When the going gets tough, get playful.  I guess that not exactly the way the old cliche goes, but it makes sense to me.  Face it, we’re in a recession, and everyone is feeling at least a little pinched.  But…people are still going to have that annual birthday, and anniversaries and big and small holidays keep popping up, so how can you just ignore the best rituals in life?

When it comes to gift giving, I propose that the time has come to alter a few of our attitudes about what makes a gift valuable.  It’s always been true, but now the economic conditions give us an extra reason to remember that the cost of a gift isn’t what really matters.  Presenting a beloved relative or a cherished friend sends the message that you care about them and remember them during important occasions..  That’s all our message of a gift means, and that it all that needs to be said in the act of giving.

So let me share a recommendation about giving the inexpensive way: Consider jewelry!  I realize that the word “jewelry” doesn’t really bring to mind the notion of frugality, however I suggest Italian charm jewelry, and that definitely is frugal giving.  I’ll elaborate a bit on that.

If you have a friend who has a stainless steel Italian charm bracelet, you can add a whimsical Italian charm to her collection for well under five dollars.  You might even have enough left over for a cute gift bag from the local store.

If she doesn’t have any Italian charm jewelry, yet, you can get her started in a fun fashion hobby by buying an Italian charm starter bracelet while only investing less than ten dollars.  That’s probably not even as much as a cup of coffee and a muffin  at the corner coffee shop.  That starter bracelet has the additional benefit of providing you with gift ideas for many years into the future, as you help her build her new collection.

What if that dear relative or friend is a male?  Try an Italian charm keychain.  The keychain to get it started is only seven dollars or less, and you can add a humorous charm for a little extra cash, and your shopping is finished.  When the economic recovery comes in a few months or a few years, you can splurge for a sports related charm endorsing his favorite professional basketball, football or hockey team, or even his beloved NASCAR driver..

Remember that you don’t have to give up giving or a little whimsy when times get rough.  In fact, this is just the thing to bring fun, rather than high price tags, back into the spirit of giving.

There are times when we walk past the supplement store in the mall, we recognize a friend browsing the shelves with their basket already half full of supplements.  They are the health conscious one in the neighborhood, the one we all unsuccessfully aspire to be.    Or maybe they represent those among us who are trying to lose those extra pounds…for the third year in a row.    So, when their birthday comes around, it can be challenging to get them a gift that meets their healthy living. In fact, this give you a good starting point in deciding upon a gift.  Get your friend something that they’ll actually use and appreciate, or support your newly dieting friend by helping them along their way to a healthier and leaner lifestyle.

A great gift idea, especially for new comers to the fitness world, is to get them a membership to a local health club or gym.  Here you can find up to date work-out equipment and facilities that your friend can choose from.  They’ll also find a supportive and well trained staff.  Many health clubs will also offer trainers to guide customers in a work out regime that best suits them.  Getting a friend a membership is a great way to motivate someone to get out of the house and get started on shedding the pounds.  If your friend is already a health nut, chances are they already have a membership, but that doesn’t mean you can’t give them a free month or two at their club of choice.

If a gift of a club membership is a bit more than you planned to spend, there are other gifts that can provide the same message of support.  Visit your local sporting goods shop to find inspiration for other appropriate gifts.  Health stores can give you plenty of gift ideas, too.  You might get them a health guide on the latest exercise trend.  

Just because they want to lose weight doesn’t mean they can’t eat.  There are a lot of books that can be found in sports shops or even health clubs with recipe guides and nutritional information.  These books are a great idea for those who are fine when it comes to working out, but have trouble controlling their diet.  The sports shop has new ideas at every turn including pedometers and heart rate monitors making your gift hunt much easier.

If you want your gift to express more of a personal touch, try sending a gourmet fruit basket. A fruit gift basket is a great gift idea for anyone who is health conscious and watching their weight.  Think of the food pyramid that you may have first glimpsed when you were in grade school.  Fruit is just plain healthy; it provides essential vitamins and energy not to mention is cholesterol-free.    Fruit baskets can come in several different assortments that will provide your friend with his favorite treats.  One exception to keep in mind, however, often people who are just beginning a low carb diet are not permitted fruit.

So regardless of whether your friend is a newcomer to the health and fitness world or has been active for many years, be certain your gift is supportive of their decision to get healthy or stay healthy.

