When Money is Tight, Give Gifts from the Heart

As a therapist, I work with many families throughout the course of the year, and I can say with strong certainty that most families in the US are truly struggling this holiday season. So much so that many may not be able to shop for gifts for their loved ones.

As humans, it’s in our nature to want (and need) to be able to give to others because it makes us feel useful and worthwhile. Often, it makes us feel better to give than it does to receive.  Many people will tell you that you do not have to go out of your way to get them anything, but many of us want to give something to express our love and gratitude.

Even when we are at an absolute loss as to how we will accomplish that thanks to financial uncertainty.

But some of the best gifts we can give this year don’t have to come from a store, and I have two recommendations for giving back truly meaningful gifts that will not cost much or anything at all.

When Money is Tight, Give Gifts from the Heart

Whip Up Something Yummy: Baking is so much a part of the holiday season that most would not know you could not financially afford to give much more. In fact, baking was a very traditional, very common gift among households long before we had all these cool gadgets and systems like the internet and online shipping to make it fast and easy (though not necessarily inexpensive).

Baking is by far one of the most cost-efficient and most appreciated gifts that are readily available. For less than five dollars you can bake a whole loaf of bread or an entire plate of cookies and those snacks will come in handy over the holidays.

When Love is Spelled T.I.M.E.: One of the best gifts you can give someone in your life is the gift of TIME.

Time is also one of the most undervalued gifts we have at our disposal. And for some, the rarest. Just ask my daughter who comes home from New York every holiday season! She knows my appreciation of the gift of time far outweighs my need for more “stuff.”

One year she even made me little paper coupons to go along with the gift of the time she gave to me. If I was to choose whether I wanted a material gift from a loved one, or the opportunity to spend a Saturday afternoon with me, I will choose the latter Every. Time. Be creative with the way you give the gift of time. If you love to fish, but your partner does not, that is not the ideal gift. What is it that they love to do with you? Bake? Do crafts? Some of the best conversations I’ve had with people are while we are cleaning a closet or hand-washing dishes.

If you have someone in your life who would love the gift of Time with YOU, give them a colorful coupon with x number of hours or an entire day, better yet, an entire weekend. And then follow through on spending time doing what they love to do, uninterrupted.

The gift memories by spending time with the people who matter the most. I promise that it will be a holiday gift they will never forget.


Support this woman-owned business with a gift that will bring joy, peace, and learning to the young reader in your home.

The Make A Way Media catalog has 11 books to choose from and orders over $50 will enjoy a special discount AND free shipping by using SAVE30 at checkout!

Perfect for anyone who is looking to add to their bookshelf, or wanting to gift one to a special home, classroom, or organization, with some extra incentives. Go HERE to view the full line-up of amazing diverse picture books, workbooks, and coloring books from author Deedee Cummings.


About Deedee Cummings

As a therapist, attorney, author, and CEO of Make A Way Media, Deedee Cummings has a passion for making the world a better place. All 16 of Cummings’ diverse picture, poetry, and workbooks for kids reflect her professional knowledge and love of life. Colorful and vibrant, her children’s books are not only fun for kids and adults to read, they also work to teach coping skills, reinforce the universal message of love, encourage mindfulness, and facilitate inclusion for all. Cummings has spent more than two decades working within the family therapy and support field and much of her writing shares her experiences of working with kids in therapeutic foster care. As a result, her catalogs of published books for kids are filled with positive, hopeful messages. Using therapeutic techniques in her stories to teach coping skills, Cummings also strives to lessen the stigma that some people feel when it comes to receiving mental health assistance.
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