The last ‘gift’ stories of the year.

Lately it’s been all about holiday shopping, both here and elsewhere. Thank goodness the holidays are almost over.

Here’s my favorite gift suggestion: Breathing room.

“Christmas gifts that keep on giving,” my recent post at Get Rich Slowly, suggests presents that can free up money in someone’s budget.

Give a new college grad the money for a utility deposit, or offer a week’s worth of rent. If upgrading a still-decent smartphone, give the current one to someone who needs it. Pay for a bridge/toll sticker or transit pass. Go in with other family members to cover a month’s worth of child care.

As I noted in the piece:

“Even a small amount of leeway could be extremely helpful (maybe even life-changing) to unemployed or underemployed friends and relatives, single parents, retirees or recent college grads.

“The freeing-up of even $20 from someone’s budget could become seed money for an emergency fund, an extra payment toward consumer debt, the sneakers her kid needs for gym class.”

Since not everyone can afford an expensive gift, I also included budget-friendly workarounds such as inviting someone to dinner once a week, teaching cooking and couponing, and letting the person come with you on your next Costco run. I also noted that some of the big-ticket items could be great collective gifts, e.g., a bunch of family members chipping in for that child-care gift.

Ho, ho, etc.

More on the holiday shopping front:

Wondering what to give the teacher in your life? Hint: It’s not a coffee mug or an apple-shaped plaque that says “No. 1 Teacher!” Or so I suggest in “Tired of giving coffee mugs as gifts?” on the Huffington Post, a collaboration with Curtis Arnold of CardRatings.com and BestPrepaidDebitCards.com. (It originally ran on Arnold’s site as “6 reasons to buy the teacher a prepaid gift card.”) A nice letter thanking the teacher for his/her work with your child in the first half of the school year is always a good idea — especially if the child writes it — but if you want to give another tangible gift, then I suggest a prepaid debit card.

You could give a gift card to a specific store, but a prepaid card is accepted everywhere. You never know what a teacher wants/needs: cupcake makings for the Valentine’s Day party, boards and hinges for a science fair display, seeds for a garden project. It’s possible that Teacher may use the card for a pedicure or a nice lunch out, but it’s also likely that s/he will use it on the classroom: According to a 2013 survey from the National School Supply and Equipment Association, teachers pay an average of $485 per year out of pocket for stuff for their classrooms.

“8 secrets to being a great regifter without getting caught” is just what it sounds like. Yes, it can be done well. It can also backfire spectacularly, so pay attention to these tips if you’re planning on giving a new life to old stuff. (Full disclosure: I regift, and as I noted in the piece I don’t always do it correctly.)

“Shopping for your girl? Avoid everything on this list” is another cautionary tale. In this case, “girl” means sweetheart or spouse rather than daughter. Don’t give appliances unless they were specifically requested. Don’t buy slutty undies unless you’re absolutely sure she’ll be thrilled. Don’t buy her an exercise video or a gym membership (nothing says “I love you” like a gift that indicates you need to lose weight).

The article includes some other what-not-to-buy tips and some appalling examples of gifts that didn’t work because the buyer wasn’t thinking.

“The gift that doesn’t need batteries, never breaks and can change a kid’s life” focuses on long-term, money-oriented presents: stocks, college funds and contributions to a Roth IRA. It’s been my experience that most kids get so many toys at Christmas that they won’t really notice that boring Aunt Donna puts money in a college fund for them. Financial gifts will still be there long after those Legos have been sold in a garage sale.

My older great-nephew turns 14 next year and will be allowed to get working papers. I’ve told him I will match whatever he puts into a Roth IRA. Compound interest is his friend; I’ll use an investment calculator to show him just how much those funds could grow in the next 40 or 50 years.

Incidentally, they’re offering $9 an hour at McDonald’s up here. That’s $1.25 more than the current minimum wage (which will go up a buck in late February).

Using money well, or not

Just in time for those New Year’s resolutions I give you “8 simple, no-cost moves that will absolutely, positively make you richer.” Some of them may seem obvious to you (“Live below your means”) but not everyone was lucky enough to grow up with parents who modeled smart money behaviors like paying yourself first or keeping your car as long as possible.

And if this sounds like old news? Pass it along to someone who isn’t as lucky as you.

“7 foolproof organizing tricks you don’t know” should help with a common resolution: This is the year that I get my paperwork sorted and my home office cleared out. Whether you choose to send your clutter to the cloud or to simply organize it in color-coded files, you don’t have to live in disarray. Having a clean, well-organized place looks better and also reduces the amount of time you spend searching for the receipt that proves you did pay for your kid’s lost history textbook.

Finally, here’s one that’s just for fun: “You can’t take it with you: The 11 most effective ways to blow your money,” written strictly tongue-in-cheek but carrying some object lessons. Among them:

“Where you live should make a statement: I’m successful. Look at my house! … Don’t worry about saving up a large down payment. You’ve got the rest of your life to pay it off!”

“Hobbies are good for you! Make sure to buy top-of-the-line supplies for each. However, life is all about options. Just because you’ve spent thousands of dollars on a quilt frame and fabrics doesn’t mean you have to make quilts forever. The instant you get bored, ditch those skis or that cigar band collection and try something new. On second thought, you may want to do petit point or hydroponic gardening again some day. Better rent a storage unit and keep all your supplies there, just in case.”

“Indulge your children. …Make sure your kids have lots of expensive clothing and toys. Nothing but the best for your family. That goes for college, too. Make sure they go to their dream schools. If a bank is willing to finance their educations, so much the better!”

As you can tell, I had a lot of fun with that one. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.