Ideas Instead of Mailing Gifts to Family Christmas
Nine alternatives to traditional vacation gift-giving
Gift giving could be more than stressful this year due to cost of living increases and pandemic furnishings. Stick to your budget with alternative gifts. Here's how.
Q: Nosotros are starting to think about what we can give our family and friends this twelvemonth for Christmas. While we haven't started shopping nevertheless, nosotros have been hearing in the news that nosotros should buy the toys for the grandkids sooner than later. While nosotros enjoy shopping for the petty ones, we are considering other ways to give gifts to the older kids and adults in our family. Nosotros simply aren't practiced at buying things for teenagers, or their wishes are bigger than our budget. A number of packages will as well need to exist mailed, so we're trying to keep those costs in heed as well as we choose gifts. Have you lot got whatever ideas to help us stick to our upkeep and still choose gifts our family unit will beloved? ~Mary-Anne & Gordon
A: Christmas and the holidays are now less than ii months away and due to supply chain disruptions, consumers are being warned to start shopping for their 'must have' items early. Retailers have even suggested that stock might run out quickly or non be bachelor at all. Shopping early leaves time to make changes to your list, so you lot don't feel pressured to store impulsively for any you tin can manage to grab. That's often the time when we accident our budget and end upwards spending more than we wanted to.
With COVID however circulating in many communities, a large number of Canadians will still be reluctant to assemble in person to spend the holidays with friends and family. However, despite not gathering in person, the desire to give gifts to loved ones is no less. This can add to your pre-holiday stress as you summate how much you tin afford to spend, as well as which gifts you need to mail and when they demand to be sent.
Whether it's due to your finances, distance, personal preference or a supply chain issue, alternative gifts are a heartfelt mode to express your love and intendance for someone. Here are some ideas to get you started:
ane. Digital and traditional gift cards
Dear 'em or loathe them, souvenir cards are a popular way to evidence you care without spending a fortune on shipping or looking for sizes you lot're not sure volition fit. Some argue that gift cards are impersonal and just a half step away from sending an e-transfer or passing over cash in a card. However, you can personalize them by adding a kind notation and suggestion about what you'd have bought for them if information technology had been practical to do so. You can even eliminate mailing costs altogether past gifting your loved i a digital gift card to their favourite retailer or food delivery service by e-mail.
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ii. Electronic photo albums or printed photo books
Accept y'all ever had a peachy memory popular upwardly in your social media feed? With the sheer number of digital photos most of the states have on our phones and social media accounts, countless not bad photos are forgotten. Rather than wait for social media to remind your loved one virtually a great trip, event or twenty-four hours yous spent together, create a digital or electronic photograph album for your friend or family fellow member. Share it with them over FaceTime and accept fun reminiscing.
If you have family members who adopt printed albums, wait for deals and apps that permit you create books from photos on your phone. Many smartphones have great cameras that permit for professional-looking photo books. These tend to be particularly popular gifts for grandparents and younger children who don't yet have smartphones or tablets of their own.
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three. Pocket-size care packages
Traditionally, care packages have been reserved for those away from home. A loved one left behind sends a parcel of what they think the recipient misses the most. However, a care package is also a dandy style to show a loved one you're thinking about them. Whether you lot need to send it or can deliver information technology yourself, that will determine the size and what you put into it.
It can assist to cull a theme if you aren't sure what to pack. For a book lover, a package of hot chocolate mix, a special mug and reading socks could be wrapped up with a personal notation. If yous're crafty or handy in the kitchen, something homemade is a great way to limited your appreciation for someone. The surprise of receiving a pocket-sized intendance parcel filled with sweets, treats and items chosen particularly for them will help someone experience your love.
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iv. Gifts of service
For family and friends who live inside driving distance, enquire them what they'd like help with and so knock a chore off their to-do list. They might need help with something seasonal, like installing holiday lights or doing autumn make clean-up in the yard. If they're busy, immature parents might capeesh free babysitting or child care and so that they can get out for a engagement night. A single parent might appreciate an actress ready of hands around the house to terminate a small renovation project or their freezer stocked with some abode-cooked meals. If there are any seniors in your life, they'd likely capeesh not just the help simply the company also. Make your offer official by giving your loved ones bootleg gift certificates that they can redeem for the assistance!
