My gift giving stockpile guidelines...

For my friends and my side of the family:
This year I am doing something a bit different. They are getting care packages of things they use everyday. Mostly HBA stuff but some household stuff too. I got the majority of the stuff I am giving for cheap or free.

For my brother and his girlfriend:
They are very much into smelly things. Like plug ins scented things, candles, sprays..stuff like that. Over the last few months, I have amassed quite the collection of glade and oust scented oil candles and refills for 50 cents each or less. I also have gotten room sprays for less than 15 cents a can, glade scented oil candles for free, and the plugins made me some moeny after rebates. These are Walgreens deals that happens almost monthly. So they are getting a box of that stuff as well as some bodywash (50 cents a bottle), hand soap (35 cents a bottle), a scrubbing bubbles automatic shower cleaner $2 (after coupons and a good sale) and a pair of Victoria's Secret slippers for her for 50 cents a pair (awesome deal...they were 2 for $6 and if you were a new customer and had the code you got $5 off and FREE SHIPPING!!) I ended up getting 4 pairs on 2 seperate transactions for gifts.

My parents are getting pretty much the same as the above except I got my dad a schick razor for free after coupons and a sale at Walgreens. I got mom a Venus razor. They both are getting body wash for each, Dad is getting some cologne, I got mom some body spray. Mom is getting a pair of the slippers and 2 shirts that I got for $1 a piece at Walmart the other day. Dad is getting a brand new pair of Jeans that I paid a couple bucks for at a garage sale. They even have the store tags on them yet.

Hubby's parents are a bit harder. His mom I got a shirt at Sears with her favorite Nascar driver on it. It was on clearance and I got an additional 40% off and I got to use my associate discount as well making it less than $2. (for the record, I work for a company affiliated with Sears but not Sears itself). I have also picked her up a few things here and there. I can't remember them all off the top of my head right now but I do know that I got her a brand new in package fleece blanket at a garage sale for 50 cents.
Hubby's father is the hardest of all. We usually end up just getting him a gift bag of Campbell's soup, crackers, some kind of dried meat (jerky or ham sticks or summer sausage), some diabetic candy, and a magazine subscription.

For the neice and nephew:

I pick up stuff on clearance all year round.
a shirt and a pair of shorts for her..99 cents each..clearanced at the childrens' place
a Mrs. Potato Head...clearanced at Walgreens for $1.59
a velvet color thing with markers. It is a mini one with 4 posters $1. clearance at Walgreens-also got one for my oldest daughter and my nephew.
crayola crayons 24 ct box 20 cents clearanced at Walmart. I got one each for our nephew and oldest daugher as well.
a fleece camoflauge blanket for our nephew $2 clearance at Walgreens
a camoflauge shirt $4.99 clearance at Oldnavy.com but I also got free shipping and 20% off that $4.99 price

I also check out garage sales or thrift stores for nice, new or very gently used items that I know my friends and family will like. I buy a lot of stuff after Christmas when everything is marked down by 50% or more. The gift packs of different HBA items are a great stock up item at that time and the not overly christmas-y ones make great birthday gifts during the rest of the year.

I keep a box or 2 (or 5 like right now LOL) in my closet of items for gift giving and when an occasion comes up, I am always prepared with a nice gift that I got cheap.