Hands up if your favourite part of the holidays is gift giving, because same!
My eagerness to start the holiday season helps me get a head start on my Christmas gift planning and shopping list, but it’s important to avoid throwing caution to the wind during this bustling time of year when the sales are abundant and the deals are flowing through your inbox.
Today I’m sharing my favourite tradition to help you justify the relentless search for bargains while doing some good for the world. If you’ve never heard of The Shoebox Project, you must check out their website and read up on this fabulous organization (that was started in Canada!).
Essentially, it’s a charity that collects shoeboxes filled with $50 worth of little luxuries that could bring a woman effected by homelessness a bit of joy during the holiday season. Their biggest differentiating factor is that they encourage high-quality items (hence the $50 value). So it’s like you’re shopping for yourself, your mom, your girlfriend not just strolling down the aisles in Dollarama and calling it a day.
While yes, the value of the content inside each box should be valued at $50 but that definitely doesn’t mean you need to spend that much. If you start early, plan well and think strategically, you can spend a fraction of that. For me, that means I try to make four boxes for the price of two. Spreading more Christmas cheer to even more women.
When Black Friday closes in, I carefully plan my shopping haul and included in that planning is my hunt for Shoebox items. If you’re like me and feel an adrenaline rush when you save more than you spend, then Black Friday is like an Olympic sporting event for you. Whether you plan ahead or wait to see what you find, use Black Friday promotions to make get the most value and make as many shoeboxes as you can.
Download my Shoebox Project planning worksheet here.
Below I’m sharing my favourite tips for how to make the most of your Shoebox budget!
Free or Almost Free Things To Include In Your Shoebox:
- Use your loyalty points, promo codes and free samples from places like Sephora to get deluxe sample products. High quality beauty products are such a special thing to include for someone who normally wouldn’t splurge on fragrance or lipstick.
- Use up bits of yarn to knit or crochet a cozy headband for winter or scrap fabric to make a little pouch.
- Write a card. Imagine not getting any Christmas cards because you don’t have an address to send one. That’s the case for many of these women. I always include a handwritten note.
- Regift items. I always seem to get gift cards and accessories that I don’t necessarily care to use. Though I appreciate the thought. That’s when I’ll add it into my Shoebox pile and factor in the value to my total.
Sale surfing tips:
- Look for value sets that can be disassembled. I only look for sets that have products inside a package so it’s clear that the items weren’t previously opened. (Definitely don’t include any used products)
- 3 for 1. Or similar deals. Claire’s, for example, often has some nice accessories like simple, stud earrings that are often on a buy 3, get 3 free.
- High quality at an unbeatable price. This year I wanted to add a crochet headband because function and beauty can be one in the same. But when the unreal deal of 40% Roots outerwear flew into my inbox, I knew that was too good a deal to pass up.
I’m from Toronto, and since The Shoebox Project delivers to many local charities, I like to add winter items to my boxes (hats, gloves, mittens, socks, even lip balm) . A Canadian winter is hard to face when you’re not prepared.
While you plan your holiday shopping list, consider adding items for a box this year. I’ve created a Shoebox planner printout to make your planning even easier. Download the individual sheet for planning your own Shoebox Project boxes this holiday season.
