My 150$ Christmas Budget

This year I've definitely been living on a budget. So this Christmas I set one. My initial gifts were supposed to all equal to 100$ but that wasn't going to happen. However I was able to keep it all under 150$. How did I do this? Most of everything I gifted was homemade.

FOR THE SISTER -
1) Home made Vinyasa Scarf - 15$ for materials and buttons.

FOR THE NIECE and NEPHEW -
1) Coloring Book - 2$ @ Michael's
2) Hello Kitty Sticker Book - 5$ @ Michael's

FOR SISTER'S WHOLE FAMILY -

1) DIY paper toy packages. Paper & Ink - Free. Clear coat paint - 5$@ Canadian Tire

designs I got from http://www.paper-toy.fr/  & http://minipapercraft.blogspot.ca/

I spent a lot of time altering the original designs (enlarging them), printing them out, and cutting them out, spraying them with clear coat and scoring the fold lines. This ensures a longer lasting and better looking paper toys.

2) Box of Disney puzzles - 8 pack for girls & boys -(not photoed) - 13$ @ Target.

THE BOYFRIEND -
1) Home made - Paw Print Ornament of his dog's paw - FREE (made from ingredients in kitchen)
2) Nerf guns & extra darts - 25$ (was on sale buy 1 get 1 half off the toy guns) @ Target

FOR MAMA JANG -
1) Koji Pictures in Picture Frame: 18 Pictures - 1.80$ @Costco
She's been asking for pictures of the dog and thought this would be a great gift. This was more of a split gift from me and my boyfriend. (Frame was not purchased by me)

THE DOG -
1) Home made - Dog Treats - Ingredients cost about 10$
(which makes a lot of cookies with left over ingredients)

FRIENDS and FAMILY
1) A lot of people got home baked cookies this year. Cost of ingredients: 50$ for 40 packages.
With lots of variety, I put out a posting and asked a few people what their favorite cookies were, picked the top 6 and baked away. Everyone got a variety of gingerbread, gingersnaps, shortbread, snickerdoodles, biscotti, butter cookies and peanut butter cookies.

2) The Serenade - FREE

Since my big brother is overseas and expecting a baby soon. I wanted to do something special for them.

I received a ukulele around the time of my birthday and had been learning to play it ever since and I thought a video of me playing and singing a song would be an awesome gift. It can be played for my soon to arrive niece, who can then see me and hear me.

Although this year I may have overdone it with the baking, 

I just want people to know how wonderful life can taste, smell, sound, look, and feel. 

It only takes a moment to create a memory - Happy Holidays!