Stop Holiday Shopping Stress by Buying Smarter
10 Best Personalized, Meaningful, Cool Christmas Gifts, Presents
Nov 10, 2009
It’s that time of year again when it is possible to hear the collective sigh of shoppers’ holiday consumerism desperation. The frenzied rush to load holiday shopping carts full of gifts and wait in interminable lines has arrived.
Reduce Holiday Stress of Buying Christmas Gifts by Setting Goals
Walk into any neighborhood mall or large box store, and it will quickly become obvious that many shoppers are aimlessly wandering the aisles, without goals in mind. Avoid being one of the masses by clearly defining Christmas holiday gift-buying goals. Set a limit on the number of presents you will buy before you start shopping. Instead of the two or three mismatched gifts that one might normally purchase, consider buying one personalized gift for each person instead.
10 Ideas for Alternative, Meaningful, Cool, and Personalized Christmas Gifts
It’s natural for people to want to give someone else a gift that they themselves would like. The better approach, however, is to pick a gift that will be meaningful to the person. Here are 10 ideas for personalized gifts:
- Donate to a charitable organization. Consider donating money in the person’s name to a cause he or she believes in. Children’s, pet, health, environmental, educational, human rights, human services, or veterans’ charities might be good options. Be sure to do research to determine which charities are worthwhile, though. For example, the Top-Rated Charities list might be useful.
- Make a personalized gift. Handmade gifts, small or large, such as ornaments, cards, freshly baked bread or cookies, compilation of favorite family recipes, calendar with pictures of family and/or friends, or a quilt could be especially meaningful.
- Give a coupon for a service. A coupon for a service a person might not normally pay for would likely be much appreciated. For example, busy parents might enjoy having a babysitter for a night or a working family might enjoy 10 house cleanings. A person could provide the service or hire someone else to.
- Burn a CD of favorite music. The old mix tapes have gotten a digital facelift. It's now easy to compile a person’s favorite ballads onto a CD or MP3 player.
- Compile family or friends’ pictures onto a CD. Give family and friends a CD of pictures of the time spent together at gatherings or outings or on special occasions.
- Write a personalized note. People are used to handing over $2.99 for a card to express their love, congratulations, or sympathy. The sentiments on the cards always seem to fall short, however. Why not take time to write heart-felt messages to loved ones, describing why they are special and admired?
- Give an adventure or experience gift. Break out of the gift-giving box and give an adventure gift. Sky diving or scuba diving lessons or a day paint balling might be fun and off beat. Or perhaps an experience gift would be more appropriate. Gifts that pamper, such as a gift certificate for a massage or facial, are typically appreciated. Anything out of the ordinary repertoire of what a person normally treats him or herself to could be a hit.
- Give a subscription. There are many subscriptions available for every type of taste. The old standby magazine subscription is always good or more off-the-beaten path subscriptions, such as a fruit-of-the-month, chocolate-of-the-month, or online video rental subscription, might also be interesting options.
- Set up a college fund and make a donation. Have a youngster to buy for? Consider setting up a college fund in his or her name and make the first donation. This is a gift that will keep growing and keep giving.
- Enjoy the gift of each other's company. Still unsure what to give? What about embracing the radical idea of not buying anything? Make a pact with friends and family to shift the focus this year from gift giving to simply enjoying the company of one another.
Eliminate Holiday Shopping Insanity
The most important question to ask this holiday season might be, “Do we really need more stuff?” One lesson of the economic crisis has been that many people have purchased more than they can afford. Many have closets overflowing with things, and some can’t even park in their garage. It may be high time to reevaluate priorities as well as gift-giving practices. Indeed, it is time to buy smarter.
HOL101
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