Monday, December 6, 2010

Ecomonical Gift Giving

With 17% of the adults in the U.S. either unemployed or underemployed and lots of others anxious about reduced earnings or layoffs, gift giving is a heavy stress this year. Most of us don't want to put more on our credit cards than we bring in, but that emotional tug-of-war between wanting to buy-buy-buy and knowing we shouldn't can be agonizing.

To reduce spending and vastly increase the love you give along with the gift, consider these economical offers for those who are dear to you:

*  A healthy growing plant makes a heart warming gift. Trim off 3" or 4" pieces of your vining plant(s) and set them in a small jar of water until a few good roots have developed. Then plant one or more of those rooted starts in a simple clay pot with a draining saucer underneath. For succulent plants like aloe, wait until new growth "babies" sprout up around the main plant and trasfer those to small clay pots.

* Buy a simple (inexpensive) personal phone and address book and fill in the contact information for every  family member and friend you can track down. The more such phone/address books are used, the faster they wear out and need replacing. (A job most of us put off until the book is falling apart!)

* A set of file cards with your all-time favorite recipes. Plastic "sleeves" are available to keep the cards free of food smudges. Pick out recipes - exotic, inexpensive, quick, simple - that especially fit the lifestyle of the recipient.

All of the above are far more personal than just another plastic or electronic gadget and will be enjoyed for far longer than the generic gift-of-the-week special. And, yes, they are all economical.

Linda