Having a gift closet is a great frugal hack, as it saves you money all year long. A stash of “evergreen” presents means you’re ready for any occasion.
(Especially those that sound like this: “Hey, I forgot to tell you, I’m invited to Jack’s birthday party on Saturday.”)
If you pick your spots, the first few shopping days of the holiday season are a great way to put some oomph into your gift closet. They’re also a good chance to hit some specific gift milestones, and maybe even to get something your own household needs (or wants).
Gifts for people who are pregnant, getting married, and or heading off to/graduating from college abound in sales flyers for Black Friday et al. Maybe it’s time to check a few gifts off your own upcoming events?
You’ll see towels, sheets, blankets and the like starting at just a few bucks. Last year, I spent just $5.99 for a luxuriously warm blanket in a rich mulberry color. It’s on our bed, and between it and the comforter we’ve been a little too warm lately.
Then again, poking an arm or leg out of a cozy bed is one of the great joys of a winter night. In “Dandelion Wine,” Ray Bradbury described it thusly:
“…sticking your feet out of the hot covers in wintertime to let the cold wind from the open window blow on them suddenly and you let them stay out a long time until you pull them back in under the covers again to feel them, like packed snow.”
Someone who’s setting up a first apartment might really appreciate something like that, especially if you could afford to pair it with a set of sheets. Maybe a half-dozen bath towels and washcloths would be a big help for that new apartment-dweller.
Small appliances like coffeemakers, electric fry pans and slow cookers are typical loss leaders. The Kohl’s flyer I got in the mail offers these for $2.14 after coupon and rebate.
Why didn’t they save that price for Valentine’s Day, I wonder? Maybe it’s because none of these are romantic enough. But they’d be a big help for someone setting up housekeeping – and that includes getting married.
Yes, I know that wedding registries are a thing. But they’re more a lifestyle option than a mandate, especially if you’re on a tight budget. Some friends wouldn’t mind your asking, “So…Would the two of you be interested in a coffeemaker?” And if your friends are also on tight budgets, they might be absolutely delighted with a small appliance.
Other Black Friday gift closet tactics
That coffeemaker could also be a wise investment for your own household. Sooner or later your old one will give up the ghost. Or possibly you’ll drop the glass pitcher on some dark, caffeine-deprived morning. Having a $2.14 coffeemaker waiting in the wings would probably be cheaper than buying a new pitcher.
Maybe this is the year you’ll replace your worn-out bath towels, or at least the ones with the small holes and the unraveling hems. Perhaps some of your socks are starting to develop holes, too. And if you’re starting over after divorce, watch for those loss-leader dishes or cookware sets – they might be cheaper than the thrift store.
But back to gift closets. Watch for present options for occasions like:
Birthday gifts/birthday party gifts. Again, toys and such will likely be cheaper next month. But doorbuster games, stuffed animals and craft kits could be good to keep around vs. having to pay full price at the last minute. Ditto gifts for your own kids, or nieces, nephews or grandkids – and gifts for other adults, such as picture frames, journals, candles and accessories.
Valentine’s Day. All that red! Just ignore the green stuff. But seriously: Not everyone gives gifts on Feb. 14, but if it’s a treasured custom then keep your eyes peeled for watches, jewelry, scarves and, if you must, stuffed animals.
Mother’s Day/Father’s Day. Remember that some women want power tools as much as men do. Both sexes might appreciate clothing or accessories.
Baby gifts. Clothing, accessories and bigger-ticket items – if you know someone who’s expecting, why not buy those burp cloths or whatever for half-price?
High-school graduation. Will someone be heading off to college or trade school in the fall, or even in January? Extra-long sheet sets to fit the dormitory beds would be a utilitarian gift, as would a set of towels. You could always sweeten the present by adding a gift card to Target or Bed Bath & Beyond, with a note saying it’s for buying dorm-room supplies. (Don’t count on it lasting that long, though.)
College graduation/first apartment. That slow cooker could come in mighty handy for someone with student loans and a starter salary. So could one of those cookware sets, or dishes, or a Rubbermaid food-storage set – all three tend to be on sale at this time of year.
Housewarming. Look past the cutesy signs about “home” or “wine,” and toward the practical stuff. No, a shop-vac isn’t sexy – but it’s pretty darned useful. So are things like hand or power tools, ladders, sawhorses and a plumber’s snake.
Retirement. Will someone you love be transitioning this year? Try to find a present that coincides with future plans, including but not limited to carry-on luggage, classic literature, tools, skis, an e-reader, camera equipment or a good set of knives.
Is it worth the price?
Not every “deal” on Black Friday is the best possible price. For example, this 2018 article from NerdWallet notes that several retailers sold a particular Dyson vacuum cleaner for $20 less on Veterans Day than Black Friday – and $139 less than the Dyson website price. The February price for a certain Samsung washing machine was $96 less than the Black Friday price, and $370 less than the manufacturer’s suggested retail price.
