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Gift Giving on a Budget

published December 18, 2006

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( 2 votes, average: 3.9 out of 5)
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Obviously practicing attorneys have much more expendable income burning holes in their pockets. However, if you are still in law school—or practicing law pro bono for the good of mankind—it is possible to remember all of your friends, family members, and other significant acquaintances at this time of year without going into debt. (You'll have enough of that to handle with your law school loans.)

First and foremost, establish a budget that you can live with after the holidays when the bills come due. Do this by taking a sheet of paper and dividing it lengthwise into three columns. Head each column as follows:


FAMILY FRIENDS ACQUAINTANCES

In the family column, list the names of your spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, or significant other, children, and parents, leaving enough space under each name to go back and write in a dollar amount.

Under friends, list any relatives who are not as close as those in the first column and everyone who is actually your friend.

The third column, "ACQUAINTANCES," is for everyone else: coworkers, bosses, classmates, the barber, the UPS guy, the nail technician, your child's teacher, etc. But be careful—this list tends to grow quite quickly, and you may find that you know more people than you can afford to give gifts to this year.

Next, go back and pencil in a dollar figure under each name. Add up your projected expenditures, increase the total amount by 10%, and write the final total on the back of the sheet of paper. Ask yourself if you can realistically afford what you just wrote down. If not, turn the sheet over and eliminate some people, starting with your acquaintances. Re-total and repeat until your budget reaches a manageable amount. It's trite but true; you don't have to spend a lot of money to give just the right gifts to just the right people. Here are 50 suggestions for inexpensive, (almost) homemade gifts.

1. Gourmet coffees with a personal coffee cup

2. Pound of pistachios

3. Child's artwork, framed

4. Journal with special inscription inside

5. Teacup with box of herbal tea

6. Deck of cards and book of card game rules

7. Homemade cocoa mix in a pretty jar

8. Collage of special photos

9. Gel pens and pretty stationery

10. Home-baked bread (include recipe)

11. Disposable camera or rolls of film

12. Pretty basket filled with special jams or mustards

13. Decorative napkins and napkin rings

14. Fancy chocolate bars tied with a ribbon

15. Gardening gloves with a plant or flower seeds

16. Photo album (hand-decorated is even better)

17. Pretty box for keepsakes

18. Holiday decorations

19. Puzzles

20. Blank video or cassette tapes

21. Sewing supplies

22. Prepaid photo-developing envelopes

23. Homemade cookie mix with instructions for baking

24. Makeup tote

25. Special coffee cup filled with candy

26. Fancy magazines tied together with a pretty ribbon

27. Gourmet popcorn and flavored oil

28. Locally made barbecue or steak sauce with basting brush

29. Pancake or waffle mix and a bottle of real maple syrup

30. Movie theater gift certificates

31. Board games

32. Jar of sourwood or pure honey with biscuit mix

33. Notecards and book of stamps

34. Nice socks still under $10

35. Specialty cookbook

36. Pretty glass jar filled with candy

37. Collectible sports cards

38. Muffin mixes with muffin pan

39. Books (a few cost less than $10)

40. Set of dish towels and dish cloths

41. Nail polish kit

42. Pretty nightshirt

43. Special soaps and bath puff

44. Video rental gift certificates

45. Pepper mill and fresh peppercorns

46. Handwritten copies of your favorite recipes

47. For pets, gourmet dog biscuits or cat treats

48. Baking pans and supplies

49. Prepaid long-distance phone cards

50. Small clock or radio

And here's a special bonus:

51. Home-baked cookies!

The people who love you and know your circumstances—remember, column two should list actual friends, not "I wish they weres"—will appreciate your time and thoughtfulness more than the price tags on the boxes.

published December 18, 2006

( 2 votes, average: 3.9 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.