Let’s face it. This is a rough economy. “They” keep saying the recession is over. Try telling that to people with no jobs or who are behind on their bills. Movie tickets are fun or a gift certificate for a manicure is nice, but sometimes, practical gifts are more appreciated and necessary. What good are movie tickets if you have no gas to get to the theater? That manicure might actually stay nice for a long time when there’s no food to prepare, but well, you get the point.
Consider a Safeway Gift Card
. This enables your gift recipient to choose just what they want, which might be simply what they need.
Another idea is one of my favorite sites, featured on my blog before.
Grass fed beef. Yum. Practical, nutritious, delicious. You meet a practical need by providing some food, but you are meeting that “you-are-awesome-here’s-a-really-cool-gift” target as well. My favorite place to buy? Open Space Meats.
How about you? Do you have any enjoyable gifts that can also meet a need?
The past few years I have given my siblings practical gifts. My brother and his wife manage their monthly expenses but struggle with the upkeep of their home. Home goods are last on their list. One year we gave them new bed sheets and the next year it was a comforter and pillows. Last year we gave them a big basket full of towels. I really love offering gifts that can be used. The key seems to be paying attention to what is needed and desired in a situation where someone is living on a tight budget. I don’t know how many years I got giddy over a Safeway card. I’d save them until we were strapped and they because quite the cherished gift!