Birthday Madness: Is it possible to give a decent gift for £1.49?

I am mid-way through the Birthday Madness challenge, where, in an attempt to get my magpie-self under control, I have pledged to only spend £100 for 12 whole months on birthday presents and cards.  With over 30 birthdays and occasions throughout the year, this is no easy task!

A spate of birthday's are on the horizon and the challenge is really beginning to bite.  With very little money left in the pot, I have had to come up with some creative presents for the next two birthdays.

KitKat's Gift: Card, Room Spray, Marmalade & A Story.

First up is my sister KitKat's.  She is one of my favourite people, so I wanted to give her something really nice.  But with no money to spend, it isn't easy.  Thankfully, I do have time, so I spent the best part of a day making her gift.  Total spend £1.49 (for the spray bottle top).

Next up, is my little nephew.  I went for the easy option of two books from the charity shop and a home-made card.  Total spend £1.49 (spookily, the same amount as KitKat's...this time it covered the cost of two books from Oxfam).






I have to admit, the more I get into this particular challenge, the more I am beginning to think that we really are all gripped by birthday madness. 

My Dad and his family have never bothered with birthdays.  Growing up, I always thought it was funny that poor old Dad would be lucky if Granny remembered to say, 'Happy Birthday', on his special day.  The thing is Dad totally doesn't mind.  He doesn't feel that he has missed out, or that his Mum doesn't love him.  The older I get, the more I think that Dad and Granny are actually on to something!

Don't get me wrong, I am not a miser.  I will really enjoy giving KitKat her gift, because I know she will really appreciate it and hopefully it will make her feel special, as I put so much effort into it for her.

But, take my nephew, sweet as he is, it is highly likely that on his birthday, my present will get passed over quicker than you can say 'What's Next', because my present isn't a game for his Nintendo DS, (No. One Son was exactly the same at his age!)

Maybe at the heart of my birthday woes, is the expectation that you need to give everyone something, even if you know they don't need it, or because of your budget, you know that they won't really like it.  I'm not sure...

Once this challenge is over and everyone has had their annual presents from me, I will be very, very tempted to call it quits and opt out of gift giving in future.  This is based on my own experience too.  What I love about my birthday is spending time with my family, being treated like a princess for the day and not doing any housework or cooking!  But, others might not see it that way, especially when I don't send them a present on their special day...

What do you think, do you spend a fortune on birthdays too?  Or does your family do things differently?  I'd love to hear any good ideas to solve this dilemma!