It’s that time of year when our family’s budget is typically tighter than a steel drum.  Last year I posted about being strapped for cash around this time, too.  I think it has something to do with the fact that both our kids’ birthdays are in April, plus there’s a host of other events right around that time that we always seem to be shelling out cash for.  Anniversary, Mother’s Day, buying teacher gifts for the end of school, spring break, graduations, opening the pool, and so on — although we try to plan and budget for these events, there’s the inevitable pitfall that causes me to check the bank book more frequently.

Are you feeling the pinch of a tight budget too?  Here are some ideas for gifts that won’t make you dip into the emergency fund.  They’re ideal for Mother’s Day but could also work for teacher’s gifts too.  I’m not a DIY kind of person so I do have to resort to purchasing a gift, but with these ideas it’s easy to find a gift that doesn’t have us eating Ramen noodles for the next month.  

1.  Totally FREE – The Obaby app (regularly $4.99)

This app even has some new bonus features for Mother’s Day!  I read about this from my Hyland’s Mom First Club.  A new mom would love to be able to organize her baby’s pics on this app!

2.  See if you have any points to redeem on sites like RecycleBank, My Coke Rewards, or your shopper rewards on Sephora and Ulta.   Cash out those bad boys for goodies like makeup, perfume, or magazine subscriptions.  I was able to rack up at least 250 points in one sitting on RecycleBank, then redeemed them for a yearlong subscription to People StyleWatch.    It’s easy and not as time-consuming as you might expect.

3.  Check your email.  This sounds silly but you know there are probably some messages that got by you. I’m the person who has thousands of unread emails in her account.  Today my kids were at home from school (strep struck again) and I had some time to kill while they laid on the couch.  I emptied out my email, which is the only way I happened to see this great news tonight:

I can use $20 free credit, couldn’t you?  Whether purchasing a photo gift or just getting those prints off your phone, Shutterfly credit is a good thing.  So check your email and see what deals are lurking in that inbox.

4.  If you love getting deluxe samples and surprise goodies in your mailbox, chances are that your mom does, too.  Give a Birchbox subscription for as little as $10 per month.  To me, this is a great deal because the box ships free.  It always has something in it that I love and would pay full price for.  For example, this month I received a Cynthia Rowley eyeliner in my box.  It retails for $16, so the other samples were just icing in the box. If you can’t spend $10+ on a box, then what about rounding up some of the beauty products you received but never used?  Put them in a pretty bag or basket and they’re ready to share!

5.  Speaking of regifting products….have you considered buying some small new items at yard sales?  I mean really new items, not “new to you” as some might say.  Last weekend we took the kids on a yard sale trip on Saturday morning.  They each had a handful of change and a $5 bill thanks to Easter egg hunting at their aunt’s house.  My daughter found some brand new items at one yard sale.  She spent less than $1 and went home with 2 jar candles and a pretty tin. They’re completely like new and clean.  I’m pretty sure those are meant to be my Mother’s Day gift.  I’m so proud of her for being a smart shopper!  She stayed well within her budget and still has something nice to give.  Would it bother you to receive a gift that was from a yard sale?  I’m sure some people would be squeamish about it.  I’m tickled pink that my daughter didn’t spend all of her money on me; plus, she learned an important lesson about stretching the value of a dollar.

Will you use any of these ideas?  What are your best tips for gift giving?