Living Simply: Gifts

     With Thanksgiving tomorrow, Black Friday is upon us. As much as I am against employees having to skip a family togetherness holiday to bring in more money at everyone's expense for their bosses and corporate, I realize not everyone feels that way. Some get paid extra for working the holiday, some need more hours for Christmas shopping (that's a whole other issue), and some would volunteer to work if it wasn't mandatory - I have more of a problem with the mandatory businesses. Anyway, Realizing not everyone feels like I do, and I understand many will still be shopping for Christmas gifts Thursday night and Black Friday, may I make a few quick suggestions?

1.  Try giving experiences you can share with those you care about enough to give a gift to in the first place. There are great places to find good deals on experiences like paint night, cooking classes, spa days, dining out, skydiving, zip lining, bouncy trampoline places for kids, passes for zoos and aquariums, and so many more. Try places like Groupon or Living Social to get great, fun ideas that are dramatically reduced in price right now.


2.  Get gift certificates from local places you can share with friends, families, or coworkers you're exchanging gifts with this year. Supporting small, local businesses is a much better plan than throwing more money at faceless corporations who just want you to part with as much money as possible. Local businesses keep the money in your community and helps build relationships with local owners and customers. Support a family living in your community.

3.  Make donations to someone's favorite charity in their name and give them the tax receipt.

4.  Bake something at home and package it very nicely to give as a gift. Lots of easy holiday recipes can be found all over the internet. Some of my favorites (because they're easy) are found at All Recipes and Food Network (although these aren't always the easiest).

5.  Can you make your gift support someone in their education or work? Buy an artist colored pencils, canvases, or paintbrushes. Buy a baker new pans, a set of extracts and flavorings you've packaged nicely. Get a student an array of school supplies or dorm room necessities. Your gift will show you support what they're doing.

6.  Make up a movie night basket. Add microwave or specialty popcorn, some movie-size treats, and a movie or two you know they'd enjoy. Maybe add a few beverages. Be creative.

Hopefully you've got a few great ideas sparking. Don't overspend. Don't buy meaningless junk just because advertising told you to buy it. Don't forget what people NEED is much different from what they WANT and even more different from what ADVERTISERS WANT to sell.