Frugal Yet Thoughtful Christmas Gifts

Christmas is about the joyous act of giving and receiving and if you are like me, every year you pour over a list of names trying to dream up the perfect present for everyone. I'm not always frugal; I do like to treat some people but there has to be a balance to make this possible. Here are some gift ideas that won't cost a lot but are a bit better than a Christmas decoration made from an empty toilet roll.

1. Family Movie Night Gift Pack

This one is great for taking care of extended family members with children who you would like to/feel you have to give a present to but don't know them well enough to give individual gifts. It also costs very little.

Put together a pack with a few fail proof DVDs (I recommend Studio Ghibli's beautiful cartoon movies for families with children) or a voucher for the local video store or, in the modern way, a flash drive with some movie files on it. Include a packet of popcorn and other treats.

2. Books

Unless you are buying a well thumbed school book, the quality of second hand books can be fantastic. If you have children of your own, a fun way to encourage reading, as well as creating some suspense, is to follow an advent style way of giving a different book for the twenty five days of December leading up to Christmas day.

3. Pre-made cookie/cake dry mixes in a jar

You've probably seen many beautiful photos of this idea online. The basic premise is to layer the dry ingredients of a chosen recipe in a jar and attach a label with baking instructions and a list of the remaining wet ingredients, usually eggs and butter.

4. Vegetable seeds

Growing your own food is addictive. There is nothing more satisfying than planting a tiny seed and a few months later pulling a swollen delicious root for the table. Seeds are really cheap and there is a massive, exciting range of vegetables, some of which you might not have heard of, that will grow in the Irish climate. I love Seedaholic for a mesmerising catalogue of flower, ornamental, herb and vegetable seeds at great prices, fast delivery and superb information sheets.

The main idea behind all of these ideas is that by providing a few key items, you are gifting an experience and therein lies the thoughtfulness.