A few dollars saved...

My friend, Heather, is visiting me for a few days, and has shown me some really cool scrapbook projects this week. Most of them require scoring, so off we went to Michael's with our 50% off coupon. We find the scoring tools and I take one look and realize that they are very similar to a crochet hook, so I ask if I could just use one of my several crochet hooks, and she laughs..."I've never even thought of that, but yeah, it should work fine." So we spent some time last night with my crochet hook/scoring tool, working on some projects. Probably, Christmas gifts...in August, and handmade...I'm so excited!

I think one of the easiest ways to save money is to repurpose things. Also to work with what you've got. I have tons of printed 12 x 12 scrapbook paper that I haven't touched in nearly 3 years...but I have pulled it all out and am making it work for this new project. I am hoping to complete gifts for at least 4 people without spending much at all...and so far, I've got one project nearly completed, and I only spent about $12-that's after coupons-and I shouldn't have to purchase anything else for awhile.

In summary, figure out what you've got and use it first, and you might be able to spend what you normally would on 1 gift, and get 5, 10 or 20 out of that $$. This adds up so fast, and has the potential of saving hundreds of dollars out of pocket!

Have you got any great money saving gifting tips? Please, leave a comment so we can learn from your experience.