Summer can cost a fortune. For some families, many weekends are already accounted for. There are baby showers, weddings and anniversaries, reunions, birthdays, work and family picnics, and various other parties to attend. Cha-ching. You don't want to look like a cheapskate, but affording it all can be tough on your budget.
Here are a few gift ideas to help you get through your summer without going broke.
HOUSEWARMING: Many people bring a bottle of wine. Why follow the pack? Divide some of your perennials. Offer to help plant them. Take a photo of their new home, and have it framed. It'll be a nice keepsake for them, and in the future, they'll be able to look back and see all the changes they've made. You could also give a welcome mat or bird feeder.
BABY SHOWER: Avoid buying newborn-size clothing. "Survival" kits are useful. Include quarters for hospital vending machines, snacks, comfy socks or slippers, baby nail clippers and files, newborn hats, nose syringes, baby brush and comb, saline drops, rash ointment, trial-size baby products, wipes, socks, bibs, washcloths, baby hangers or a gift card for a local pharmacy. Include handmade coupons for babysitting, housecleaning or meals made by you. One reader, Steph in Maine, suggests: "Get a piece of clothesline, clothespins, baby bibs, socks, washcloths, onesies or whatever you want. I get them at the dollar store. I buy some in multi-packs. Pin the clothes to the line, place in a laundry basket or gift bag, and cover with tissue paper. Keep a piece of the line out. Attach a note that says 'pull here.'"
WEDDING: Assemble a gift basket, and have it delivered to the couple's hotel room or give it as a "homecoming" gift for when they get back. If it's for the home, you can fill it with assorted items such as cloth napkins and rings, dish towels, microfiber cleaning cloths, homemade cleaners and cleaning recipes for refills. You can add small household items we often forget to have as a backup, such as batteries and replacement bulbs.
Another idea: Talk to the couple's family members to find out favorite family recipes and home tips, such as stain guides, or gather photos. Compile them into a book. Web sites such as Tastebook.com and Snapfish.com can help. A picnic basket, yard games or a bundle of taper candles wrapped in French ribbon and assorted teas with the book "Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House" by Cheryl Mendelson or "Homekeeping Handbook" by Martha Stewart are unique ideas, too. Or think green and frugal and give gifts such as a tree to plant or a kitchen-counter composter.
BIRTHDAY: For adults, you can give a Netflix subscription or a hanging birdbath or wind chimes and a bag of gourmet coffee so they can relax and enjoy the outdoors. For young kids, assemble dollar-store items such as bubbles, activity books and arts-and-crafts items, and use a sand pail or plastic tote as the gift wrap. You can shop secondhand and put together a dress-up box for dramatic play. Or get a bucket and, inside, place a hammer, plastic goggles, work gloves, a book on fossil hunting and a coupon for a trip to a mountain, creek, river or lake. Even if you don't find fossils, the child can collect rocks and learn more about them.
Sara Noel is the owner of Frugal Village (www.frugalvillage.com), a Web site that offers practical, money-saving strategies for everyday living. To send tips, comments or questions, write to Sara Noel, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10016, or e-mail sara@frugalvillage.com.