Toys, bicycles and other kid-centric gifts are being heavily advertised. But they’re likely to be cheaper in December, according to deal expert Trae Bodge. Naturally you’ll see a few exceptions this Thursday and Friday, such as $2.99 classic board games.
You might save money by using apps and sites like PriceGrabber, CamelCamelCamel (Amazon only), Honey and SlickDeals. They will compare prices, sometimes provide price histories and even let you set an alert for when an item’s cost reaches the level you’re able to pay.
And before you buy electronics, laptops or pretty much anything over the next week, do a little research. If the brand/model is universally panned, maybe it’s not such a great deal after all.
A low-key Black Friday
You probably don’t need to stand in line for some of these deals, since most are available online as well as in-store. Some people still recall the mad crushes of shoppers fighting to get to loss leaders, altercations that sometimes led to physical injury or even death.
Those are pretty much a thing of the past, but some people don’t want to take chances – or to get up that early. Since some deals start on Thanksgiving night, you can shop in your jammies while eating leftover turkey.
Some “doorbuster” deals might require you to make an in-person visit. But that can be fun, too, especially if they give you doughnuts. I was in search of a doorbuster last year when I found the blanket. Oddly, I can’t recall what deal I was seeking, but I did walk out with several of those blankets: one for us and the rest for my nephews (their mom reimbursed me and used them as Christmas gifts).
Which brings me to the caveat emptor version of today’s festivities: Watch your wallet.
There’s a peculiar kind of math some people do when they see a discount: At that price, I can’t NOT buy it. Or its insidious cousin: Normally this costs $109 but now it’s only $70 – that’s only $20 more than what I’ve budgeted for this gift, and it’s SUCH a good product…
If you really can’t afford that stroller or television even at the Black Friday price, don’t talk yourself into breaking the bank.
Oh, and of course: If you don’t need it, then it’s no bargain.
Readers: Will you be deal-seeking on Thursday, Friday or beyond? Or are you already finished your shopping?
Related reading:
- Extreme frugality: Holiday shopping edition
- 7 ways that Black Friday is like sex
- Some frugal Christmas parodies
I like to order the Black Friday deals from Kohl’s online so as not to have to stand in a long line.
I shop all year, but mostly at thrift shops. I don’t give expensive gifts – the kind that are on sale on Black Friday. I find brand new games, puzzles, decks of cards and other toys still in plastic wrap at thrift stores. This year I filled ten shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child, I adopted a senior through Santa for Seniors, give bags of toys to the Salvation Army and give to a family that my department at work “adopts”. I don’t have a closet, I use an area of my basement.
I shop all year, too. My gift closet is a corner of my half of our shared bedroom closet, plus the shelf above the hanging clothes. Since a lot of my gifts are things like books and gift cards, it doesn’t take up too much room. When my nephews were small, I’d buy toys and larger things; now their needs and wants are smaller. Well, they take up less space, anyway.
I used to keep a stash, but alas I always forgot what I had. Since going ‘minimal’ I don’t like to keep anything in my house for long. I now shop for Christmas with my trusty laptop. To save on delivery charges I choose the ‘pick up’ option, and do it on a Monday morning when there are no crowds. Buying online saves me from buying all those ‘extras’. In fact, I just wrote a post about it. 🙂
Donna, would LOVE to see a post on how you survive the cold, dark winter months. I’m still working on that, and Virginia is not nearly as cold and dark as Alaska. Any tips?
One of those lights for seasonal affective disorder. I’m sitting next to mine as I write this. From Consumer Reports:
If you have some seasonal symptoms of depression but they’re relatively mild, relief might be as simple as a good long walk each morning.
But beyond that, several studies conducted over the years suggest that regular exposure to light might be one of the most effective treatments, Roecklein says.
Bright light therapy involves sitting in front of a lamp known as a light box for about 20 to 60 minutes a day during the darkest months of the year. It has been found to help about 50 percent of people with seasonal affective disorder, which is linked to the declining hours of sunlight that come with winter.
The light boxes produce up to 10,000 lux of light (similar to the light intensity just after sunrise or just before sunset). You can buy them online and in many drugstores, but you should consult a doctor first, Roecklein says.
“The last thing I want someone to do is buy a light box off of Amazon, try it for two days, decide it doesn’t work, and put it in the closet,” she says. At least at first, light therapy should only be done under the supervision of an experienced professional.
And light therapy can occasionally have side effects, including headache, eye strain, and agitation.
(Me again: Haven’t had any ill effects, thank goodness. I sit by mine for 20 to 30 minutes. Going outdoors helps, even if it isn’t sunny. Just the chance of location and the chance to get some fresh air can make a difference — and comingback indoors is great, too! But maybe you should talk to your doctor about getting one of these boxes.)
Hi Donna, Yep. Have one. Used it all last year. It helped a bit. I was thinking more like activities, etc.
