8 Holiday Shopping Ideas… A bit off the beaten track

8 Holiday Shopping Ideas… A bit off the beaten track

Creativity is an amazing thing. It can save you a fortune and give you better results yet most people opt for ‘thinking with their wallets.’ A much more expensive option. If you want to please those people in your life that really matter OR give the obligatory gifts to clients and ‘associates’ without going broke, here are 8 thoughts for you.

1.  Send them all the gift of love. Take a charity that no one can possible have a problem with and one you endorse and send a BIG gift to that charity in their name. ãYou…WE have so much. I am donating $100 in your name to UNICEF for the children of the world.ä It will cost you $100 but it does that person, you and the children a LOT more good than a pewter plate with your corporate logo on it.

2. Write a personal note to your spouse or kids and include 5 vouchers for ‘One hour of massage’, ‘One get out of the flat for free and I take care of the kids’ or ‘Good for one night out with your girlfriends / the guys’ or ‘A day with dad / mom doing what ever you want to do…Sentosa, video games, picnic, Discovery Centre or ???’. Put an expiration date so they get used up.

3.  Remember what that person likes and give it to them. This is a repeat of last week but the point is, if you are listening, it may not cost a lot to make people feel appreciated.

4.  Days for that special someone. You already have everything I own. I want to give you something that not even I own. A day of my life. I give you one day, of your choosing, where I will do whatever you desire. I’ll pamper you, take care of you, massage you and gladly be your servant for a day.ä Do you think THAT will be appreciated?

5.  Get out of work early voucher. Give your employees a voucher where they can get out of work at 3 PM any day of their choosing, except during peak periods (list). Costs you NOTHING and will be seen as a HUGE perk. Hey… On the days they wish they were gone? They are already GONE mentally.

6.  Book of your choice from Popular, Times or Borders. Great gift. Give them an in-store voucher or just your own (buy it and I’ll pay you back). Keeping your team or kids reading is a great thing. The fact they don’t buy it immediately means they have to see it and think about it a lot. More positive thoughts than the tie you buy and it goes into the drawer for years.

7.  Promise (and actually CHANGE) the bad habit your family dislikes. For example, if you have promised to be home for dinner and never made it on time, tell them it is your ‘present’ and NEVER BE LATE ONCE!!! Set no appointments near dinner time and pay your staff a bonus to kick you out EARLY.

8.  Write a poem or love note to the people that matter. Sorry, the jewellery stores tell you they need to see diamonds. Instead, take the next 10 lunch hours writing a poem of just how much you love that special someone in your life. Write it. Re-write it. Perfect it. Include how you met, your first kiss, the first time you ‘knew’ she / he was the one, etc. Print it out on special parchment and frame it. $30 - $50. Diamonds $5,000. Diamonds will impress. Your poem will touch the heart. Depends on what you want to accomplish.

I’m not against retail. Just think we need to connect at a level other than the plastic card level. Visa, MC, Diners and AMEX are great, but cannot buy the heart. Our gift of time and creativity can do a lot to make the holidays special.

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