The Hidden Costs of Gifts
These days, most of us are feeling the pinch, and really wanting to make our money go as far as it can, more so than ever.
One of the things about buying a gift is that it means you are paying out for it. You expect that, and budget for it, and think about what you can afford to pay for.
Think about any potential hidden costs to the recipient when you buy a gift
Sometimes, the gift you choose can mean that the recipient also has to dig into their pockets to enjoy your gift. And in the excitement (and possibly haste) of buying a gift for someone you care about, that's easy to forget.
For instance, an experience day may mean they have to travel to reach the venue to enjoy their gift. This means paying for the travel to get there, petrol or bus/rail tickets, food and coffee to keep you going along the way and other incidentals. And that can add up to an unexpected cost for the recipient. And that could even mean they don’t use your gift, unless they can exchange it for something else which perhaps they could enjoy at home, or closer to home.
So one of the great things about a gift membership or subscriptions is that there are many memberships which mean people can enjoy them at home without incurring any unexpected cost. You could….
Give them the chance to spoil themselves and indulge at home
And if they are going through a tough time, a food and drink subscription can be a really great way to give them a treat once a month for two or three months or even longer and even help put food on the table. It means they can enjoy it, most likely without having to fork out anything extra. Alternatively, a one-off gift food hamper could help give them an extra special touch to a holiday season.
There's the RISE Coffee Gift Subscription
from £24 a box.
Give them the chance to learn something new
You could also give them a membership to a hobby or a new hobby, something to enjoy in the winter months, such as a craft or knitting subscription, or something to grow so that they can enjoy their own herbs or fruit at home without going out.
Give them the chance to immerse themselves in a good book
Reading is a great way to get away from a screen and just relax, whatever the weather outside. When you’re stuck into a book you really enjoy, it’s amazing how time flies! Fiction or non-fiction, it’s a great way to enter into another world!
Give them the chance to support a cause they care about
Memberships are a vital bloodline to many charities, because they know the income is coming in regularly. Your gift membership to a charity will be doing good – even if the recipient doesn’t use it – so you know your money is not going to be wasted.
Many gift memberships have benefits people can really enjoy at home – without leaving the house. The RHS for instance has a huge amount of information online – it’s not just about flower shows and courses. The days out are great – but for many people at the moment, the getting there could well be a stretch too far, so it’s important to think (without bluntly asking!) what impact your gift could have on the recipient’s finances, if they are to make the most of it.
An alternative is to think about gift hampers
An example of course are food and drink hampers that they can tuck into and feel spoilt with. There are hoards of these; some companies such as Virginia Hayward Hampers provide a wide range of hampers with everything from Chocolate and Afternoon Tea hampers to Deli and Savoury Hampers, Wine Hampers and Beer Hampers, Gluton-Free Hampers and Low Sugar Hampers, and Spirit and Cocktail Hampers. They have hampers from under £50 to over £400, so there's something for every sort of budget.
This is the Love from Santa Gift Bag from Virginia Hayward Hampers
for £32.50. Take a peek here.
Others such as Pong Cheese and RISE, focus on specific foods or drinks – in these examples, cheese and coffee. These gifts are one-offs (although Pong Cheese do a Cheese Gift Subscription if you want to send one, as does RISE do a coffee subscription).
There's The "Gourmet" Christmas Cheese Box from Pong Cheese
for £36.00, perfect for cheese lovers!
So giving a gift hamper could be a great alternative to a gift membership, as a one off, that will help make things easier and give people time to tuck in and bring extra and unexpected food (and drink) delights to their Christmas!