Christmas gifts don’t have to be expensive
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/12/2015 (3570 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: I wish to pass on a suggestion regarding gift-giving at Christmas to Hope This Makes it Clear, who has less money than the relatives. It might help.
When our family moved back home to Winnipeg, we were in dire straights. I had no job and three young children with bills and rent to pay. What I suggested to my siblings was that we make Christmas an expression of thoughtfulness for one another, with an awareness of the many people that have to do without during this festive season.
Our gift exchange would consist of useful homemade items and the materials used could not exceed $10. This was actually harder than just buying a gift. It involved thinking of what the others could use, being creative, giving of our time instead of money and putting each other on an even par.
I made Christmas wreaths out of pine cones collected from the park and cards and ribbons from past Christmases. My husband, being a carpenter, spent painstaking hours crafting small jewellery boxes which I lined with scraps of felt from my sewing basket. The costly component of these were the hinges and the clasps. My sister-in-law decorated dollar-store photo albums with lace and ribbons.
It truly was a different Christmas with genuine anticipation of opening the gifts. The other much-appreciated gift we received that year was a food hamper delivered to us just before Christmas. The person who recommended our family remains a mystery, but after swallowing our pride we accepted it and gratefully unpacked the box filled with much-needed food.
— Been There, Done That, Winnipeg
Dear Been There, Done That: Frankly, that Christmas sounds like a wonderful round of precious gift-giving and family love. Thanks for taking the time to pass these ideas on to people who are wondering what to do about tight finances and gifts this year. Happy Holidays!
Please send your questions and comments to lovecoach@hotmail.com or Miss Lonelyhearts c/o the Winnipeg Free Press, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R2X 3B6
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