Ready For Easter and Having a Gift Stash

So I was going over my list of items I wanted to get for the kids' Easter baskets.  I had this pretty huge list of items I thought they would like, things they had asked for and a few I thought would just be  fun.

I was also going over finances and seeing how much everything would cost, as I did not want to spend a ton of money.  Easter, after all, is not about a basket filled with gifts.  It's not about how much 'stuff' you get either.  But we all know how much fun it is to get a special treat for the holiday, and I like making every holiday special.

As I was going over my list, I also decided to go over all the gifts I had stashed away as well.  And as it turned out, I was more prepared for filling the kid's Easter baskets than I thought.  And I wouldn't need a lot of money to do it.

I like to stick to inexpensive gifts that tend to be on the smaller side (obviously they have to fit in a basket), and as it turns out almost every item I had in my gift stash was the perfect size to fit in an Easter basket.  Also, I think the baskets should be fun, and not taken too seriously.  Not filled with too much junk, but have a good balance of toys and treats.

This year, I think I did pretty good on finding that balance and keeping things to a minimum.  I try not to go overboard with Easter baskets and I find it a struggle sometimes keeping things simple.  But this time around, not having the extra funds to overbuy really helped to reel in the spending.  With all that being said, the kids still ended up with about 11 items by basket, more than enough if you ask me.  And with most items coming from my gift stash, I'd say that's not bad.

Now, as for how much I actually spent on each basket, I am pretty proud to say I didn't  spend much at all.  At least not all at once.  Most of the items that I purchased for the kids for Easter were bought last year, waaaaaay before Christmas.   And most, if not all, of the items were less than $5 each.  I probably spent less than $15 per basket, when all is said and done.

That's  the beauty of having a gift stash, you are always ready for any gift giving occasion.  Having a stash means you never have to actually buy the gifts all at once and when you need a gift, it's right there ready and waiting for you.  Just slap a bow on it and you're good to go.

Buying small, inexpensive gifts year round and stashing them is a great way to help save money, especially since most of the items I purchased were on sale.  There have been times when I needed a gift but didn't have the extra money to go out and buy one.  All I had to do was look in my stash and crisis averted.

So without having to spend much money at all, my kids are all set for Easter.  Having a gift stash is truly a wonderful idea and if you don't have one, start one today.  You will never not be prepared for another holiday or birthday again.