The Season of Giving--On the Cheap

Tis the season to remember our families and dear friends. Tis also the season that has seen our IRAs plummet, our house worth half as much, and our jobs hang in the wind. Well, tis also time to realize that caring doesn’t have to carry a hefty price tag. And the gifts we give should be environmentally responsible. Nothing says landfill like a bunch of cheap pricey toys that break within days after Christmas.

Low-cost gifts that tell people how much we care:
· My best friend made me two denim shopping bags with stenciled flowers that I will use over and over, without advertising a merchant; and her home baked pecan pie tartlets are to die for.
· My adult nieces and nephews all received string shopping bags from a company that donates a portion of their proceeds to ecological preservations; and homemade cookies from me. (These professional folks don’t bake.)
· The little kids each got a golden book. I bought two compendiums from Amazon and divied up the books among all the tots. They each have something to open, and some quality time sessions with their parents, who will read to them. Cost per book: minimal. Impact on a delighted child: substantial.
· Last year, I bought inexpensive attractive glass cookie jars and hired my friend to stencil their names onto them, and of course, filled them with cookies.

Other ideas for greatly appreciated gifts:
· An attractive coupon book for chores for beleaguered young parents to include errands run, babysitting, doing laundry, walking the dogs, etc.
· For aging relatives who want to keep in touch: a box of return address labels, stamps, and stationery, or even postcards or box of assorted greeting cards
· Personalized anything: cookie jars, tote bags, stationery, apron, oven mitts
· A coupon for a special “just us” outing for a grandchild or child, redeemable (with advance notice) when he or she chooses
· A written promise (with a start date) to be a twice-a-week exercise partner for a friend having trouble keeping active

The idea is to be creative and come up with low-cost gifts that are truly personalized to the individual. With our declining pocketbooks to urge us on, and our desire to be better world and planet citizens, we can become more creative about showing our caring for loved ones. And if the economy improves, even shoots back up, perhaps our gift-giving should not. Instead of having to pay those credit card bills from holiday excesses, we can have money left in our accounts to spend more on the things that matter more in the long run:
· Travel to learn more about other peoples, increase our tolerance for other religions and cultures, and make our children more world-embracing citizens. Erasing the specter of the Ugly American? Priceless!
· Charitable giving to organizations that promote healthy environments and self-reliance through training, basic necessities, and example.
· Upgrading our homes and cars to be more energy efficient and lower maintenance