The bottom of this table is actually a table in itself that my mom made when she was in high school. For Christmas last year, my sister and brother-in-law remade it into this beautiful table. Homemade gifts times two are even better!

Chances are you have made your way into one of those stores where everything costs a dollar or under a dollar. This is harder to find on the internet but it is possible!

Check out these great sites for gifts under a dollar. Some of the websites that offer items under a dollar will also require a shipping charge that may take the item cost over one dollar, but still may be cheaper than you could find it elsewhere.  Many of these websites  also offer several items under $10.00 so check back often if no items under a dollar are currently available.

Deal Extreme - A variety of tech gadgets such as micro SD readers and keychains are available. Free shipping makes this a great site to visit.

E.l.f. - Eyes lips face is a great website for those who enjoy beauty products. The page is for items under $10 but items under a dollar can often be found. This site does charge shipping.

 Once Dollar Sketch Shop - This is a great idea and makes for a fun site to visit and buy from. The artist creates many art sketches that you can pick up for just a dollar.  This site does charge a shipping fee.

Be a boss - As an entrepreneur I love the idea for this website. You pay a dollar month to become a “boss” to the guy who owns the site. By paying the dollar you get access to the private areas of his site to discuss business ideas and suggestions. Of course, no shipping for this one!

iTunes – This is probably one of the most popular sites for getting an item for under a dollar as many songs are available for 99 cents. No shipping as its downloaded right to your computer.

Half.com Books - Thousands and thousands of books are available for under a dollar, often used and you will generally be charged shipping.

Filler Item –  This is one of my favorite sites and I’ve used it several times when trying to get the free shipping on Amazon.com. Just put in the amount you need to qualify for free shipping and the site will find all of the items on Amazon for that price or less that are a part of Amazon’s free super saver shipping.

If you know of any sites with items under a dollar post them in the comments!

If possible, and if you have a receipt, return the item to the store in which it was purchased. While store policy may not always allow you to receive cash for the returned item you can at least exchange it for something you will use. If you can’t find something for yourself think about any wedding, birthday, or graduation gifts that you may need to get for someone else.

Sometimes it isn’t possible to return a gift. You may not have a store nearby or you may not have a receipt. If you can’t return it then sell your unwanted gifts!

* eBay – Ebay is a great way to sell anything you may have gotten as a gift, right down to that talking fish. Fees to list your items are low but you will have to deal with shipping the item to the buyer.

* Consignment shops or flea markets – Since your item will most likely be looked at as used you can sell it at consignment shops of flea markets. There are often small fees involved and for flea markets you may have to rent an entire booth. The flea market would be a great option if you are cleaning out your whole house of unwanted items and gifts.

* Classified ads or sites such as craigslist– Classified and their online equivalents are great places to get rid of items you don’t need and, because people will usually come to your house or meet you somewhere to purchase the item, you don’t have to deal with the shipping like you would with places like Ebay.

Keep in mind that selling a gift doesn’t mean you are not grateful for it or do ot appreciate that someone took the time and money to purchase a gift for you. Using the money you get to purchase something you need or pay down debt will make a better use of the gift than putting it in the back of your closet.

Thanksgiving Cards – Create a card for each person in your family. Inside the card tell them why you are thankful that you have them in your life and why you are grateful that they are the person they are.

Recipe Books – This is a great idea for everyone but the one that I received from my Grandmother a few years before she died means a great deal to me now. I love recipes and tend to gather them from everywhere, the internet and people I know. I also often create my own or change the ones I get to make them dairy free, cheaper or healthier. A recipe book is always fun because it gives you insight into what others like to eat and what dinners are like in their home. There are places online where you can make professional looking recipe books but it is more fun, and will mean more, to make them yourself as you would a scrapbook, or print them off your computer and make a book.

Mini- scrapbooks – In the Thanksgiving Planning Post Make It Special, I suggest setting up a photo corner for pictures and video messages. Once the day is over you can create mini scrapbooks to send to your family as a memento of their day or send a DVD with a video scrapbook of the day.

What small gift ideas do you have or have you done one of these at your family’s gathering?

It is not difficult to create a gift budget and it may take you under an hour to make a gift budget for the entire year. Grab your calendar and make a list of all the birthdays, anniversaries, and special events you buy a gift for every year. Create a separate list of everyone you give a card to throughout the year, but do not give a gift. Decide how much you would like to spend on each person. Place a gift amount into your monthly budget based on how many people you have to buy for and how much you plan to spend. Save this amount every month. When you need to purchase a gift, use some of the money you have saved. Make sure to only spend the amount you have allotted per person.

Your gift budget should leave space (and cash!) for unexpected gifts. Unexpected gifts that need to be worked into your gift budget may be for graduations, baby gifts, wedding gifts, or gifts for new friends made during the year.

Gift Budget Plan

Frugal Christmas Gifts to Purchase

Frugal Christmas Gifts to Make

Frugal Christmas Gifts Under $10

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Check the dollar sections at stores. These items can range from calendars to fun socks for a cheap Christmas.

Shop year-round for the best items. Many of these items can be used as the actual gift or as a stocking stuffer for your frugal gifts.

Look through clearance aisles for nice items that have been drastically reduced when shopping for a cheap Christmas. This is another place to shop throughout the year.

Give ornaments as gifts for a cheap Christmas. This is great for young couples who may not have many holiday decorations or for gender neutral gifts.

Search for a cheap magazine subscription. Many magazines can be found for $10 and will be great frugal gifts that keeps on giving throughout the whole year!

Gift cards can often be bought in various increments. Give $5 gift cards to fast food restaurants for a cheap Christmas present everyone will love.

Search flea markets and antique stores for inexpensive yet distinctive gifts.

Garage sales are a great way to get expensive items for next to nothing when having cheap Christmas gift exchanges.

Shop online sites such as craigslist.org or ebay.com.

Scarf $10 gift card 2 $5 gift cards
Magazine Subscription Fancy Office Supplies Fancy Tea
Board Games Fancy Coffee Small Appliances at the Dollar Store
Craft Supplies Journal Cheap/Used Video Games
A package of the new light bulbs Books Calendars
Stockings Caps Gloves
Gardening Supplies Reusable Shopping Bags Small Tools
Christmas Ornaments Christmas Decor Lotions (be sure you know of any allergies)
A Soy Candle Bar/Wine Accessories Expensive Herbs/Spices/Jams/Salsas etc.
Cheap Jewelry (not everyone wants to wear their best pieces all the time and young girls love this as well)Etsy.com (be sure to add shipping in!)
Amazon.com (if you buy three $10 gifts you qualify for free shipping!)
Check Dollar Stores/Dollar aisles/Clearance aisles for great gifts on sale

Do you have any ideas for gifts under $10 or other frugal Christmas gift ideas? Leave a comment and let us know!