Sometimes it’s worth giving a gift that doesn’t cost anything, except the time and effort you put into it.
Here are some gift tips that are full of love and cost next to nothing
A personalized gift box
You’ll need a few things to assemble a gift box, but you probably can work with materials you can find at home. Take a jar, wash it thoroughly, decorate and sprinkle in all sorts of goodies: hazelnuts, peanuts, chocolate, candy, anything that catches the eye. Who doesn’t like to snack?
Handmade calendar
Everyone faces the dread of deadlines from time to time, and it makes life easier if you write down all your to-dos in one place. A calendar is the perfect way to keep track, and you can even make one from A5 or A4 white sheets of paper. All you have to do is look at next year’s dates and put together a calendar. You’ll need a ruler, pencil or pen and of course any decoration you can think of. Extra tip: if you know that the person is quite forgetful about their family’s date-based holidays, you can write in birthdays and other special days so they’re sure to remember them.
Share your best memories together
A book of memories is a very personal and inexpensive gift, and you’re guaranteed to see tears of joy. Write down the memories you have of the person you would like to surprise, buy a jar or any storage box that can be closed and write down what you remember about them on separate sheets of paper. Make a guide so that the person you give it to won’t open them all at once, but save them for those days when they’re not in the best mood. Such a gift is sure to put a smile on anyone’s face on even the gloomiest of days.
A book of your favorite recipes
For anyone who loves to cook and loves gifts related to gastronomy, this is the perfect choice! Buy a notebook, either paperback or hardcover, and start jotting down your favorite recipes. You can even choose the theme: inexpensive recipes, your favorites from childhood, or ones you’d like to try in the near future. Of course, you can also decorate the cookbook with different things; for a food lover, it’s sure to be a hit!
Give the gift of time spent together
Unfortunately, in today’s world, it’s not uncommon for people to work from morning till night and when they get home from work, they’re so tired they want to get to bed as soon as possible. This is particularly hard on children and relationships, because time has to be spent on both. Promise your family that you’ll try to spend as much time with them as possible in the future and make up for the things you’ve missed out on.
Free programs
With rising energy prices, the cost of services and entrance fees have also gone up, but you can still find programs that are free: duck-feeding at the local lake, a walk in the park or nearby woods, or any creative activity. It’s all about spending time together and having a good time. Here’s a tip that’s great with kids: think of a “perfect crime”, hide clues in a certain area and have the little ones solve the problem using the clues they find. This will keep them physically and mentally active, not to mention fun for everyone.
Create a family board game
Every family has their own customs. Invent your own little board game, specifically tailored to your family’s shared interests. All you need is a pen and paper and some creativity to get the whole family involved and everyone to have a lot of fun. In addition, you can take the game off the shelf whenever you feel like playing.
Make a time capsule
This gift costs nothing and, although it may take a few years before you open it when the next generation or someone else finds it, it’s fun to make. The point is to send a message into the future, give good advice to the person who finds the capsule, or even write a note to yourself that you might not remember many years later. You’ll need paper, a pen and a sealable box, and you can bury it anywhere – just make sure you mark the spot so someone will find it.