Spending and Saving

Unemployment-Friendly Gifts: The Host/Hostess

Just because you’ve been laid off doesn’t mean you feel good laying off on giving. We’ve come up with a list of thoughtful, unique and inexpensive gifts for every friend and family member.

Hostess: Homemade Fudge
Hopefully you’ve got plenty of holiday parties that will take your mind off of the job situation for an hour or two. Instead of buying a bottle of wine for each, consider whipping up a few batches of fudge, using the easy Baker’s Chocolate recipe available here. For a gourmet touch, I would add different flavorings, such as the zest of an orange peel, peppermint oil or cinnamon and cayenne pepper. All in all, two packages of Baker’s semi-sweet baking chocolate, one can of of sweetened condensed milk, two teaspoons of vanilla, one cup of chopped walnuts and any additional flavoring adds up to about $20 and makes about 48 squares of fudge. For an interesting presentation, check out IKEA’s collection of gift bags and boxes. A set of three boxes is $2.99.

More Unemployment-Friendly Gifts:

Stationery for Mom

Gadgetry for Dad

Charity for Grandparents

Next: Let Your Best Friend Know What She Means To You.

Lauren Sherman is a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based journalist. She’s been covering the fashion, retail and luxury industries since 2004. She founded The Fashion Beat in Oct. 2009 after working for four years at Forbes.

Tags: eating, gifts, holidays, shopping, spending