Christmas
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Lavish Them with Gifts, Lazy-Style
Call me a Grinch, but the holidays are never more daunting than when you’re sitting down to make your shopping list for friends and family. After so many years, you’ve probably cycled through the same items many times over (I know I have!). So here are some ideas and commentary from the folks at Cardpool.com who suggest they’re for “lazy gift-givers.” I sure hope my family isn’t reading this, but I probably fall into that category. Hope you find this as helpful as I did, and if you’ve got additional please add to the list in the comments below. Happy holidays!
1. Cardpool.com
Gift cards. That are up to 30% discounted. What’s not to love? That means you can buy the people on your “nice” list cards for some of the top retailers, restaurants, movie theaters and even airlines without breaking the bank.
2. Whatever of the Month Clubs
For everyone on your list, there’s a gift of the month club – bacon of the month, beer of the month, jam of the month (for the Christmas Vacation fans out there) – get your creative juices flowing. Murray’s in New York even has a meat of the month club delivered nationwide – a gift that keeps giving year round.
Who doesn’t love movies? Purchase a gift certificate for Hulu Premium so your gift recipient can stream the newest shows without all the ads.
You can use your own photos to print out aprons, coasters, mugs, key chains, etc. This is one of those gifts that will make you look like you really gave it the personal touch. Just upload a photo on a site and let it do all the hard work.
Spafinder takes the spa gift certificate to the next level. Let your recipient pick out the spa and the treatment without putting your bank account in the red.
All They Want for Christmas
The Black Friday shopping rush may be over, but if you’re like millions of people you’re probably still struggling with what to get the most difficult friends and family members in your life—your hippie aunt, your banker brother, your unemployed best friend. Choosing the right gift can be tricky business. Spend too much, and you’re flaunting your wealth. Spend too little, and you’re seen as cheap.
As you enter the home stretch of holiday shopping, let the recession be your guide: Recession-themed gifts are cheap (we’re still in an economic downturn, after all), they’re timely (what better exemplifies 2009 than the recession?), and they’re usually good for at least a chuckle—just so long as you have a little fun with it. After the jump, we’ve put together a roundup of our favorite cheap, chic, gift-giving strategies perfect for this holiday season…
A Slimmed-Down Christmas — But Will It Last?
The chestnuts will still roast; Santa Claus will be just as jolly as ever—but there’s little doubt that the holiday season is different this year. From smaller Christmas trees and fewer extravagant gifts, to an increase emphasis on homemade foods and decorations, millions of families across the country are cutting back on expenses without sacrificing the holiday spirit this year.
It’s too soon to tell whether these back-to-basics holiday rituals will turn into lasting traditions or whether they’re just passing trends that’ll be gone as soon as the economy heats up again. In the meantime, we’ve put together a roundup of what’s different this holiday season.
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Why I’m the Recession Grinch
Christmas at my house last year featured a fragrant spruce, an occasional snowy view out the back window, and a killer holiday party decked out in subtle but elaborate ribbons, bows, candy canes and such. Santa showed up. So did about 50 people — all of whom I served wine and extensive hors d’oeuvres. And who were greeted warmly by a paid coat check guy who proffered parting gifts on their way out. It probably cost me, all told, about $300 or $400, or more (there are always accoutrements, darling, that also must be purchased).
Of course, I can’t remember exactly how much it cost, because it didn’t matter so much. It wasn’t precisely reckless spending; it was intentional spending, with the intention being to host a swell party where everyone had a fabulous time. And they did! I’m sure if there had been a competition, I would have won Hostess of the Year. I am happy to provide testimonials…
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