Thought for Monday ~ Easter Baskets

For those who celebrate the holiday and make Easter baskets too, here's a few frugal tips for you to consider using this year or tucking away for the next:

1) Instead of buying Easter grass, consider recycling paper you already have at hand. Use an electronic shredder or a pair of scissors to cut up scraps of old wrapping paper, comics from the newspaper, or even printer paper you no longer have a need for.

2) Consider making homemade chocolate suckers, bunnies, and so on. Kits with candy molds can be obtained at your local craft or department store. Not only will it be cheaper per ounce to make them, you'll be able to use the kits for many years to come and it adds a nice personal, home-made touch to your baskets.

3) Get crafty and creative with your egg decorating, rather than purchasing store kits. Use stickers, papers, markers, crayons, and other craft items you have to decorate unique Easter eggs.

4) Instead of purchasing special Easter baskets, look around your home for alternatives. Do you already have a few suitable baskets to borrow for a day? Consider using a few tupperware or similiar round bowls instead of a basket, as well.

5) Consider buying multi-purpose containers instead of the "traditional" Easter basket such as sand buckets, flower pots, storage containers, and so forth. This way you'll be giving an extra gift. For example, sand buckets will come in handy for play in the summertime, flower pots will be great for teaching the children to grow a spring garden, and storage containers can be used to keep their Easter goodies tidy and then later used for snacks or toys.

Do you have a frugal Easter basket tip? Please share it with us in the comments section.

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