How to Use Gifts to Help Loved Ones with Financial Problems

Jun 042010
 

Image courtesy of stuartpilbrow

The majority of Americans struggle with some kind of financial issue. According to statistics, nearly half of American families spend more than they make each year. The average household has about $8,000 in credit card debt and personal bankruptcies have doubled in the past decade. Since money can be a taboo topic for friends and family members, why not use gifts to help your loved ones with their financial problems? Here are some ideas.

Books

There are lots of great financial books available. If there is a money book that has inspired you, why not give your loved ones a copy, too? Jean Chatzky’s Money 911, Suze Orman’s Women & Money or Dave Ramsey’s “Total Money Makeover” are all popular financial books that make great gifts.

Debt Diet DVD

Oprah recently launched the Great American Debt Diet. Not everyone can catch her talk show, but in The Oprah Store you can pick up the Debt Diet DVD series which features five episodes of the Debt Diet series. The DVDs show financial experts working with three typical American families as they climb their way out of debt. Your loved one may be inspired by this gift.

Financial Software

Help your loved ones get their finances in order with the gift of financial software. Crown Money Map Financial Software will get them on the road towards becoming debt free. They’ll be able to build a budget and get financial advice.

The Envelope System

Being organized can help ease money problems. Get your family members or friends off the credit card crutch. Give them The Envelope System, a unique and easy-to-use program that will help them stick to their budget by using cash– not credit.

Gift Cards

Giving your friend or family member cash may not be the best gift– especially if they’ve been known to spend it unwisely. Instead give them a gift card to a grocery store or drug store so you can be fairly sure the money is going to a practical and useful purpose.

Pre-Paid Energy Bills

If you know of a family that’s struggling to make ends meet, take some of the weight off their shoulders by pre-paying their electric or water bill for six months or a year. It’s a practical gift that will help lift some money burdens and hopefully get them on the path towards financial freedom.

How to Give the Gift of Knowledge

May 072010
 

Give the Gift of Knowledge (Photo courtesy of I am K.E.B.)

Gifts can accomplish many things. Gifts can provide entertainment or make life easier. But can you make someone smarter with gifts? We think so. Here are five ways to give the gift of knowledge.

Books

Books are great gifts. You never have to worry about whether or not they’ll fit or if it’s the right color. Give books that you enjoy or that cover topics you know your loved one will appreciate. Books make especially great gifts for children. They probably have plenty of toys, but they can never have enough books.

Admission to Museums

Your loved one will probably visit local museums or galleries more often if the admission is free. Give them a season pass to a local attraction where learning is likely to happen. Make sure to choose a venue that they’ll find interesting whether it be art, science or history. Make sure to include some promotional materials highlighting activities and events that they’ll be able to participate in with their new membership.

Tickets to a Production

Open doors for your friend or family member by giving them tickets to an upcoming production like a play, opera or concert. You may just expose them to a whole new world of enjoyment.

“How to” Kit

Give your loved one everything they need to learn a new skill with a “how to” kit. There are kits geared towards children like the How to Draw Cartoons Kit from Overstock.com. There are also “how to” kits geared towards adults like the Organic Herb Kit or the Beginner’s Knit Kit available at Walmart.

Tuition to a Class

Tuition can be extremely expensive. But what about signing up your friend or family member for a class at a community college or a local art studio? Tuition to these types of classes can be very affordable and can make a great gift that will turn into knowledge.

How to Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Gifts

Apr 182010
 

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Gifts. photo courtesy of mnapoleon

Cinco de Mayo, which means the 5th of May, is a holiday created to celebrate the victory of the Mexican militia over the French Army in 1862 in a fight known as The Battle of Puebla. Although it’s a holiday based on a war, it’s still a great time to share some love with your friends and family members with gifts. Here are some perfect Cinco de Mayo gifts.

Viva Mexico Treat Bowl

Celebrate Mexico’s victory with the Viva Mexico Treat Bowl from Personal Creations. You can even customize it with the last name of your friend or family member. It’s useful for holding Cinco de Mayo party treats or snacks and only costs $24.95.

Margarita in a Bag

Get the Cinco de Mayo celebration started with Lt. Blender’s Margarita in a Bag. For about $22 you’ll get a pack of three. Just add liquor and water, shake, freeze and enjoy!

Mexican Spices

Any cook will love this collection of Mexican spices. The box comes with unique flavors including Taco Seasoning, Fajita Seasoning, Adobo Seasoning, and Chili con Carne Seasoning. Hopefully you’ll benefit from getting to try out the finished product.

