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Best holiday gifts for families who are struggling financially

_Joan_ by _Joan_

Here's what we REALLY want!

These are the kinds of gifts that would be most appreciated by families who are going through tough financial times.

There are many families in America who may not be homeless or starving, but they're struggling. Meeting the needs of providing a normal family life is a strain. If you have friends or relatives who are having financial troubles, choose a holiday gift that will make their life a little better all year long. The gift ideas below are things that would be wonderful for families like mine.

(Photo by Joan Hall)

Index of gift ideas for financially strapped families

  1. Gifts of nice clothing are super!
  2. Cool kitchen gadgets can be really helpful
  3. Help them stock up on something that they use a lot
  4. Good low-maintenance toys for the kids
  5. Mom or Dad might like a Kindle!
  6. A sampling of free e-books for the Kindle
  8. Gift cards? Sure!
  9. Other gift ideas
  10. Give us something that we can re-gift!
  11. Avoid giving a gift that will lead to more bills!
  12. Suggestion box: What are other good gift ideas for families in financial straits?
  13. Maybe a book about figuring out your finances?

I'm not starving, but . . .

Photo of a food bank in Virginia. Public domain image, courtesy United States Navy.

People already have ideas about what to give to the very poorest of the poor. Those who have no food in the refrigerator, and maybe no refrigerator at all. But that's not the situation for me and many other American families. We have a home and we're surviving, but keeping everything together is difficult.

For my family in particular, we are what they call "house poor". The definition of "house poverty" is: A situation that describes a person who spends a large proportion of his or her total income on home ownership, including mortgage payments, property taxes, maintenance and utilities. House poor individuals are short of cash for discretionary items and tend to have trouble meeting other financial obligations like vehicle payments. (That's from Investopedia.)

In our case, it's not mortgage payments, it's rent. Rent and utilities for a place in Los Angeles that will accommodate our whole family eats up most of our income, and covering the rest of life's expenses is a juggling act.

Families like mine don't quite need blankets and a box of canned goods, but we don't really want a spa day either (I mean, it would be fun, but when we get back from it our day-to-day existence will be just as hard as it was before).

When the holidays come around, that family you know that's having money troubles will really appreciate a present that makes maintaining a normal life a little easier.

HERE'S WHAT WE REALLY WANT

Gifts of nice clothing are super!

Especially clothes for the children. Grown-ups can often go a long time without buying any new clothes, but children have this habit of growing. Every time we turn around, they're bursting out of their things again. We always need new clothes and shoes for them.

NOTE: Children's clothing should be given as Mom's or Dad's Christmas present, not the children's. Give the children toys or games for the holidays. The Little Match Girl would be thrilled to get shoes and socks for Christmas, but your niece and nephew want Legos, just like any other kid.

If you decide to get clothing for an adult, choose something that will last for a long time. Look for sturdy fabrics (machine washable, please!) and classic styles that won't go out of fashion next week.
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Cool kitchen gadgets can be really helpful

One of the most challenging things for working-poor families is providing appealing and high-quality meals. After a long day of work, there's only so much energy left for cooking, and pre-prepared foods that are healthy tend to be expensive.

We already have the basic pots and pans, but there are fancier pieces of kitchen equipment that can save a lot of time and effort and make it easier to put great food on the table. A bread maker, a rice cooker, etc.

I wrote another page where I listed some good ideas for kitchen equipment that can help people save money.
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Help them stock up on something that they use a lot

Some items always get used up quickly. I'm a choir director, so something I go through a lot of is blank CDs (and CD sleeves). What is your friend or relative always running out of? Giving them a hefty supply of it leaves them with one less thing to keep up with.
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Good low-maintenance toys for the kids

For children's toys and games, you want to get something that won't break easily and will provide long-term fun without additional expenses. The ideas below are things that have been really good for my kids.
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Mom or Dad might like a Kindle!

