Quick, tell me everything you got for Christmas last year. Can you remember? How about two years ago? Three . . . ? Kind of takes the steam out of the rush to spend a lot of money on gifts, doesn't it?
I have a few recommendations for your consideration. First, if you haven't done so already, please make a budget for how much you can spend for Christmas and stick to it. You don't want to still be paying off your credit cards on the 4th of July. Don't buy gifts to impress people or out of a sense of obligation. I would rather not receive a gift from someone if that was their motivation.
Secondly, if you are giving to little kids who already have a zillion toys that they don't play with, consider starting a 529 College Savings plan. These vary by state to state so it might take a little bit of research to find the best option for you. There are a number of good web sites with more information such as http://www.collegesavings.org/. I started a college fund for my nephews and niece and have been able to sock away over $1,800 so far. This is all with money I would have spent on birthday and Christmas presents that would have long since been used up, broken or forgotten by now. You might seem like a bit of a dorky aunt or uncle now, but if you are still paying off your student loans you know how much they will appreciate this later. This is especially true when they are still at an age when they are more fascinated with unwrapping the paper than they are with whatever gift may be inside.
Third, if you don't know what to get for the person who has everything try making a charitable donation in their honor. I did this last year with my parents by making a donation in their honor to Unicef, and they thought it was the greatest thing. Not only does it help us to celebrate the holiday with simplicity and charity, but it helps those who are in desperate need. And yes, it may be tax deductible too.
I hope this helps! Have a safe and wonderful Christmas.
3 comments:
Here's a cool idea I read about for giving gifts to kids. You follow the example of the Magi and give 3 gifts:
Gold: give one Garment gift (clothing)
Frankinsense: give one Fun gift (toy)
Myrrh: give one Mentally stimulating gift (book or puzzle)
This definitely gives a little more purpose and well-roundedness in your giving!
Don't forget Toys for Tots as well! If you don't want to spend a lot of money, most dollar stores have toys for both boys and girls, and some of the stores are even collecting for Toys for Tots as well!
And while I'm on the topic, now is a great time to get rid of old towels and bedding - and take them to your local animal shelter! Local shelters need towels and blankets for their residents during the winter. Oh, and the dollar store sells cheap kibble that you can take to the shelter too :)
Might I recommend Heifer International at www.heifer.org? I have given gifts to them in my parents' names several times before. This is a Christian organization which gives gifts of animals to third-world families to encourage sustainability. An excellent opportunity to help others in the name of Christ! Also check out World Vision at www.worldvision.org.
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