Eventually when my husband is retired, we will snowbird someplace warm for a couple of months. It’s already in the budget. 😉
I just opt out. We have family Thanksgiving on Friday afternoon. I send a check to the niece and grandson. Get hubby a pair of fleece-lined jeans for Christmas. Go out to dinner for birthdays.
No shopping for me, I do look through the flyers to see if there is anything from my “need one soon” list – or a staple home item (like your Daughter’s TP purchase 🙂 )
I’ll do something for the Angel Tree, but usually wait and avoid the crowds.
I do go to a local running store. They don’t open until 10am, and the first 10 people in line get gift cards in various denominations and socks 🙂 Last year I scored a $50 GC!
Also – my hack for buying a new glass pot for my Mr Coffee? THRIFT STORE. When I see a nice one that fits my machine for a dollar or 2, I buy it and have it as back up – inevitably I’ll have to replace mine at some point either through breakage or hard water stains over the years. Our water is brutal!
I thought about mentioning the thrift store, but that’s hit or miss (unless people are clever enough to search for backup ahead of time, the way you are). For some people, apparently, coffee is life — or at least, the part of life that opens their eyes all the way and allows them to get to work.
I quit doing Black Friday years ago, when my kids and nieces & nephews got to the “I want money” stage. But the years that I did do it, I saved a good amount of money on things people wanted (this was BI, before the Internet). Nowadays, it seems like everyone wants gift cards. Fine by me!
Just FWIW, a cashier at my local Kohl’s said she “doesn’t even set the alarm for 15% off. It’s 20% or no dice.”
It is 50 0/0 to start or I’m not looking.
I have a short list of movies that I am looking to pick up, one of them already went on sale for the BF price, so that one is already on its way to me.
It can be a dangerous time of year though – spend any time reading the ads or perusing “deal” sites and you can find all kinds of things you didn’t know you couldn’t live without!
Those minky soft blankets are SOO tempting though – last year I kept seeing them on sale for amazing prices and they felt so soft and looked so warm – I could *totally* use a throw on my sofa to keep warm in the eveings, right?
Thankfully sanity reasserted itself, and I remembered that I actually HAVE one – a lovely, king size chocolate brown one that was purchased years ago and is actually too warm to use on my bed – so it was relegated to the closet. I dragged it out, put it on the sofa where it is FAR more useful than a small throw would have been!
I appreciate the foresight and organization that goes into a gift closet. However, I live in a flood zone. I have never been flooded out, but a lot of my friends have. Many have lost photos, momentos, and all of their stuff. One friend of mine had a very well-thought-out gift closet that she had literally spent time and money stocking up. You guessed it. She lost it all.
So now my friends and I go lean and pretend we might get flooded. Sounds crazy, but it leads us into a minimalist lifestyle that we love. As for gifts, we give money or time.
As an aside note, one of the young men that I know has a family with small children. His mother goes to the dollar store and buys all kinds of little objects that she loves to give her grandkids. My friend is beside himself because the kids are thrilled for about 5 minutes and then the object gets thrown aside and eventually tossed. Wouldn’t it be better to have a hot fudge sundae or a trip to the zoo with Grandma instead of junk?
No matter how little money we spend, no matter how choosy we are, this stuff will eventually end up in a landfill. My grandma used to say if she couldn’t eat it, wear it, or use it, she didn’t want it. Still good advice.
I ran into a woman who was buying stuff from the dollar section at Jo-Ann Fabric. She had the same issue: Her grandkids had come to expect a present every. single. time. she visited. It upset her, but she didn’t know how to deal with it.
http://donnafreedman.com/14-ways-to-get-off-the-kid-gift-treadmill/
Myself, I think a hot-fudge sundae or a trip to the zoo sounds like more fun than a constant stream of plastic gimcracks.
Thanks for reading, and for sharing your grandma’s wisdom.
I have picked up a few things for my husband, and will review the online specials from the comfort of my hotel room during the turkey day holiday. I will probably call my son to see what, if anything, he and his wife need/want for the holidays.
This year everyone locally will be given some of my home made cheese. Maybe I’ll put up a batch of jam also. I haven’t given it too much thought since we have no family nearby this year, which makes us a bit sad, and less motivated.
I just finished cleaning up a slightly used food dehydrator I think my husband might enjoy. Now I just have to find the manual online.
Well, we had no intention of shopping Black Friday, but then you mentioned sheets and (I think) underwear. That reminded me that both MrH and I were due for some of the latter, and my last king bottom sheet was developing a hole. (I find top sheets all day at the thrift store, but I guess the bottom ones are the ones to wear out.)
The sheets were a bust, as nothing they had was what we were looking for, but MrH scored some respectable underwear for us and we picked up some USB drives, which we’d both been needing.
I like the idea of using Black Friday sales to stock a gift closet, but space and money are at a premium, and we would rather not tie either one up. Heh. Maybe what I ought to do is stock the pantry, the bettter to give homemade goodies.