Thrifty Gifts
I hope all the Dads had a great Father's Day. Children are the world's most precious gift and it is a lucky man who both has a child and shows his love. This got me thinking about the whole gift-giving conundrum, which can be fraught w/ peril..
Of course, if money is no object, by one measure - expense - you have no problem. I was always a bit mystified by those December ads for expensive cars. Who gives someone a Mercedes for Christmas? Well, rich people do and it's actually an excellent idea if you can afford it. Car sales people have to make year-end quotas so they are willing to seriously deal.
The other half of the gift-giving exchange though, is the recipient. Now, I don't know anyone who would be unhappy w/ the gift of a brand new Mercedes, but it's important to consider what the recipient would appreciate.
A woman who owns dozens of pairs of earrings that she never wears will be less than thrilled with another pair of earrings. A New Yorker who is afraid to ride a bicycle on the streets of New York is not going to appreciate a new bicycle. A man who wouldn't be caught dead in a tuxedo will not enjoy an Armani tux. The point is gifts shouldn't be an attempt to change people. A gift is a way to show someone that you love and appreciate them just the way they are.
The difficulty is figuring out how to do that. I am going to share my strategies - from the least expensive to the most.
The first - and in my humble opinion the best - idea and one that costs next to nothing is to write down on a series of index cards the things you appreciate about the person. You can use multi-colored cards if you'd like. Wrap the cards in a beautiful bow or put them in a small, beautifully wrapped file box. Present it to the recipient and wait for the smiles. I have done this for my Mom and my Dad on separate occasions and they both treasured it.
If you really feel the need to buy something, I'm going to pass along this tip from my friend +Sharon Lowenheim of Organizing Goddess a talented professional organizer: think experiences, not things. Don't we all have too much stuff? What we don't have enough of is time. Time with friends, time alone to relax and rejuvenate, time to enjoy life!
A woman who owns dozens of pairs of earrings that she never wears will be less than thrilled with another pair of earrings. A New Yorker who is afraid to ride a bicycle on the streets of New York is not going to appreciate a new bicycle. A man who wouldn't be caught dead in a tuxedo will not enjoy an Armani tux. The point is gifts shouldn't be an attempt to change people. A gift is a way to show someone that you love and appreciate them just the way they are.
The difficulty is figuring out how to do that. I am going to share my strategies - from the least expensive to the most.
The first - and in my humble opinion the best - idea and one that costs next to nothing is to write down on a series of index cards the things you appreciate about the person. You can use multi-colored cards if you'd like. Wrap the cards in a beautiful bow or put them in a small, beautifully wrapped file box. Present it to the recipient and wait for the smiles. I have done this for my Mom and my Dad on separate occasions and they both treasured it.
If you really feel the need to buy something, I'm going to pass along this tip from my friend +Sharon Lowenheim of Organizing Goddess a talented professional organizer: think experiences, not things. Don't we all have too much stuff? What we don't have enough of is time. Time with friends, time alone to relax and rejuvenate, time to enjoy life!
Reasonably priced experiences can be anything from movie tickets, a day at the zoo, an Off-Off Broadway play, a minor league baseball game, a mani-pedi, a foot massage, a Restaurant Week meal, a museum visit - or if you can afford it, a museum membership. Experiences don't have to cost an exorbitant amount of money, but they all involve the gift of time.
My son recently graduated from Cornell University. I wanted to get Alex a memorable gift but I didn't have much money. Then I got a letter from the Cornell Club here in NYC, a membership in which I had been considering for Alex but had dismissed as way too expensive.
There are no dummies at Cornell. For $150, based on his year of graduation, I was able to purchase for Alex a year's membership in his alma mater's swanky club. I added a few hundred dollars in club credit and for $500 I gave my first born Ivy League college graduate a gift we both felt good about. I'm hoping he'll take Mom to dinner at the club someday...!