Mexican Chocolate Lovers Pack

Expose your loved ones to treats they may have never experienced before with the Mexican Chocolate Lovers Pack. It includes cookies, rolls, marshmallow pops and chocolate milk. Plus they’ll be able to whip up the best Mexican hot chocolate they’ve ever tasted with cinnamon infused Chocolate Ibarra and Chocolate Abuelita. The gift pack is $21.95 at MexGrocer.com.

Mexican Coffee

Mexico is also known for their coffee beans. Your loved one will appreciate receiving the gift of Mexican coffee from MyMexicanPantry.com. Cafe de la Olla isn’t just ordinary beans. It also contains brown sugar, ground coffee, cinnamon, cocoa and aniseed. A bag is $9.99, but the site requires a minimum purchase of $15 so you may as well get two. After a night of Cinco de Mayo celebration, you may need it on Seis de Mayo.

Resolutions for 2010: How to Spend Less on Gifts

Jan 072010
 

Spend Less on Gifts in 2010 (Image courtesy of MarcinMoga)

Let’s face it — we can’t all be like Oprah, handing out hundreds of cashmere sweaters, diamond bracelets or spa getaways to our friends. While it would be fun to give extravagantly and not be forced to think about our credit card debt or how we’re going to pay for our child’s college tuition, it’s just not realistic for most of us. And if you’ve resolved to save money in 2010, your gift giving budget can be a good place to do it. Here are some tips for spending less on gifts.

Plan Ahead

There’s no quicker way to mess up your gift giving budget than to wait until the last minute. In an attempt to find the perfect gift you’ll likely end up spending way more than you intended. Pick up a handy birthday book like this one from Barnes and Noble that will help you remember important dates year-after-year. Take a moment to review it before the start of each month. Make a list of the gifts you need to pick up so you have plenty of time to shop for the best item at the best price.

Set a Budget

Do you always make a budget when buying gifts? If your answer is no, then you should be. Consider factors like the relationship you have with the recipient and the occasion you’re celebrating. Once you set your budget stick to it!

Research

If you’ve got a gift in mind, start researching it in order to find the best price. Use sites like PriceGrabber.com or DealTime.com to search for specific products and find out which retailer is offering the lowest price. You’ll also want to check out the shopping portal Ebates.com to see if you can earn any cash back on you purchase. It’s free to join and easy to use.

Enter Giveaways

Bloggers are always giving away great gifts. Throw your name into the hat and you could win items that would make great gifts throughout the year without spending any money. Be sure to check out the Giveaways page right here at 1HappyCorner.com.

Save on the Card

Another way to spend less on gifts is by spending less on the greeting card. Invest in a variety pack of assorted greeting cards like this one at PaperCards.com. Rather than forking over three or four dollars on a card, you’ll spend just $.62 a card. In all that’s a savings of at least $57 on cards alone! With savings like that you’ll be well on your way to achieving your resolution of spending less on gifts in 2010.

Celebrate Special Days with Personalized Gifts

May 182009
 

As a way to celebrate the holidays, we often give gifts to our family and friends. This act of gift giving is a way to show appreciation for the focus of the celebration. There are many options to consider when choosing a gift, and this mainly depends on the holiday and who is receiving it.

personalized-giftsThe summer is approaching fast and many schools are hosting their graduation. Personalized gifts are perfect for this event because they often remind the graduate of the time spent at the institution. For example, you may want to consider a picture frame that has their name and graduation date engraved below the picture.

I received a personalized picture frame many years ago when I graduated from high school. It was an excellent gift that I recommend for this type of event. I received a silver colored picture frame that had my name at the bottom along with the date of my graduation. I still have this picture frame today and it reminds me of my graduation every time I see it.

Personalized gifts are also great for holidays such as Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. This type of monogrammed gift can really show your parents how much you care. I recommend choosing a personalized gift for those special days and the person receiving the gift is sure to be pleased.

This post was submitted by our Contributor, Steve.

Timeless Message

Feb 142009
 

S P O N S O R E D  P O S T

sea-shells-10Searching for that perfect Romantic Valentine’s Day Gift that will be remembered and cherished forever where quality and elegance are important? Well hold on, I have found a wonderful website for you that accomplishes that and much more. Timeless Message (www.timelessmessage.com) is a fresh new website I found that has wonderfully romantic gifts. The Message in a Bottle gift that they offer is just superb. Sending a message in a bottle is a very romantic new gift idea for anyone on for any special occasion not just a romantic one although it is genuinely the most romantic gift I have ever seen and there is a message in a bottle for every budget which is important today.

