Photo Courtesy of AngelicaMadeMe

As I was helping my sons decorate their homes, a thought came across my mind.. and that was HouseWarming.. I remember back when we were young and we all moved into our new places (especially for the first time) it was standard there’d be a housewarming party to attend. When I mentioned it to them, they had no clue about them and then said.. nawwww.. people don’t do that ..(and besides it seems like they’re asking for handouts)… That floored me.. I was like….  Hmmmmm.. am I missing something because I thought that’s what friends do… (warm your house).

They thought I was kidding and I said to them.. “Well I don’t see anything wrong with it”.  House-warmings helped in many ways and I could clearly see now how beneficial they could be.   Housewarming gifts don’t have to be expensive or decorative.  Let’s face it..everyone has their own style and taste and trying to buy something for someone can be very difficult.  When your pal moves into their new dwelling, it’s more about helping them warm their homes with essentials.  The decorative stuff will come.  Besides, you may be upset if you bought a decorative object thinking they’d like it only to find out, when you come to visit – it’s no where in sight.   You shouldn’t be stressed or feel obligated  to bring a gift, but if you did,  be practical  and have fun.  So, to help with ideas, I put together a practical list of standard housewarming gifts that every home would need and the best part… you can find most of them at your local thrift stores, Goodwill, yard sales and (especially) estate sales.

• Bakeware –  I can’t count how many times I’ve seen Pyrex glass baking dishes – all shapes and sizes.  From the round pie dish to the rectangular baking dish to the bread dish.. There’s a plethera of them out there.  They generally range from $1.00 – $3.00.  For the price of a brand new one – you can buy a whole set and the difference other than price.. is the plastic wrapping.  (truth be told – every single one of my baking dishes came from second hand stores/estate sales – I personally have several.

• Glasses (and mugs) – Just like the Pyrex bakeware – there are more glasses out there.  Glasses usually run from $0.25-0.75 ea  Most often you’ll find at least 4 of a kind sometimes 2 or sometimes 6… either way it’s all good as long as they’re pretty and hold liquid.  Wine glasses, juice glasses, soda glasses, shot glasses.. you name it -you’ll find it ALWAYS!  Again, these prices are cheaper than the Dollar Store (for real, for real!)

• Cookbooks – If you’re just branching out on your own – you gotta eat.. and eventually – you gotta cook.  Let’s face it – basic cooking isn’t hard, but being creative can rack your brain.  So it’s always good to have a few good cookbooks to inspire the new homeowner to cook a few things, you might even can grab a book stand while you’re out there to place on the counter.
• Spices –  Pick up a basket from the thrift store.. they’re about $0.50, hop over to your grocery store and fill it with different spices.  This will be much appreciated when it’s time to cook – trust me.
• Measuring cups and spoons – These are key essentials to cooking and baking.  You can definitely find the Pyrex measuring glass at any given time.  Again, expensive when you buy them new but second-hand very cheap.. as little as $1.00
• Pots and pans – Lots of times you’ll find these at estate sales and Goodwill.  Stainless steel is your best bet to get.  Stay away from the non-stick pans unless they look brand new.   I bought these at Goodwill for $6.00 (for both)
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• Incense and holders – Who doesn’t like a good smelling home.  Me personally I love the smell of incense burning.  I do love candles, but they can be very expensive (2 good candles can cost as much as $40.00) but you can buy packs of incense for 3 for $5.00 (with 10 sticks in them) plus a nice incense holder for about $5.00.  So imagine how many you can get for the price of just one candle.

• Bath essentials – Buy a basket – fill it up with bath tissue, shower gels, bath sponges.
• Home Cleansers – Gotta have a clean home.. You can almost always find those plastic crate baskets anywhere.  Fill it with Windex, Pledge, Comet/Ajaz, Cleaning sponge, bag of rags (Goodwill always have bag-of-rags for $1.00) get them.. you always need rags to clean with.

Tidbit information – when buying the glassware items, simply take them home, soak them in hot water with about 1/4 cup of bleach and some dish detergent for about 10-15 mins to sanitize.  Then wash or drop them them in the dishwasher.  They’re as good as new and completely sanitized!

So, there you have it, my  Essential Thrifty-Gifty list.  I hope this provided some great tidbit information and as always – Happy hunting while you thrift your house into a home!