A few days ago, I talked with a family friend who recently learned that his huge manufacturing company was closing his plant. He is actually luckier than most of the people working for that company. He very recently reached the magic age at which he qualifies for early retirement, so he will continue to have a steady income. Those who did not reach that milestone of the specified number of years with the company will get a small severance package and be left to search for a job in that difficult market. That caused me to think about giving gifts for special occasions to those people who are experiencing difficult economic situations. I came up with a few ideas that make more sense than a piece of home decor or a new tie. Here are some of them:

A fresh fruit gift basket is healthy, beautiful, delicious and always enjoyed. If you live near your gift recipient, you can find a lovely basket or other attractive container and fill it with fruit that is in season in your region of the country, obtained at a farmers market, and fill it out with a few exotic fruits picked up at your local super market. If your loved one is farther away, you can arrange for any of a large range of beautiful fruit gift baskets to be delivered to the recipient’s home. It will help them to reduce their grocery bill on their next trip to the super market.

A special meal is another way to remember a special occasion or holiday. One possibility might be to take the friend or family member to a popular local restaurant. If price is no object to you, be sure to recommend a couple of the more expensive entrees on the menu, so that your guests know that they should not worry about ordering what they want. For example, you might say something like, “The crab legs are wonderful here, but, if you don’t like seafood, try the tender and tasty filet mignon.” If they live too far away for that, you can actually find delicious, gourmet, chef-prepared meals online that arrive frozen and can be heated in almost no time. (I actually keep my freezer stocked with these.)

You might also consider a tasty dessert. No person should have too many desserts, but on a birthday, anniversary or holiday, everyone deserves an opportunity to indulge a sweet tooth. Bake cookies, if that is a skill of yours, and hand deliver or have them delivered. For something a little more special consider giving them a freshly baked pie or turtle cheesecake. Whether you make it yourself or have others do the work for you doesn’t matter. It will be appreciated and definitely enjoyed either way.

You’ll notice a common feature in these suggestions. They all involve food. Someone who is going through a difficult time may not want to accept charity, but nobody can reject a genuinely special gift. If it reduces the grocery bill by a bit, so much the better.

Walking through a crowded store with my arms full of packages is not my cup of tea. My mother adores shopping, but I did not inherit that part of her genetic composition. The part that I detest the most, however, is trying to figure out what presents everyone would actually appreciate. I used to have this inescapable fear that all of my gift shopping efforts would culminate in a rushed trip back to the store or, worse, out to the trash receptacle. I could never develop any sort of confidence about what to get my Grandma or dear Uncle Arthur. Now, I can enjoy the cute shops and the department stores, especially during the holidays, because I can walk through empty handed, unhurried, with all of my shopping finished. I do all my shopping on the Internet, now. Well practically all of it.

While online shopping keeps me from being pushed around in a busy department store or standing in line at a little boutique, it doesn’t keep me from the most dreaded part of any gift giving event; choosing the right gift for a birthday, a holiday, a sick friend or whomever. Then about five years ago, I discovered food.

Of course, I actually discovered food when I was still an infant, but it didn’t occur to me as a great gift until I had suffered through many rounds of birthdays, baby showers, and countless other events that seem to always pop up. I received a gift basket of little sausages, spreadable cheeses and plain crackers. It was terrible! At the same time, though, I thought what a great gift this could have been. All they had to change in the gift was the quality of the contents!

Since that moment of momentous insight on my part, I have been a dedicated sampler of a variety of food gifts that I buy for myself on the Internet. (It’s a tough job, but I am up to the challenge as long as I carefully pace myself!) I have found that the online gift food stores handle everything from shipping to the accompanying gift cards. Yes, I actually send myself a gift card to test the store’s dedication to detail. The Internet boutiques are now the sources for all of my gifts, except those gifts of my loved ones who happen to live very nearby.

The wide selection of quality gift foods available is truly remarkable. It ranges from live lobster dinners to a gourmet fruit basket; from cookie bouquets to live lobsters; from wine gift baskets to imported caviar or fine Wisconsin cheeses.

For those on my gift list who live nearby, I usually assemble my own gift baskets. Even in those cases, the Internet comes to my rescue with helpful suggestions about how to make my self-assembled gift foods more interesting. The available articles also have great gift ideas for special people who often happen to be especially difficult when it comes to choosing a gift.

If you see me walking down a store aisle with a smile on my face when everybody else seems frantic, you will now know my secret. But let’s keep it a secret from my Uncle Arthur.