Christmas is just around the corner, only two days away. Have you wrapped up all your shopping yet? For many individuals, the honest answer would be no. But don’t worry, if you haven’t managed to hit the stores and pick up your presents due to scarcity of time, finance or convenience, there are still budget-friendly, last-minute gift options available for you. Here are some ideas:
1. Offer the gift of your time. It costs nothing, but could mean a whole lot to the receiver. For instance, supporting a family with young kids by offering a hand can go a long way. Taking the kids to the park for a couple of hours can give the mother some respite, or you could even offer to provide meals for the family for a week relieving them from cooking duties. If you own a truck with a snowplow, you could offering a whole season of free driveway snow removal to a relative.
2. Create memories by gifting keepsakes. Even with time running out, with a little creativity and help from platforms like Pinterest, making something personal is doable. For example, if you have young children, they can create mementos. Like decorating Christmas tree ornaments with a child’s thumbprint turned into a reindeer pattern using yours additional paint and a permanent marker.
3. Share the joy of creating. Consider presenting gifts that are ‘DIY’ in nature. For instance, a mason jar filled with the necessary ingredients and recipe for your special cookies can be an appreciated gesture. Plus, you likely already have the components at home, and the receiver can relish the treat after the holiday food jamboree is over.
4. Plan for a delayed present. If your wallet is a bit tight at the moment, you could give a gift calling for payment at a later date. Offer your friend a game ticket of his choosing. When he’s ready to lock in his attendance, you purchase the tickets for a sporting day out. Similarly, gift your nieces and nephews a ‘ticket’ for a pizza and movie day. You can schedule it whenever they’re ready to redeem their ‘ticket’.
Many of the best gifts, such as the gift of time or help, are not store-bought items but they are often most valued, perhaps more so than anything you can buy at the mall. What are your favorite last-minute, budget-friendly gifts to give?
