People tend to cut down on their spending during a recession, but there are certain areas which perform particularly well in a downturn. These can provide you with great inspiration for the types of Christmas gift ideas which will give your friends and family a little lift when things start to seem a bit gloomy.
Home cooking
During a recession, people are more reluctant to go out to restaurants because of the cost of eating out. This means that anything which can make home cooking a pleasure, like a special new chopping board, rolling pin, cake tin or fancy apron will be a greatly appreciated Christmas present. On top of this, a lovely cookery gift will encourage your friends to cook for you!
Gardening
Gardening is a very popular, recession-proof pastime. Growing your own food cuts down on grocery costs and is also good for the environment as it does away with food miles. A set of hard-wearing gardening gloves, some secateurs or packets of seeds will therefore make an excellent Christmas gift idea during a recession. Just check the intended recipient has a garden, allotment or reasonable-sized balcony or it could just come across as a cruel joke.
Many people become keen on sewing and mending during the recession and choose repair their current garments instead of buying new clothes. Those who take up sewing or knitting as a result of money troubles can find it a surprisingly satisfying pastime, ideally carried out in front of a roaring fire in winter time while catching up on the latest gossip with a group of friends! A good sewing-related Christmas gift idea is a ‘flower doll' – a doll brandishing all the sewing-related paraphernalia a handicraft enthusiast could wish for, including scissors, embroidery thread and ribbon.
Alcohol
Sales of alcohol go up during a recession – for obvious reasons. If you have any friends or family in the financial or housing sector, you might want to steer clear of this Christmas gift idea. However, for those with more minor troubles than potential redundancy, a drinking-related gift like a wine-chiller could be ideal help to brighten up gloomier days.
Gambling
Ok, so gambling is a terrible way to deal with the financial crisis, but incredibly the public spend on gambling rockets in times of hardship. Take inspiration from this for your Christmas gift ideas and give your friends some fun board games. A game like Monopoly can provide all the escapist fun of gambling with much less potential for guilt, debt or divorce. ‘Anti-Monopoly' is a fun new twist on the original, pitting small business entrepreneurs against big business monopolists to see who wins. Topical!
Chocolate
Chocolate sales go up during an economic crisis. It makes people feel better without costing too much. A good Christmas gift idea is to give your friends something chocolaty with a bit of a twist. A gourmet chocolate fondue maker for marshmallow-dipping will brighten up a cold January evening and provide a warm and comforting evening snack.
Christmas Gift Ideas For Girlfriend
Its holiday time again and what should you get for him? He has everything, so what else could there possibly be? Dont give up yet because there are plenty of unique ideas for the man whos difficult to shop for.
Gift Idea For Him #1: Naming a Star in His Honor
If the man in your life is also a star in your eyes, let him know with the perfect Christmas gift idea. There are many online novelty stores, which offer star naming kits. For a set price, you can have a star named after the man in your life. The complete kits come with a certificate, a map so that he can locate his special star and other information about star naming and astronomy. You can also select a date in which the star was officially named. Maybe its an Anniversary or Birthday. Perhaps, its in honor of Christmas. The star naming service will imprint any date that you choose on the certificate. Many of the stores offer custom framing, or you can find a frame at a local department store. If hes into astronomy, of just to let him know that you think hes a star, this is a great gift. In addition, its unlikely that most people would already have a star named after them so this would be very original.
Gift Idea For Him #2: A Watch
If you want to let him know that you love it timeless, buy him a watch. Its practical, thoughtful and carries a wonderful meaning. Slip a note inside the watch box, which reads "Time flies when Im with you." Gold watches are nice and they dont always have to be expensive. Shop around at some of the online stores and browse their huge selection of watches.
Gift Idea For Him #3: Tools
If the gentleman in your life is also the homes handyman, consider a toolkit. There are some terrific kits, which contain hundreds of items, which are available and make wonderful Christmas gift ideas. When searching for the perfect toolkit, keep in mind what he likes to do. If he prefers to build things, look for a kit with the tools necessary for building. If he likes to repair, look for a kit with a lot of fix-it tools and spare gadgets. You know what they say - busy hands are happy hands.
Gift Idea For Him #4: Unique Sports Items
If your guy is a sports nut, consider the ultimate unique gift. Log on to his favorite teams website and read about any construction or new projects being built for use by the team. Many times, during construction of a new facility or building, the teams will sell customized bricks to help with financing of the project. You could purchase a brick used for construction, have it engraved with his name and present a certificate to let him know that he will forever be a part of his favorite sports team. If his favorite team is building a new stadium or other brick structure, the brick would be used and forever remain as part of the facility. Talk about a homerun, this will be it! A better Christmas gift idea, for a sports fan, would be difficult to find. If hes a race fan, check out the Auto Racing Hall of Fame & Museum in North Carolina, where you can purchase actual race-used tires from some of NASCARs top drivers for less than $100.00, which includes the Certificate of Authenticity.
Gift Idea For Him #5: A Gift Card
If youve looked all around and still cant find the perfect gift, consider a gift card. For the man that is truly impossible to shop for, let him do the shopping for himself. Gift cards are great because they give the recipient an opportunity to buy anything in the store, as determined by the value of the gift card, without spending a dime.
Both Sadie Smith & Rosie Fletcher are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Sadie Smith has sinced written about articles on various topics from Gift Ideas, Christmas Gifts. Sadie Smith writes for The Handpicked Collection, a website and catalogue featuring a selection of , including all the ones on this page, to. Sadie Smith's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.
Rosie Fletcher has sinced written about articles on various topics from Christmas Gifts, Gift Ideas. Rosie FletcherFor more great expert witness related articles and resources check out . Rosie Fletcher's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.
Canvas Pictures For Sale If youre looking for the best quality of canvas prints from photos, whether custom designed or pre-made you should always ask what type of prints will the canvas pictures have and make sure they are...