Money is tight for many people these days, and even though Giftster helps you effectively use the money you have set aside for gift-giving, some may have a tighter budget than others. Did you know that you could make a wish list of free things? Yes, I said that magic four-letter-word — FREE! No present can keep your family closer than sharing a little bit of family history.
Here are some ideas to get your list of free things started:
Family Recipes
What’s that special recipe that just screams family every time you have it? For me, it’s always been my Great-Grandma’s raviolis, my Aunt Mary Lou’s seven-layer salad, and my husband’s Grandma Alice’s brownies. Make a list of the family recipes you’d like to have. Gift givers could wrap index cards or a little notepad with the recipe(s) on it. If the gift giver wants to get really creative, they could even include coupons for the recipe ingredients.
Another creative way to give this gift would be to set aside time to help the gift recipient make the recipe. You’ll be passing along a piece of family nostalgia and making new memories at the same time.
Family History
If you’re interested in family history, get the ball rolling by asking for the information your family members have. Here are a few things to ask for:
- Family Tree
- List of Birthdays
- Timeline of Military Service
- Immigration Details
- Interesting Family Stories
Family Pictures
This particular gift might not be completely free, but it can be low-cost. If you have a scanner and a bunch of family pictures, you can do a few different things if you scan the pictures into your computer.
- Picture Slide Show or Online Album (there are a number of sites you can use for free; Google’s Picasa is one of them)
- Copy the scanned pictures on to disc or flash drive (would require you to buy the disc or flash drive
- Print the scanned pictures (check your local film developer for special deals on printing pictures)
How to Do a Special Hobby
Have you ever wanted to learn to knit or crochet or how to do woodworking or fishing or that other special hobby that a family member has? Why not ask! Making something together is a great way to make a memory and create a family legacy (personal note: although no one in my family taught me to crochet, both my grandmothers, many of my great-grandmothers, and even some of my great-great-grandmothers were crocheters, so I feel that their legacy lives on in me).
The Gift of Time
If you’re the wish list maker, ask for time with family members. Could be grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, siblings, parents – anyone you would like to spend time with. You can work on family history or just have a cup of coffee together. Or, if you have kids, you could ask for free babysitting from family members. Gift givers can take double the pleasure by giving this gift. They can give their loved ones some much-deserved time off while making memories with the little ones in the family.
