What do you get someone if you want to show you appreciate them, but if you don’t have a lot of money to spend?
If you have a lot of money, you can buy just about anything for that person. But for those of us with limited budgets, you’ll have to show that appreciation with a little creativity.
Let’s first identify what’s essential: that we show the person who has done something nice for us how much we appreciate them. It’s not essential that the gift be big, or expensive, or anything like that. It’s a token of our appreciation … and let me tell you, no matter how small, the person will likely appreciate the gesture.
The gift should also be appropriate to the person — if it’s personal, it’s likely to mean more. So while wine is always a nice gift, if the person is into other types of drinks (such as coffee), that would make a better gift. So take a moment to consider the person, what they like, and the times you’ve spent together.
So, let’s look at some ideas … some obvious, perhaps, but this list is meant only to spark your own ideas. Also, the definition of “frugal” is broad here … some ideas cost more than others, and some can be made for very little.
1. Frame a picture of you with them.
2. Lotions or bath oils.
3. Journal. A nice journal can be beautiful. It’s one of my favorite gifts.
4. Gourmet coffee with a personalized mug.
5. A nice pen.
6. Photo album or scrapbook, with memories already included.
7. Homemade cookies you bake yourself.
8. Or brownies.
9. Spice gift basket. Get some small jars and fill them with exotic spices.
10. Gift certificate for the person’s favorite hobby store.
11. A burned CD with all the person’s favorite songs.
12. A letter, hand-written on nice paper, from you. Make it heart-felt, with all the reasons you appreciate the person.
13. A small plant.
14. A movie pass and a small container of gourmet popcorn kernels.
15. Soup mixes or cookie mixes in nice clear jars.
The rest at the source. My brother had a really neat idea one Christmas to give monogrammed face towels to all his friends. Class idea, and they looked pretty awesome too - can't go very wrong with silver calligraphy letters embroidered on royal blue.
― lxy, Thursday, 9 October 2008 17:07 (seventeen years ago)