Stepping it up a notch, but still keeping w/ the experiences vs. things theme, you might consider a major league baseball game, a Broadway show, a day at the spa or a serious restaurant where the recipient would never dine without you. Again, you must consider the person's interests. After years of spending crazy money trying to impress my Dad w/expensive trinkets from the New York Times I finally learned to buy him a case of bottled Bud and he was a happy man.
The other tried and true gift winner if you are paying attention to the recipient's interests, is something handmade. I raised both of my children to make something for Grandma or PopPop or Uncle George's birthday or Christmas. When they were small it was handmade ornaments or jewelry. As they got older it evolved into 3 hours of computer instruction or repair, or a piano/vocal performance.
Full disclosure: I am a serious handmade gift-giver. I roll beeswax candles, sew eye pillows, hot glue cork trivets, etc. I enjoy working w/ my hands. I actually made my own wedding dress. That didn't work out too well (the marriage) but the dress was beautiful and I loved wearing it!
A few years ago, I intended to make a quilt for my son's high school graduation out of his excessive t-shirts from baseball, chess tournaments, camp, karate, etc.etc. I finally finished it 3 weeks ago, just in time for Alex's college graduation! Better late than never, right?
My daughter will be a junior in high school and I've already started Anna's quilt! I am determined to make the next quilt a high school graduation gift that Anna can take to college as a momento of her youth.
Not everyone enjoys making things, but you can offer your services of any kind as gifts to loved ones or friends. Parents of young children would love your offer to babysit so they can have a night out. A new homeowner might appreciate a few hours of painting or gardening help...and if you are a young person, I guarantee that your mother, grandparents, and other senior friends & relatives need your help w/ their computers - if you can stand it!
Think about your talents, what you know how to do and how you can help. Offering yourself is a welcome gift! Would you share your thrifty gift ideas? The best ones will be featured on a future blog when we get closer to the holidays.
Not everyone enjoys making things, but you can offer your services of any kind as gifts to loved ones or friends. Parents of young children would love your offer to babysit so they can have a night out. A new homeowner might appreciate a few hours of painting or gardening help...and if you are a young person, I guarantee that your mother, grandparents, and other senior friends & relatives need your help w/ their computers - if you can stand it!
Think about your talents, what you know how to do and how you can help. Offering yourself is a welcome gift! Would you share your thrifty gift ideas? The best ones will be featured on a future blog when we get closer to the holidays.
Timely Thrift
Thanks to my friend Dodie for this timely tidbit:
Finally, a reminder to call, text, or visit the websites of your credit cards. The new financial quarter starts on July 1st and the ones that give rewards on special categories will be changing them on that date. My Chase Freedom card notified me today by email that on July 1st I can receive 5% back on gas, Kohl's and theme parks. They made it easy to sign up by just answering the email but everyone is different. Don't miss out on what you deserve!
The key to preventing moldy berries.This is an awesome piece of info! We buy fresh fruit, but because we eat a little of each (Bananas, Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Grapes, Cantaloupe, Pineapple & Watermelon) every day the berries start to go bad quickly and end up in the garbage. Not anymore, thanks to this great tip.Berries are delicious, but they're also kind of delicate. Raspberries in particular seem like they can mold before you even get them home from the market. There's nothing more tragic than paying $4 for a pint of local raspberries, only to look in the fridge the next day and find that fuzzy mold growing on their insides. Well, with fresh berries just starting to hit farmers markets, we can tell you that how to keep them fresh! Here's a tip I'm sharing on how to prevent them from getting there in the first place:Wash them with vinegar.When you get your berries home, prepare a mixture of one part vinegar (white or apple cider probably work best) and ten parts water.Dump the berries into the mixture and swirl around. Drain, rinse if you want (though the mixture is so diluted you can't taste the vinegar,) and pop in the fridge.The vinegar kills any mold spores and other bacteria that might be on the surface of the fruit, and voila! Raspberries will last a week or more, and strawberries go almost two weeks without getting moldy and soft. So go forth and stock up on those pricey little gems, knowing they'll stay fresh as long as it takes you to eat them.You're so berry welcome!
Next time: free reads...I'd love to hear from you...leave a comment here...thanks!
Keep calm & carry on...Lori
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