If you have been following along, you know that the ZERO DOLLAR Experiment has been coming along fairly well. In fact, it has been amazing. This is the post where I reveal the gifts I was able to get for my immediate family for the holidays and I spent no money to do so.
There were several times I was tempted to break down and buy something shiny at the department store, but I held my ground and spent ABSOLUTELY NO MONEY for the holidays. This means that unlike millions of other people around the world, we did not put ourselves in credit card debt this season. Why? Because if you do not have the money, you should not be spending it. Simple enough.
Now let us get on with the gift giving. I have not shown every gift in photo, but you get an idea by reading the lists below . Please let me know how your gift giving adventure is coming along.
HUSBAND AND CHILDREN GIFTS
My Husband – My husband is the single most difficult person to buy for on Earth and became the most difficult person to consider in this challenge. He asks for nothing, wants nothing, and never likes what you get him. I hope he likes this -
- Limited Edition Apollo 11 Art Print painted by Alan Bean, one of the original astronauts who landed on the moon. It is called, "For One Priceless Moment". A very kind woman I met on Freecycle.org gave this to me to give to my husband for Christmas - she did not have a need for it, yet it is my favorite holiday gift I have given this season. $390.
- The Bacon Wave. $10.
- Calvin & Hobbes Cartoon Book. $10.
- Star Wars Model Kit (from one of the kiddo's). $29.
Total estimated value - $439.
My Older Girl -
- Candle Warmer that looks like the moon and sun - $13
- Dinner Cook book - $4
- Series of Charmagne Harris hard back like new fantasy vampire books - $40
- Weird and Wacky jewelry w/scarf and European charger - $30
- Plant fossils - A gift from my good friend Steve Stroupe to be split between the girls - a collection of fossils and pottery shards mostly collected in Alabama (see photo - start at the top and go in a clockwise direction). Creme colored petrified wood from the Cretaceous Period (100 million years old), dark gray petrified wood, and bottom dark gray piece is Artisia, it is the center of a giant reed. Bottom middle piece and the smaller one just above it and to the right are Calamites casts, or ancient versions of modern day Equisteums or Horsetail Rush. Bottom left gray rocks are actually shale fragments with plant fossils in them from the Carboniferous Period. Small curved gray pieces on the left side are pottery shards collected on the shell islands in Bayou Gauche near Paradis, Louisiana. Estimating the total value for all of these fossils has been difficult. Over $75, perhaps $100. With that in mind, I am splitting the difference between the girls and saying $50 each. - $50
- Stocking stuffers of all sorts - $10
Total estimated value - $149.
My Younger Girl -
- Games and Shoes, Aeropostale Hoodie, and Shirt- $20
- Pastry Cook book - $4
- Sandwich maker - $12
- Weird and wacky jewelry and a Daniel Radcliffe Book - $15
- Chinese Fans - $30
- Plant fossils - A gift from my good friend Steve Stroupe to be split between the girls - a collection of fossils and pottery shards mostly collected in Alabama (see photo - start at the top and go in a clockwise direction). Creme colored petrified wood from the Cretaceous Period (100 million years old), dark gray petrified wood, and bottom dark gray piece is Artisia, it is the center of a giant reed. Bottom middle piece and the smaller one just above it and to the right are Calamites casts, or ancient versions of modern day Equisteums or Horsetail Rush. Bottom left gray rocks are actually shale fragments with plant fossils in them from the Carboniferous Period. Small curved gray pieces on the left side are pottery shards collected on the shell islands in Bayou Gauche near Paradis, Louisiana. Estimating the total value for all of these fossils has been difficult. Over $75, perhaps $100. With that in mind, I am splitting the difference between the girls and saying $50 each. - $50
- Stocking stuffers of all sorts - $20
Total estimated value - $151.
TOTAL ESTIMATED VALUE FOR ALL MY FAMILY GIFTS – $739
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THE ZERO DOLLAR EXPERIMENT - HOW I DID IT --
All the gifts I am giving have been discovered on Freecycle.org, Craigslist.or, or have been given to me over the course of the last year for free. Everything was given to me at absolutely no cost, yet are great gifts that I am proud to give to others. Below are links to the previous gift lists and rules post -
- I posted the original outline on the rules I am using for the experiment here - ZERO DOLLAR Experiment
- I posted my first gift post where I show what I have spent for the helpers in my community - HELPER POST.
- I posted my second gift post where I show what I have spent for the friends and business workers who have helped me to wonderful things with my business - FRIEND POST.
- I posted my third post where I show what I have used as gift wrap - GIFT WRAP POST.
- I posted my fourth post where I show what I got our Mom's - MOM POST.
- I posted my fifth post on what I got the immediately family - FAMILY POST.
Filed under: RRRecycle, Save Money
Tags: children, Christmas, Gift, husband, money, presents, save money, Zero Dollar
