Give the greatest gift

The holidays can be stressful for everyone. Even if you don’t observe the holidays in December, you still have to navigate through the throngs of people rushing about at grocery stores, malls, gas stations and everywhere in between.  Part of the stress we experience is what gifts to give to which people, how much to spend and what message those gifts send. You might even be thinking that you have to spend a lot of money on someone because they gave you an expensive gift last year, or you want to somehow keep up appearances with whomever you think is watching.

Here are some less than conventional gift-giving tips:
  1. Wipe the slate clean. You don’t have to buy anyone anything, and whatever you do, don’t spend money you don’t have. Let go of your expectations so you can enjoy the more important meaning of the holidays which is coming together with family, friends, and co-workers. 
  2. Trim your list: Instead of gifts, consider writing a card or letter to someone, telling them how much they mean to you. If you have trouble thinking of why they mean something to you, maybe they shouldn’t have been on your gift list in the first place.
  3. Give the gift of charity: People get more than enough material gifts while worthwhile charities struggle to fund all the programs they champion. Many charities offer charitable gifts in the form of calendars, food packages, and simple donation programs. 
  4. Agree to scale down: Set a limit for the people you are going to purchase something for. For a little more fun, make it a challenge to see who can get the coolest gift for under $20.
  5. Give the gift of health. If you know someone who is need of a little support, consider giving them a gift certificate for a gym or personal trainer or sessions with a life coach(be careful not to offend them!). 
  6. Make your own lotion. Using organic coconut oil and inexpensive, air-tight containers, combine the coconut oil with an essential oil (i.e. lavender, vanilla, mint, etc.) and wrap it with some ribbon. 
  7. The gift of service. Give select people an I.O.U. for something you can provide. It might be shoveling your driveway, help moving, painting, or a massage (keep this one out of the office gift exchange).
  8. Be an animal lover. Consider adopting a zoo animal, helping support their care. This also applies to endangered species, donations to pet shelters, and environmental causes as well.
  9. Break out the craft paper. There are probably only a handful of people this will apply to, but when done well, you might just create something worth keeping. If you have the skills, make a picture frame by decorating an inexpensive frame and put a picture of you and the recipient in it so they remember who gave them your piece of art.
  10. Cook something. Using inexpensive ingredients and containers wrapped in a bow, you can give the gift of love through food.

There you have it. 10 tips to save you possibly several hundreds of dollars this season. Whatever you do, remember that the person you’re giving to should be on your list because of sincere feelings for them. The notion of “it’s the thought that counts” might seem trite, but the truth is it applies most of all at this time of year. Happy Holidays!

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