Black Friday be damned! Here are some gift sharing ideas for the holidays. Most of these ideas are centered around experiencing the company of a loved one. That's what the holidays are about, right? Enjoy!
Museums: Many people work long hours and never get a
chance to check out new exhibits at museums. Most museums/art
institutes have free days or times. For instance, the Museum of Modern
Art in New York is free on Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m. Call your favorite
local museums and ask if they have any holiday exhibits running, and
when are the free times to attend. To find museums in your area, check
out http://www.museumsusa.org/
Care giving: The Christmas season is the perfect time to share your caring with friends and loved ones. If you know a stressed out couple, offer to babysit its children for a weekend. Most rushed couples grapple with child care needs and would welcome the help. Or, if you have a family member who is a caretaker for an elderly person or a sick child, agree to do their job for a day. Be sure to get detailed instructions about how to care for the elderly person or child. It can be a rewarding experience.
Free Makeup: If you're talented at applying makeup, offer to makeup a friend. Full disclosure: this gift idea is self serving! I want to step up my holiday makeup game and would prefer a makeup application lesson/session from a friend way more than a gift card!
Picture Perfect: Dig up all the photos of your loved one and import them into a slide show. People love to see their lives unfold to a musical theme. Go to slide.com to create your photographic memory lane. If you are more advanced, use Soundslides if you already own it. Email the photos to your loved one and don't forget the e-card to match.
Write it out: Many people don't feel appreciated. Write down the Top 25 things you love/appreciate about them. That makes an excellent stocking stuffer. The person will probably be surprised at how much you care.
Soundtrack: Create a mix CD of your loved one's favorite songs. Don't just think Top 40. Find some vintage goodies that will make the person mist up with nostalgia.
Sailing Santa: If you live in a warm climate, there's usually a free
boat show in town. For those in South Florida, the Seminole Hard
Rock-WInterfest Boat Parade features million dollar crafts, decorated
with extravagant lights. For more information, log on here: http://www.winterfestparade.
Remember the Reason for the Season: Christmas is a nice time to volunteer with your favorite charity. My favorite charity is Dress for Success, which gives disadvantaged women corporate clothing to enter the workforce. Pick out a "family charity" and schedule time to volunteer for it as a unit. Check out Volunteer Match for help, http://www.volunteermatch.org/
What are some of your frugal holiday gift giving tips?
I like seeing old photos of friends/family/myself that I've never seen. They make great gifts. I'll even splurg on a frame.
Posted by: Coco | November 20, 2008 at 03:17 PM
I think one of the best gifts you can give someone is your time. I'm thinking about being a personal shopper for my relatives. Since I'm unemployed I have more time to comparison shop anyway, I can get gifts they'll need for their lists, and they don't have to go to the malls and superstores during the small amounts of time they have off from work.
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