Gift Giving

So, I've been thinking a lot about gifts. My sister's birthday is next week and I asked for a list of suggestions. Here's one of the (many) things I love about my sister: she gave me a list that had items on it from a variety of price points. There were some things that were a little rich for my blood - like the $80 lotion she wanted. (Of course without too much trouble I found it for $62 online, but still...) There were other items, however, that were completely open to interpretation - like "fun" wine glasses or jewelry. I could spend pretty much any amount on these types of items - from the hundreds to just a few dollars, the point isn't about the money, it is about finding something she will enjoy. I like her list because it gives me options but at the same time I don't feel like she is pandering to me, as in "Oh, poor Dawn is broke... I'll tell her I don't need anything this year." Bah!

One thing I am trying is ebates. Have you tried this? Using their website you can get cash refunds on your purchases as well as coupons. I found a great set of "fun wine glasses" for Megs at Target.com and I purchased them through ebates to see how they do. I have heard some good success stories. I'll make sure and let you know how it works out. If I like it, they certainly have a lot of online stores I can choose from - so that is cool.

I am also trying to buy ahead. One of the things I find that happens to me is that I get down to the wire on shopping for gifts - which means that I pay more than I should. It can be really frustrating. But my brother-in-law has a birthday in July and I already have his gift and got a very good price for it, so that is one more thing taken care of.

One of my goals is going to be to try to avoid buying wrapping paper and ribbon. I have tons of it, and I also have some great things I can recycle - like the way I wrapped Shelly's gift the other night. Doing more of that is both good for the pocket book as well as the environment!