Last Minute Christmas Gifts
Strategies to Save Money and Create Memories
By far, the best last minute Christmas gifts revolve around time … With your children, other family, and friends. As you strive to watch every penny being spent and search for effective strategies to save money, I ask you to consider the following list of the best Christmas gifts that can be had for any amount for parents, siblings, friends, children, and grandchildren.
Parents
1. Car Wash and Picnic Lunch. First, hand wash and vacuum their car and then take them on a picnic lunch to a nice park. It is not often that grown children and their parents spend such uneventful and relaxing time together. I know, a picnic lunch in the snow or cold is not ideal, so create a gift certificate to be used in the spring.
2. A Home Cooked Meal. And speaking of food, invite them over for nice home cooked meal and save money at the same time. You could show off the end result of their training you when young and bring a satisfied smile to their face. And with the unfortunate hassle and bustle of today's culture, many people have given up home cook meals for the convenience of prepared. What a great gift to make them a meal from scratch, prepared with love.
3. A Whatever They Want Day. When you are in need of last minute Christmas gifts, give your parents a handmade gift certificate entitling them to an activity of their choice. Maybe watch a favorite old movie of theirs, a day of fishing or boating, or set it time aside simply to visit and play board games.
Friends and Siblings
1. Provide Hobby Help. Give your time to help a sibling or friend in their favorite hobby. As an example, if your sister really enjoys genealogy tracking, spend the day helping them to dig up some of their family tree. Or maybe your friend has been wanting to hike a specific local trail. So grab some snacks, water, a camera, and invite them along.
2. Dreaded Chore Help. A needful but often put off chore is house cleaning. How would you react to a gift certificate for a day of deep cleaning help in your home? A gift of time to accomplish a big task is a great way to show you love them. Imagine the thrill and relief on their face to have a deep cleaned house. This is one of the best Christmas gifts to give and receive.
Children and Grandchildren
Finally on the list the last minute Christmas gifts are the children. Teaching children about money is a great side benefit as you show them first hand strategies to save money by giving them one or both of the following gifts of time. Pay attention Nana.
1. A New Family Tradition. Invite your child or grandchild to learn how to make a homemade something such as bread or dessert using a super secret recipe that the two of you have modified yourself, even if it is simply adding chocolate chips. Minimal other costs, yet rich and priceless are the memories made. Make it a yearly activity, taking some pictures each time and then create a free digital photo album.
2. Game Playing Day. How often do you drop everything and play what your child or grandchildren want to play? Give them the ability to call you anytime and you will immediately participate in their favorite activity with them. Imagine the thrill of having a "Nana Hotline" that puts you into action whenever they want. I really believe that this gift of time will overshadow in popularity any other material gift at any price, with them talking about it for months … long after that toy is no longer being played with.
These last minute Christmas gifts of time are not only great strategies to save money but will increase the love of giving and appreciation. I urge you to seriously consider using your own creativity to deepen relationships, create lasting memories, and provide the best Christmas gifts imaginable.
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