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5. Contributions to a savings account
Showtime a registered education savings plan (RESP) for the children in your extended family unit, or contribute to an existing one, and help your family save for instruction costs . Choices for post-secondary pedagogy are broader than ever before, then this gift will have significant meaning when the children face up decisions virtually their time to come educational path.
Contributions you make tin be lump-sum in nature, for instance during the holidays or for a altogether, merely they tin likewise be monthly so that your souvenir-giving budget is spread out more evenly throughout the agenda year.
There are also government programs to aid families salve in an RESP, including the twenty per cent summit-up on the first $two,500 contributed each agenda year. Ask your bank or credit marriage for more information.
If an RESP isn't the right blazon of savings account for your loved ones, consider contributing to their tax-free savings account (TFSA), or helping them start one with a gift.
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6. Grouping gifts for larger wishes
Some people'southward biggest wishes cost more than than what most family or friends want to spend on a gift. For example, consider organizing a grouping gift for the teen on your list who needs a new laptop for school. If each person fries in what they can afford to spend, the smaller amounts will either add upwardly to the cost of the gift, or to a pregnant contribution towards the particular.
If organizing the gift as a group proves challenging, ask your loved i what they're saving up for and contribute towards it with either a gift card to a specific retailer or with cash to give them the most flexibility to shop effectually when it comes fourth dimension to make the purchase.
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7. Memberships and subscriptions
Annual subscriptions can be a great way to give a gift that doesn't add to household clutter. From anti-virus programs to emergency automobile services or software a loved one needs for their hobby, ask them which subscription you can contribute towards or pay for them outright.
When information technology comes to memberships, consider buying 1 to someone's fitness activity of choice, warehouse shop or organization of their choosing. When you lot're buying for a family, consider an annual family pass to their favourite museum, science centre, aquarium or art gallery. Either ask them what they demand or surprise them with something they wouldn't necessarily buy for themselves.
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8. Personalized video letters
In this era of endless video conferencing, it may not occur to y'all to record yourself sharing a special message with a loved ane. The benefit of making a video is that you tin can re-tape it as oft equally you like until the message is just what you want it to exist. Yous can even add in music, photos and electronic embellishments to the video itself. Anyone who has ever received such a video can tell you how cherished they are. Leave yourself enough fourth dimension to make i though. Depending on how fancy you desire to brand it, recording a skilful video frequently takes longer than y'all think.
ix. Grouping e-cards
If you need to send a greeting from a group, sign up for an e-menu business relationship that offers group cards. No matter where those signing the card are located, the link you share with them will let them fill in their page. Each person can help customize the carte du jour with quotes that will resonate with the recipient, add in photos or a scan of a child'due south artwork, select font styles and colours individually, and cull page layouts that suit each message. Some programs fifty-fifty take the selection for the recipient to impress the carte with all its pages then that they can keep it and enjoy it for many years.
The bottom line on giving unique gifts
This year peradventure more than years past, when choosing gifts, it'southward important to continue in mind that information technology's the thought that counts. The holidays are an expensive time for many families, and with increases to the cost of living, many Canadians will reconsider how much they tin really beget to spend this year. If you're thinking about scaling back on how many gifts y'all buy, this might exist the year to do that. At present and still early in the season, allow your family unit and friends know about your decision and inquire them not to purchase gifts for y'all. Yous could even come to a family conclusion to only buy for the children, to draw names for teens and adults, or to set spending limits for gifts. Whether you choose unique, traditional or culling gifts, make the holidays about the memories, not a mountain of bills.
Related reading:
Manage Holiday Stress Effectively to Not Max Out Credit Cards
Comprehensive 8-Week Vacation Planning List
How to Get Through the Holidays While Tackling Debt
Scott Hannah is president of the Credit Counselling Society, a non-profit organization. For more information about managing your money or debt, contact Scott by email , cheque nomoredebts.org or call 1-888-527-8999.
Source: https://theprovince.com/opinion/columnists/nine-alternatives-to-traditional-holiday-gift-giving
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