giving

Do we need a little less Christmas?

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santa-claus-for-christmas_w128(Happy Throwback Tuesday! It should be “Throwback Thursday,” but I’m in charge here. This Christmas article originally ran on Dec. 27, 2012, and I believe its message is still relevant. In these inflationary times, it might be more relevant than ever.)

A reader responded to “I’m dreaming of a stripped-down Christmas” with a description of her 7-year-old’s Yuletide experience:

“There are so many gifts from extended family, it actually stresses him out to open them – usually there’s a good one in the first two or three and he wants to stop and play with it, not have it taken away and have to open 10 more things.

“It looks like ingratitude, and that’s a little of it – we’re lucky to already have everything we need and most of what we want, so he’s not that into new stuff – but it’s mostly sheer overwhelm at being the center of attention and having so many people around and then having to switch focus every moment.”

I saw a bit of that myself on Tuesday as I watched a young child open a massive pile of presents. He was a little stressed and cranky by the time he was through. In fact, he had to be coaxed into opening the last few packages.

When my oldest great-nephew was a toddler he was well-nigh buried in loot on Christmas morning. At one point he was nearly in tears, saying “No more!”

No more. Would that have happened when you were small?

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Valentine’s Day giveaway.

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It’s a little early* for Valentine’s Day, but the point of this giveaway is for the winners to have gifts for the holiday. I’ll need some time to mail them, so early is the way to play it.

Those gifts can be for your sweetheart, your mom, your daughter, your niece or a nice coworker.

You could also gift them to yourself. And if you’ve got a bestest buddy who wears earrings? Make them a Galentine’s Day present.

My photography is subpar, but all these earrings do feature heart shapes. They seemed appropriate for Valentine’s Day.

 

They were made by my jewelry-making buddy Linda B., whose work has been featured in giveaways before. Since I believe in supporting the local economy, why not use heart-shaped art from someone I know? 

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Giving Cards: The update.

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Back in early June, Nate St. Pierre of Giving Cards gave me a wonderful opportunity to pass along to readers: The chance to “think ‘big’ with ‘small’.”

Specifically, the chance to take a $20 prepaid Visa card and use it to make a big difference in someone’s day. (Or maybe a whole bunch of someones. More on that below.)

Five readers were chosen to receive these cards. The only request from Giving Cards is that they not simply hand over the card. Instead, recipients are asked to think about how to deliver the biggest impact with such a relatively small amount of funding. What I love about this is that it sets recipients loose to dream.

It also lets them provide a little love for local causes. After all, nationally known organizations are always going to get donations. They’ve got the funds for outreach and marketing. But small causes that make a difference locally need help, too.

All the winners had great results. If I had to pick a favorite, it would (narrowly) be the cake kits. A reader named Wendy planned to buy $20 worth of cake mix and icing, then package them with disposable cake pans and birthday candles that she already had on hand. They’d be delivered to a local food bank.

“That will allow people who use the food pantry to make cakes for special occasions. Often these are too costly to purchase, or the ingredients aren’t available at food banks,” she said in a comment on the original post.

Can confirm, having been broke, and having used a food bank. While a cake for someone’s birthday (or graduation, anniversary, confirmation, etc.) isn’t necessary as such, it sure makes being broke a little easier to bear. My guess is that Wendy’s cake kits brightened some people’s days considerably.

Even though she did Giving Cards wrong. But in a great way. 

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Giving Cards: Want $20 to share?

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The other day I was offered a great opportunity to share with readers: the chance to do something wonderful on someone else’s dime. Giving Cards, a movement designed to inspire thoughtful giving, will gift five readers each a $20 prepaid Visa card and a specific mission: “Think ‘big’ with ‘small’.” You might think $20 isn’t … Read more

Stamp Out Hunger: Can you help?

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This Saturday, May 14, marks the return of the “Stamp Out Hunger” campaign. The food drive was canceled for two years due to the pandemic. But this Saturday (May 14), the National Association of Letter Carriers will once again be collecting nonperishables to distribute to area food banks.

Can you help?

The country’s largest single-day food drive, Stamp Out Hunger will take place in 10,000 towns and cities across the United States. Given the scary-high price of food lately, it might feel harder to contribute. But let’s reframe that: Given the scary-high price of food lately, donations are needed more than ever.

If you can spare a can for your fellow man, I promise you that you’ll feel good about it. But only if you can afford it. You should not donate if you’re having trouble keeping food on your own table.

Or maybe your pantry is pretty secure, thanks to your frugalvore tendencies. Could you part with a box of mac ’n’ cheese or a can of tuna?

