Has the recession influenced how you are approaching your gift buying? It has been interesting the number of people who are thinking more creatively about what presents to give this year. Hopefully this will go some way towards people not max-ing out their credit card(s).
Some of my friends have been really creative about what they will be wrapping up for friends and family. Here are a few ideas that I have heard about over the past week.
- Baking: cookies, chocolate crunch, rocky road, and biscotti.
- Mini individually iced Christmas cakes.
- Mini Christmas puddings (made in muffin tins).
- Cutting music CD’s.
- Giving one ‘joint’ present to couples.
- Baby-sitting, gardening, and housework gift vouchers.
- Giving a ‘family’ present instead of individual presents.
- Homemade chutney & gourmet salad dressing.
For me, I’ve used my creative streak to my advantage. This year most of my friends and family will be receiving a pack of eight handmade greeting cards and matching handmade envelopes. Making these cards have saved me heaps but more importantly it has provided me with hours of stress-free enjoyment.