Recession Changes the Way We Give Gifts By: Curtis Ophoven 12/25/2008 - 4 Comments Merry Christmas to everyone and I hope you are all enjoying precious time with your families. Your Ad Here When I was a kid, most of the gifts I got for Christmas were basic essentials, like shoes, socks and other clothes items.  When I needed a new pair of shoes, my parents would say that I had to wait until my birthday or Christmas. Over the last 30- years of prosperity in America, gift giving has migrated to mostly toys and fun items while basic essentials are bought whenever they are needed. This year, my wife and I started to reverse this trend by giving about half basic essentials and half toys.  As the recession deepens, we are probably going to move farther and farther away from giving toys to giving more essentials as gifts.  For example, last week we bought our 9 and 7 year olds' new winter coats for next year and usually we would just give them their coats at the start of winter. But, we are leaning towards giving them their coats as a gift.  Has the recession changed the way you give gifts? Related Articles 10 Things to Avoid at Your Family Christmas Party Christmas Trees Are Still Selling 2008 Budget Reflections Consumer Lending Doesn’t Make Sense What Can I Cut Back On?   Subscribe via RSS Copyright © 2010 PennyJobs.com. All rights reserved. << FREE >> Weekly Newsletter... Signup today and start receiving our free weekly newsletter! Reader Comments Comment 1 Adam Says: on Monday, December 29, 2008 4:24:27 PM I always receive the 'basics'. I always get soap, shampoo and other toiletries. I like it because I don't have to replenish those items for atleast a few months. Comment 2 Monroe on a Budget Says: on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 9:03:08 AM I've been asking for practical things like new pots and pans for Christmas gifts for the past few years. Comment 3 Slinky Says: on Wednesday, January 07, 2009 4:25:10 PM Growing up, I always received clothing and other essentials for Christmas. Every year I gave my dad a new package of socks and maybe a tie or something. Most of my gifts are still rather practical, a nice winter jacket, a teapot, hand knit sweater, quilt, hand knit socks, etc. I think a lot of it is probably what you grew up getting. Write a Comment Please keep comments civil and on-topic. Abusive or inappropriate comments will be removed without warning.  Name (required)     Email Address (required)     Website URL  Comment

Related Articles 10 Things to Avoid at Your Family Christmas Party Merry Christmas – this is the best time of year because the story of Jesus will be told all over the world.  Read More... Christmas Trees Are Still Selling For several year now I have enjoyed the opportunity to help sell Christmas trees each year. Read More... 2008 Budget Reflections It’s that time of year, when I tally up the numbers for this years' budget and see how I did compared to my budget.  Read More... Consumer Lending Doesn’t Make Sense The idea of lending money to consumers to buy consumable products that have little or no value the minute they are purchased doesn’t make any sense. Read More... What Can I Cut Back On? As everyone begins to feel the economic crisis, the question that a lot of people are asking is, “what can I cut back on?” Read More... Living Rich by Spending Smart Mr. Karp provides quick, easy to read, practical tips for smart spending choices. This isn't a book about saving for investing; it’s about making purchase decisions wisely and with purpose. What's more important than taking control of spending habits? Practical advice, easy to adopt changes for sound money management. Easy read with great tips, this book pays for itself in ONE day! The New Master Your Money This book provides a step-by-step plan to financial freedom presented in an easy-to-understand format. Do you know if you have enough? Do you know how much is enough? If you can't answer these questions, The New Master Your Money is for you. Ron Blue extracts principles from God's Word and applies them to your financial portfolio. Ron's professional experience in financial planning will be an asset to you and to your family for generations to come. How to Save Money Every Day Ellie Kay has done it again! In her new book "How to Save Money Every Day," Ellie will have you laughing (literally!) all the way to the bank with the money you'll save following her tips. What makes Ellie's advice so extraordinary is that in many ways it's so...well...ordinary! This is practical stuff anyone can put into practice every day in every area of life. Save Money Homeschooling How Homeschooling can save you $20,000 per year. Homeschooling is more than a means to educate your children. Homeschooling is a lifestyle that produces unmatchable results. Education is the single most expensive cost of every society on the face of the earth and homeschooling is the indisputable least expensive means to achieve this.