Christmas Gift Giving Idea For the Unemployed...

[LanternWaste]

Well, I'm still unemployed (and not too happy about I might add, but that's a different post... hehe). Anyway, yesterday, I finally completed the gift that I'm presenting to my extended family (all 3.5 bajillion of them it seemed as I was heading down the home stretch). I'm on a tight budget and even utilizing the $5 or $10 spending limits some families emplace, it still seemed quite beyond my means, so I gave some careful thought and consideration to what I could do for my family this year since my family has done so much for me this year.

I decided on making a calendar. Not just any calendar mind you, but the Mother-Of-All-Calendars. Where you usually find pictures of cute bunnies or kittens or Garfield the Cat or Bikini Women making it to second base with the wheel-rim of a Classic Car above the months, I was able to find group photographs from past reunions, holidays, carnivals, State-Fairs and birthdays, scanned them, did a little restoration work on them and, voila... instant smiles.

All family birthdays, engagements, graduation dates, etc. for specific members are notated in the date block and some empty blocks have small, entertaining footnotes (e.g., "On this date in 1972, Marian S. lost the top of her bathing suit while swimming in the yyyy River" or "On this day in 1993, Alan R. came out of the closet and announced his intention to work at Rennaisance Festivals... Full Time!). Some of the date blocks have small one or two person pictures and some have pictures of beloved pets.

There's a host of freeware and shareware calendar making software out there. Too many to list even the cream of the crop here (one Google search and you're well on your way to finding them). As I have a large box of printer ink and a pretty nice printer (courtesy of my full-employment days), the price of those wasn't a question and since the calendars are relatively small, I could mail one city's worth of relatives to one person in that town to cut down on mailing expenses.

And, all in all, it was actually FUN to do (exept for the post-office errand yesterday which entailed its own adventures... again, for another post) and I felt kinda closer to my family than I have in quite some time.

Cost of mailing the calendars- $35. Cost of the Parking Ticket at the Post Office- $15. Cost of putting a smile on my family's face- Priceless. Well, you get the idea. Hope this may help a few of you who are on tighter budgets than usual this year....

Cheers!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Wonderful idea!

Thanks so much for sharing!

And don't give up hope-from one who was unemployed.

[kimchi]

2. This is an excellent idea.

I started a calendar years ago and never finished it; you've given me inspiration. Now if I can just remember everyone's birthdays...

[UrbScotty]

3. Good Idea!

[prolesunited]

4. That's a great idea!

I did that that one year for my circle of friends and they loved them. How did you bind yours? I'm lucky and had access to a spiral binder and laminator at work, so they had a very finished look to them.

I think these types of gifts are MUCH more appreciated and personal than anything you could buy at the store, even if you have money.