Tuna is a much-requested item, as are any protein sources. Here’s what the NALC is asking people to leave by their mailboxes on Saturday:

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Giveaway: Alaska aurora calendar.

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As I noted recently, it’s high time you started any holiday shopping you plan for the year. Due to supply chain/pandemic issues, it’s going to be harder to find what you want and it will almost certainly cost more than you hoped. 

Here’s one solution: Win your gifts!

I post those e-gift card giveaways from Savings.com whenever I hear about them, in the hopes that one (or more!) of my readers will luck out. Regular readers also know that I give stuff away myself fairly often.

Lately I’ve been trying to focus on locally made items. This week’s giveaway is the Aurora 2022: Alaska’s Northern Lights calendar from Fairbanks-based Greatland Graphics. 

Who’s in?

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Financial gifts.

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A fellow named Brandon, of Rinkydoo Finance, posed this question today on Twitter:

“What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you financially?”

The expected “parents paid for college” answer popped up a few times. Other responses were things I’d consider not mere kindnesses, but rather enormous advantages:

“Gave us $10k cash for a honeymoon. Loaned us $100k at 3% to refinance my wife’s high-interest student loans.”

“When they purchased my business.”

“Someone anonymously donated $13,500 to my brother’s medical fund when he was battling brain cancer. Never found out who it was. (The number was just under the gift limit for the year so they would not need to file any paperwork with the IRS.)”

Here’s mine: 

When I was a 21-year-old unmarried mom, preparing to move from rural New Jersey to Philadelphia, an acquaintance took me out to lunch. He asked how I could possibly keep the baby and myself alive on my “permanent part-time” salary. So I laid it out for him: I make X dollars an hour, rent and public transit pass are X dollars a month, child care is X dollars a week, I just bought a scrub-board and we’ll eat a lot of beans.

Then I excused myself to the restroom. When I came back, he’d paid for the lunch and said, “Well, I have to be going.” After he hugged me goodbye, he put a slip of paper in my hand. Unfolded, it turned out to be a check for a month’s worth of child care. Immediately I said, “I can’t accept this!  It’s too much!” 

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5 ways to ruin the 2021 holidays.

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The pandemic has messed with my sense of time, and maybe with yours. Certainly I was startled today when I did the math and realized that Thanksgiving is just 77 days from now.

Three days after that is the first night of Hannukah. And if you’re a Christmas person, that happens in 107 days.

Some of us prepare throughout the year. If we see gift bags and/or holiday wrapping paper on deep clearance (or waving at us from the mixed-paper bin at the recycling center), we stock up.

Yard sales, thrift stores and Buy Nothing Facebook groups yield us holiday décor, serving pieces and gifts. We stash points from rewards programs/apps, planning to cash them in for gift-buying.

Not everyone is as vigilant (or hypervigilant). To those who prefer a more laid-back approach, I hereby offer some helpful tips on completely screwing up the 2021 holidays.      

1. Wait until the last minute.

So what if supply-chain issues are predicted to get worse in the coming months? Maybe they won’t!

And so what if retailers like Walmart and Amazon are struggling to get space on shipping vessels, or if the continuing microchip shortage has affected manufacturing? Surely they’ll have that all ironed out before Christmas.

You’re a busy person, after all, so it’s fine if you wait until Dec. 23 to start your shopping.

2. Relax about the mailing.

The U.S. Postal Service plans both a temporary rate hike and a first-class mail delivery slowdown starting in early October. If you don’t wrap and mail early, you’ll pay more and the stuff might not get there on time. 

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Monday miscellany: Return of the dragonfly.

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Last week’s Alaska jewelry giveaway had a bunch of commenters kvelling about the dragonfly pendant. (See illustration at left.)

Can’t blame them; I love the piece myself. It looks as though Alaska’s official state insect is about to take wing. That suggestion of motion stimulates my senses, especially during such a sluggish time (thanks, pandemic!) and sluggish season (hint: I’m not a skier).

The good news: Those who expressed admiration for the piece still have a shot at getting it, because the winner chose a different pendant. (Jeanne: The necklace and earrings should go into the mail today or tomorrow.)

What else is available? So glad you asked. 

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Giveaway: More stocking stuffers.

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I’m really enjoying these giveaways. That’s because I love giving things away almost as much as I love winning things myself. Okay, not 100 percent accurate right now: I’m hoping against hope to win a PlayStation 5 in time for Christmas. My great-nephew, like many other gamers, is obsessed over this new system. Some people … Read more