Save money this holiday season with wrapping tips you can master at home
Budget-friendly gift wrapping hacks to keep your wallet happy over the holidays
Northeast drought may cause spike in Christmas tree costs in future holiday seasons
Chris Moran with Vandervalk Farm in Mendon, Mass., shares how this year he lost 500 young Christmas trees on the farm due to the unusually dry conditions in the Northeast. (Credit: WBZ-TV)
The holidays sure can be expensive.
From presents, to gift wrapping supplies, holiday decor and more, the last months of the year can put a lot of damage on a credit card statement going into the new year.
Spending months paying off holiday debt is a stressful way to spend your new year.
There are many ways to save money while wrapping your gifts this holiday season. ( / iStock)
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In order to avoid overspending for the holidays, create an organized budget based around how much money you have to spend.
If you find that your costs far outweigh how much money you have, it's time to start thinking of ways to cut down on your spending.
There are so many ways to do this and sometimes small adjustments can have a big impact on your bill.
One area you can save in this holiday season is gift wrapping. You don't need the finest wrapping paper and elegant accessories to properly wrap a gift.
In fact, using more creative ways to gift wrap is often more fun for you and the recipient of your thoughtful gift.
The holidays can cause a lot of stress. Keeping a tight budget and finding small ways to save can make a big difference. ( / iStock)
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Keep these money-saving hacks in mind as you wrap your gifts this year.
- Save wrapping paper, bags and tissue paper year after year
- Wrap with old newspaper
- Use construction paper and get creative
- Pre-measure your wrapping paper
- Take advantage of recycled boxes
1. Save wrapping paper, bags and tissue paper year after year
Reuse wrapping paper, bags and even tissue paper when you can.
Bags are the easiest of the bunch to save and reuse. Keep a bin somewhere in your house full of all the gift bags you have received, and reuse those when an appropriate occasion comes around.
Every time you receive a gift in a bag, set the bags aside so you reuse them for another occasion. ( / iStock)
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Wrapping paper is a lot harder to save, but could still be done if handled with care.
If you receive a gift with durable wrapping paper, it may just be worth your while to keep it.
For tissue paper, if it rips, it's best to toss it, but for those pieces left intact, you can neatly fold them up and leave them in your bin with your recycled gift bags.
2. Wrap with old newspaper
If you have stacks of old newspaper lying around, put it to good use by using it in place of wrapping paper.
Not only does using old newspaper to wrap presents save you money, but it also gives your gifts a unique vintage look.
You can even use old newspaper in place of tissue paper by cutting it into strips and spreading it on top of the items inside your gift bag.
Old newspaper is perfect for gift wrapping, plus it gives presents a nice vintage look. ( / iStock)
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3. Use construction paper and get creative
Construction paper is another alternative to wrapping paper.
Using construction paper to wrap gifts can provide fun for the whole family.
Kids can decorate the construction paper that you use, which creates a beautiful, heartfelt touch to any gift that you give.
4. Pre-measure your wrapping paper
If you do choose to buy wrapping paper this holiday season, the importance of measuring before you cut can not be overstated.
Simply guessing how much you need can lead to a ton of wasted paper, which means a lot of money down the drain.
Measure your wrapping paper before you cut it to make sure there isn't excess paper wasted. ( / iStock)
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Before you make any cuts in your wrapping paper, roll it out and place whatever you are wrapping on top.
Fold the sides over the paper, and use a pen to mark how much you need to fully cover it.
When deciding how much you need, you'll want a little overlap, but not too much.
For any small pieces of excess you have that are too tiny to use to wrap anything, fold it in half, so it resembles a small card.
You can then use this extra paper as a gift tag.
5. Take advantage of recycled boxes
If you have something that is challenging to wrap, it's probably easier to just throw it in a box, and wrap the box, instead of trying to wrap the obscure item.
Before buying gift boxes, go through your recyclable items and see if there is something you can use.
You might be able to find old boxes around your house that you can use for wrapping. ( / iStock)
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Even if the box has absolutely nothing to do with the gift, it can still be used.
It can even provide for a comedic moment come Christmas morning when someone unwraps a pasta box filled with goodies inside.
If you look around your home, you may find something like an old shoe box or jewelry box that can be reused for a present you're gifting.