Give Your Family the Gifts They Deserve!
They don’t need to know that they’re all for you.
Holiday shopping season is almost upon us! It’s time to spend hundreds or possibly thousands of dollars on gifts. Many of which will sit uselessly in cupboards, only to end up in the Goodwill pile. Or perhaps they’ll be broken by eager little hands whose owners are hopped up on holiday treats.
It doesn’t have to be this way. With a little creative thinking, you can buy lovely gifts for yourself and give them to your family members. Here are a few suggestions.
Teenagers love seltzer. You love seltzer too. Give your kid a Sodastream! She’ll be thrilled at the idea of owning her very own kitchen appliance. And since it will live in the kitchen, you will have permanent access. By the time she goes to college she’ll have forgotten that it is hers and you will get to keep it forever.
Partners can be hard to buy for, particularly if they enjoy golfing, or macramé, or some other annoying hobby. Instead of getting them more gear to use all by themselves, I suggest a pair of tickets. Movie tickets, opera tickets, plane tickets — just make sure they’re tickets to something you’ll enjoy.
I hope you won’t have to tell them that you will be using the other ticket, but if your partner is particularly dense you might get started making enthusiastic comments about attending the event as soon as they open the gift.
Presents for small children are generally a waste of money. Do they really need new toys? Absolutely not. You’ll be the one who ends up tripping over all the bits and pieces when they’re scattered the length and breadth of your home. Fortunately, there are lots of ways around this.
Do you have a dog? Give your child a brand new leash and let him know that it is a special leash that only he is allowed to use. Keep it on its own very special hook. Act extremely disappointed that you will not be able to walk the dog since that leash is not to be touched by anyone else in the family. When no one is looking, get rid of any other leashes you possess.
If you do not have a pet, fear not. There are plenty of other options. New plants for the garden are always a great gift. Or perhaps the plum tree you’ve always wanted? What kid wouldn’t want their own fruit tree? Let them know that those plums belong to them and them alone. Then offer to pick them and make jam.
Making jam is fun and relaxing and looks great on your Instagram feed. You can also give it away, taking care of next year’s holiday gifts.
Noise canceling headphones are a great present for anyone you live with. Not only can you talk about them when they’re in the room, if you pair them with a music or audiobook subscription you are basically buying yourself many hours of peace and quiet.
For your parents, how about a studio portrait session for the whole family? You’ll get pictures of all of you together, but make sure to get some individual ones, as well. Yours can double as professional headshots. Those are expensive! May as well let this gift do double duty.
As you can see, gifts can be about the giver as much as the receiver. If you know you’ll love the things you’re wrapping up, there’s no chance that they’ll go to waste.
