A Great Gift that Keeps Giving to Everyone

May 14, 2008 By Tisha Kulak

No doubt many consumers struggle at one time or another to come up with the perfect gift idea for a special occasion. They waste time and money buying items, wrapping them up, and sometimes even shipping them to an out of state location. People on a budget often can’t afford much of what they buy and there is never a guarantee that the gift is the right size or color.

A good alternative for an all-occasion gift is a magazine subscription. There are many places online where you can find subscriptions to popular magazines at discount rate. Additionally, if you already subscribe to a magazine, there are typically tear-out cards included that offer significant savings for gift subscriptions. Another good place to find a discount price on magazine subscriptions is through school fundraisers.

A magazine subscription can be tailored to the recipient’s hobbies, interests, career paths, age, gender, and other topics. Subscriptions show the person you care and are interested in the person you are buying for. Kids in particular will get a kick out of receiving their very own mail each month that is specifically addressed to them. There are some great education magazines for kids of any age.

Teenagers will also enjoy an age-appropriate magazine where they can stay up-to-date on the latest fashions, school interests, and more. Plus, a monthly magazine may encourage older kids to read for enjoyment as an alternative to computers, cell phones, and other technology-related entertainment.

When presenting the subscription as a present, you can get a little creative and design a handmade or computer generated announcement that details your subscription gift. You could use materials you have around your house such as an index card and decorate it simply with markers and stickers. You can be as creative as you want to be without adding additional expense to your limited budget.

Not only can a magazine subscription be easy on your budget, your gift will keep on giving. Each month as the recipient receives your gift in the mailbox, they’ll surely think of you. Just make certain that your gift is in fact received and keep all of the information about the subscription handy in case there is a problem. When the subscription is up for renewal, you can ask about renewing it as a gift for another occasion or simply pass along the renewal information to your loved one.

For adults who still feel obligated to buy gifts for other adults, this may help to establish a life-long gift idea without the hassles or fuss. Having one less gift to worry about can make special occasions and holidays even more stress free.

Posted in budgeting, entertainment, family, holidays, lifestyle, personal behavior, saving money, shopping