Farther down on this page I talk about being careful not to give a gift that will bring additional expenses. But there are lots of titles that are available for free on the Kindle, so this could be a really abundant gift for the parents or even the kids!
Kindle, Wi-Fi, 6

Kindle, Wi-Fi, 6" E Ink Display - includes Special Offers & Sponsored Screensavers

Amazon Price: $79.00 (as of 05/31/2012)Buy Now

There are lots of different models of the Kindle. This is the most basic one.

A sampling of free e-books for the Kindle

These are a few of the books that are available for the Kindle for free.

And here's a list of even more titles your recipient could get for free if you give them a Kindle for Christmas: Free books for the Kindle.
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Gift cards? Sure!

It's especially good to give a gift card that will cover spending that they already needed to do. Think necessities, not luxuries.
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Other gift ideas

  • Fix or replace something that's broken.
    When finances are tight, it's hard to pull together the cash to repair broken items (as I write this, my oven is not working and I'm not sure when we'll be ready to get it fixed). Take care of that malfunctioning appliance or patch up that hole in the wall.

  • Get their car serviced for them.
    This is something that people will often procrastinate when they're low on money.

  • Pay a utility bill.
    If someone is always racing to stay ahead of disconnections, getting a bill paid current can be a godsend.

  • Maybe a gas card!
    One year for Christmas my aunt gave gas cards to everyone she knew. I loved it!

  • Or a bus pass!
    Passes for the Metro in Los Angeles are expensive, so not everybody would be able to give a gift like this. But anyone who did would be giving a serious blessing to someone who relies on public transportation.

  • Buy them a savings bond or some stock.
    When they're struggling to take care of routine expenses, they don't have much opportunity to put money towards the future.

  • Start (or donate to) a college fund for their kids.
    Again, look toward the future.

Give us something that we can re-gift!

Really!

(Image courtesy of giftideasformen.com)

When the holidays come, families who rarely buy anything but necessities for themselves face the prospect of spending their meager cash buying presents for others. Being relieved of some of that burden is a blessing in itself.

To give someone an item they can re-gift, you would have to give it to them before the holiday actually comes. If you're close to the person and they know that you know their financial situation, it won't feel uncomfortable and it will be appreciated.

If you're in a position to be really generous, here's an idea for a perfect hat-trick holiday gift:
  1. Give them a present for themselves that they will really love.

  2. Give them another item that they can use as a holiday gift for someone else.

  3. Brainstorm with them about what gift they should give you that you would really value but doesn't cost money. Help with a project? Babysitting services? There's probably something that they're really good at that you're not so good at.

Avoid giving a gift that will lead to more bills!

(Public domain image of iPhones)

Don't give them something that they will have to spend money to use.

Will that fancy phone require them to upgrade to a more expensive service plan? Better to pay their current phone bill for the month.

Will the gym membership mean spending money on gas, babysitting, and "appropriate" workout clothes? Give them some home exercise equipment instead.

Will the game system for the kids cause them to beg Mom and Dad for every new game that comes out? Buy a drama-free toy.

Suggestion box: What are other good gift ideas for families in financial straits?

This area is not the guestbook. Please leave regular greetings in the guestbook at the bottom of the page. This space is for gift suggestions, so any comments here that are not gift suggestions will be deleted.

Big THANK YOUs to all the folks who have left such great ideas in this space. Keep 'em coming!

  • Treasures-By-Brenda Jan 6, 2012 @ 1:41 pm | delete
    Brilliant ideas, Joan. How about a gift of cash?
  • eddierog Dec 25, 2011 @ 7:10 pm | delete
    Join a local free cycle group and give things away that you no longer use or need.
    A win win situation for all concerned, your also helping your local community and
    stopping people throwing things away and causing a bigger problem with landfill
    sites.
  • Toni_Roman Dec 23, 2011 @ 4:02 pm | delete
    #1. There are waiting lists for free house insulation/energy efficiency programs. Get your church to go as a group to a poor family with a huge winter heating bill and insulate the house in one day like on Extreme Makeover Home Edition. This might be a Habitat for Humanity collaboration. Screen out those who waste power on electricity-driven Christmas decoration.
    #2. Find a homeless family and figure out arrangements for a semi-permanent home for them. Chances are one or both father and mother has a job but that employment has not prevented their eviction. If not, then help them find work and child care if both parents want to work. I really hope this suggestion helps both volunteer groups looking for ideas as well as some family in financial straits.

