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11 Ways to Fill an Easter Basket for Cheap

Easter baskets can look cute while keeping you on a budget. Check out tips to save money on Easter goodies this year while still bringing out a cute Easter basket.

I’m all about getting things for the best price. If you are patient you will find a deal on everything.  The Holidays are the one thing we can plan for each year. We don’t have to go broke filling a basket full of goodies!

Related:

Here are my 10 Tips to Make a Cute & Frugal Easter Basket

You can watch Tasia talk about this on Tiktok too!

1.       Make a Budget for each child.

This may not seem important but it is. It is hard to resist the Easter only items at retail stores. Everything is so cute. To keep things fair for your kids and your budget set a spending amount per child. Keep it simple. Keep it in the budget.

11 Ways to Fill an Easter Basket for Cheap

2.       Reuse Easter Baskets.

I am surprised that some people buy new ones each year. As kids, we always had the same basket. I never thought anything of it. We do the same thing with our kids now.

easter basket

3.       Reuse Plastic Easter Eggs.

Same thing here. Sure, they may only be a couple of dollars. But why toss the old ones when you can wash and reuse them? This may be a great year to do your own Easter egg hunt. You can buy cheap ones from Michael’s , Dollar Tree, or Walmart. They now both offer free curbside pick-up.

4.       Do Not  Buy Non-essential items.

I save my store ads from the newspaper and put them in our paper shredder. You can do this now with the free Pennysavers at your home. ( If available)

I’m using what I already have and it still looks just as cute. If you don’t have a shredder you could use tissue paper as well. At Staples, they will shred up to 5 lbs. of paper for you for FREE! 

11 Ways to Fill an Easter Basket for Cheap

5.       Use Non-candy items.

Take advantage of the dollar stores and dollar areas in stores. Target has the One Spot. Michael’s has their dollar bins and so does Tops Markets! Michael’s is now offering free curb pick up too.

Sidewalk chalk, coloring books, bubbles, etc. all make great goodies. If you are able you can support small businesses through Etsy to get adorable crafts sent to your home for baskets too.

6.       Pair Candy coupons with sales.

Now is the time when coupons are available for candy. Check online, in your newspaper inserts and the store flyers. I love using this coupon database to find online and newspaper coupons.

11 Ways to Fill an Easter Basket for Cheap

7.       Use Smaller Baskets.

If you have a smaller basket you don’t need to fill it with non-essentials. If your budget is smaller you can make a basket look full.

11 Ways to Fill an Easter Basket for Cheap

8.       Buy Snack packs.

We buy the packs of Goldfish crackers and split it up among our kid’s baskets. Buying fruit snacks or any snacks in bulk at Costco or BJs is a great money saver. This is cost effective and gives you an option other than candy. Fruit Snacks are another one we use.

9.       Shop After Easter Clearance.

I have my baskets all set this year from buying the marked down Easter items at Target. I got sidewalk chalk, bubbles and coloring pages for 70% off! You will be able to do this online this year as well.

11 Ways to Fill an Easter Basket for Cheap

10.   Save your Halloween Candy, St. Patrick’s day etc.

Yep, this is the cheap side of me coming out. I took lots of the candy from the girls on Halloween. They were ages 1 and 3. And it’s ALL they wanted.  

I may have gone a bit overboard. My brothers make fun of me for it. I meant to use it for Christmas stockings but forgot. You can freeze candy too.

Now it’s going in their baskets! You can store chocolate in the freezer. Of course, you can still get your jelly beans and what not but a couple Snickers bars, Twix etc in the basket is just fine and cost ya nothing!

If you are looking for more ways to create a budget-friendly Easter Basket browse my Pinterest Board.

 

11 Ways to Fill an Easter Basket for Cheap

11.  Use Loose Change

Have some change hanging out on the counter?  Use that and stick it in Easter eggs. Younger kids love getting money. I know I could clean out my car and have enough to fill several eggs for the kiddos!

Read or Pin: 25 products to keep your kids creative and busy at home

How do you save money on your child’s Easter Baskets?

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Debbie Fox

Tuesday 22nd of January 2019

Great tips , I always gave crafts, fun stuff some candy and reuse baskets too.

Joan

Tuesday 22nd of January 2019

I did all of these when my kids were little. Also school supplies at they need. Little clothing items....hats, hair bows. Any summer toys that you bought on clearance last year!

Donna Paglia

Sunday 25th of March 2018

Outside of the shredding knowledge you posted here I follow almost everything on this list. Don't get me wrong I want every holiday for my kids to be manager call but I also believe in spending our money where would benefit them the most like savings and on their Sports and just for everyday needs I cannot see spending it on Candy I'm not going to let them eat in a bunch of junk that will be broken in a day

Lauren

Monday 19th of March 2018

These are great ideas! Off of the "don't buy non-essential things" my mum always tended to buy us things for our Easter baskets that she would be likely to buy us anyway. I suppose they weren't actually "essential" things that we needed persay, but they are things she would likely have purchased at some point so she made them part of the gift -- i.e. cute spring-y socks, bubbles & sidewalk chalk for the warming weather etc. She did the same thing w/ stockings at Christmas time - we would usually receive things like socks, toothbrushes, chapstick, tissues etc.

Tasia

Tuesday 20th of March 2018

Thank you Lauren! I love that memory you shared. That is really what the gifts come down to is the memory you create in your children's mind and the imprint you leave on their heart :)

Andrea Stunz

Friday 26th of February 2016

I am out of the stage of having to do Easter baskets but am approaching fun time with grandkids. I love your ideas! I'm sharing this with my oldest daughter. She's a budget lovin' mama too!

Tasia

Friday 26th of February 2016

Thanks Andrea! It is so much fun filling the baskets at this age!

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