You can send a message in a bottle for Valentine’s Day, an Anniversary, Birthday, Graduation, Mother’s Day Father’s Day, Christmas and of course for no particular reason at all. key-on-front-pagewcrateblueborderI sent one to my spouse for Christmas and I could not have chosen anything more meaningful or that would become more cherished. It was just simply awesome. I sent one to my mom on her birthday and she called me crying with overwhelming emotion. I think that pretty much gives you an idea of just how personalized, sentimental and touching this is.

See “Message in a Bottle” Collection and Timeless Teddy Bears! Visit TimelessMessage.com!

We mentioned Timelessmessage.com in our 2009 Valentine’s Gift guide (Part 2).

2009 Valentine’s Gift Guide – The Ultimate Green Store

Feb 122009
 

We featured The Ultimate Green Store in our 2009 Valentine’s Gift Guide.

This Valentine’s Day, when you show your love for that special person in your life, show some love for the planet, too. No need to sacrifice luxury, style or the cool factor. Here are some eco-friendly gift ideas from The Ultimate Green Store:

solio

Solio. photo courtesy of theultimategreenstore.com

Love Solar Style: Make sure romantic moments can always be captured and that you’ll always be able to reach your Valentine. A favorite gift for him or her, Solio portable solar chargers and Voltaic solar bags will enable you to charge your small portable devices such as cell phones and cameras off the grid and on the go so you never have to worry about running out of juice. The solar bags come in a variety of styles including, daypacks, backpacks and messenger bags. Continue reading »

2009 Valentine’s Gift Guide – NotJustAnyOldDay.com

Feb 122009
 

We mentioned NotJustAnyOldDay.com in our 2009 Valentine’s Gift Guide.

notjustanyoldday

18" Solid Sterling Silver Link Chain and Charm. photo courtesy of NotJustAnyOldDay.com

My favorite product from Not Just Any Old Day:
Conversation Starter (in the image): Wear this sterling silver calendar keepsake around your neck for everyone to see. Then, count how many people start talking to you about it.

About Not Just Any Old Day:

Not Just Any Old Day calendar charm keepsakes are a fun and unique gift for life’s celebrations. Designed to identify a significant month and day in the life of the person who wears it, the Not Just Any Old Day solid sterling silver calendar charm (approximately ¾ inches by ¾ inches) is marked with a genuine Swarovski crystal birthstone on the date that holds a special meaning. Continue reading »

2009 Valentine’s Gift Guide – VoiceQuilt.com

Feb 122009
 

We mentioned VoiceQuilt.com in our 2009 Valentine’s Gift Guide.

Sometimes words are not strong enough to express the emotion and joy VoiceQuilt will bring. That’s why I posted the video above. 

VoiceQuilt is the perfect gift for Valentine’s, Christmas, birthday, anniversary and any special day! It is a unique product that strings (or quilts) personalized audio messages from family/loved ones that are set into a variety of beautiful keepsake boxes.  During these tough times, the best love and support a lot of people need come from the heart of many.

Available at VoiceQuilt.com. Check them out today!

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If you have tried VoiceQuilt, please leave a message and share the love!

2009 Valentine’s Gift Guide – WomensColoringBooks.com

Feb 112009
 

We mentioned WomensColoring Books.com in our 2009 Valentine’s Gift Guide.

coloring-books

The Color Of Joy. photo courtesy of WomensColoringBooks.com

This gift idea is a gorgeous coloring book for women called THE COLOR OF JOY.  Available online at WomensColoringBooks.com. 

In the month it’s been out it’s gotten amazing feedback from women across the board who have found the site. There are testimonials from customers that you can read to see the response it’s getting.  Many women have ordered one for themselves, and when they actually have it in hand, come back to the site and order more for friends and relatives.

Coloring is the best kept secret out there for stress reduction! Playing with color is deeply relaxing, meditative, incredibly fun (with no artistic skill required), and it’s completely addictive once you start. This book, designed specifically for women has a colorful glossy cover that’s very visually appealing, and beautiful 9×12 inch art tablet sized drawings, with inspirational and sometimes humorous writings to go with the drawings.

A great Valentines Day gift idea for a wife or girlfriend — impress them with how sensitive you are with this unique gift designed for relaxation… Throw in pack of magic markers and it’s like a mini-retreat without leaving home.

Price:    $22.99

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