    Merry Christmas !
  • goo2eyes Dec 21, 2011 @ 5:47 pm | delete
    big hotels in cities just throw away left-over food or wilted vegetables. families in need can benefit from that. all they have to do is knock at their doors. do you think it is easy?
  • Steve_Kaye Dec 20, 2011 @ 4:41 pm | delete
    Give a promise to help with a task or project (e.g., cook meals for a week, clean out the garage, wash the floors, and so on). Give a poem that you wrote. Give a walk in a local park. Give an afternoon worth of help at a soup kitchen where you will receive a meal in return. Give something unexpected (For example, one year I put about 200 sticky notes all over the house that said "Happy Birthday." Cost: Nothing since these were left over notes.) Give a back rub. Give something that you made (e.g., Make a toy, sew a garment, and so on).
  • curious0927 Dec 20, 2011 @ 3:51 pm | delete
    A suggestion, hard since you have covered everything. I was thinking maybe some family's in this situation may have games like the wii or x-box. What about new controllers or headsets since they need replacing. I also love to put a family board game under the tree every year. Inexpensive, but something we can do and have some laughs. This year I chose "Operation". My kids maybe had it years ago and I think I would get a kick out of it too! Inexpensive, and something to bring smiles to our faces.
  • curious0927 Dec 20, 2011 @ 3:45 pm | delete
    Great lens, much needed information. The US Congress should look at this. I'm also chasing utility bills and paying high rent, single mom, 2 jobs. Not enough to meet the monthly needs. Can be very hard just to face the day wondering if I have enough to pick up TP! I have been given more can goods that we can possible eat, most of it is stuff I wouldn't be able to put a decent meal together with. So, thanks for your tips. GREAT
  • BestBuys4Baby Dec 20, 2011 @ 9:04 am | delete
    Some really good ideas here, times are tough and practicality rules!
  • nyclittleitaly Dec 20, 2011 @ 1:38 am | delete
    I have gotten so really good ideas for gifts thanks to you. Thank you!
  • nsixx99 Dec 19, 2011 @ 10:51 pm | delete
    I really like the part of helping with utility bills or gas, those really are great gifts. The gift of saving money is huge. Great lens!
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Maybe a book about figuring out your finances?

Don't assume that any time a person has financial difficulties it's due to mismanagement. But for some individuals, advice about money management can be helpful.
In The Trenches: Financial Survival During Times of Hardship

In The Trenches: Financial Survival During Times of Hardship

by: Carol Schultz-Weil

Amazon Price: $7.29 (as of 06/01/2012)Buy Now

Practical tips for dealing with financial challenges in a family.

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  • cheapconfessions Dec 27, 2011 @ 1:07 am | delete
    So right, paying off some bills can be a godsend to a family. Especially in the winter when electricity or gas bills can be huge. Great ideas!
  • goo2eyes Dec 21, 2011 @ 5:49 pm | delete
    thank you for sharing this lens. it is a very touching lens.
  • curious0927 Dec 20, 2011 @ 3:51 pm | delete
    Bless you for thinking this much needed idea together so well!
  • inutzza21 Dec 20, 2011 @ 6:37 am | delete
    Lovely lens. IT is so thoughtful to think even about those in need. God bless you and happy holidays.
  • tembrooke Dec 19, 2011 @ 8:22 pm | delete
    A good reminder to give what a person really wants (or needs) to receive rather than what we want for them.
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This Happy Snowman page written by

_Joan_

60% of Joan's take-home wages go to paying the rent, so she knows what financially struggling families really want.

Seasons Greetings from the Wonderland

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