbon and boxes from previous gifts or buy a skein of pretty yarn and use to secure brown-paper-bag wrapped gifts for a trendy “Martha” look.

  • Get creative with wrapping paper, using children’s art, brown paper bags, comics, crossword puzzles, posters, sheet music, maps, dish towels, etc.

BONUS! Divide and Conquer for Stocking Stuffer SavingsPurchase packages of things that can be divided up to go directly in stockings or little crafty bundles, boxes or tins. Try these:

  • a crate of Clementines

  • peppermint or toffee pretzel crisps

  • spicy sweet kettle corn or canned nuts

  • shortbread cookies

  • a three-pack of our organic holiday lip balms

Turn to opens in a new tabThe Whole Deal opens in a new tab, online and in stores, for more tips for giving, shopping and entertaining on a budget, plus coupons that save and “small bites” recipes that dazzle.Got any great ideas for good gifts on a budget? We’d love to hear them!

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