So Gifting this year is different than before.  It’s the year that gifts are not being as frivolous as before.  This is the year where gifts are most valuable when they make a difference, hopefully to you, and the recipient, and beyond.

That said, here are our ideas for the five of the top gifts that make a difference:

1) Make a donation.  Almost every legitimate charity has a  program where they will notify a recipient that donation has been made in their name.  Some also have gifts and trinkets to sell that accomplish the same thing.  This one is easy — go online or on the phone to make a donation without leaving the sofa.  Some of our personal favorites are the Sabrina Cohen Foundation for Stem Cell Research, The Jessica June Children’s Cancer Foundation, and any organization that brings the Arts to children.

2) Shop at charity sites.  Bidding For Good collects high-end gifts that have been donated to a variety of charities across the country, and offers them for auction to their huge database.  Great place to shop for the person who has everything and wants more, and STILL make a difference.

3) Do you have a friend or family member who has skimped on their healthcare to save money?  This is a serious thing and if it’s affecting someone you know, a picture frame is just not going to do it.  Blue Cross/Blue Shield actually offers a gift card used for premiums.  But if anyone you care about has less than fabulous insurance, you can buy them a check-up, a mammogram or pap smear. There’s just no way to put a value on peace of mind.

4) Take someone shopping.  New clothes and decor are frequently passed over when money is tight, and a day of shopping and friendly advice is worth far more than the cash you spend on a gift card.  And you can be sure your giftee gets something they really want.  Save money on greeting cards by sending an online greeting with your gift message.  Start your free trial at  American Greetings and Blue Mountain to send eCards for every occasion.

5) How about a meal out?  Many of my friends are doing it less, so it could be a gift right on target.  You can buy a gift card with rebate at many restaurants, but even better, Click here for Restaurant.com, buy their $100 gift certificate for $12 (watch for the frequent 80% off promotions; try using shopping code SANTA) and take your friend to lunch or dinner.  If you’re feeling flush and generous, you can also give them a $25 certificate (for another $3) for them to use later on.

Wow, five done and we’ve just begun.  Tune in tomorrow for five more!

Meanwhile, check here for a few more ideas for gifts that give back — to you!

The Aveda Institute is primarily a school for all things spa — haircuts, color, massages, facials and the like — where students perform under the tutelage of experienced professors.  I have always found that I get amazing services in this type of set-up, and this one was even better.  All the students were young, hip, dressed in black and with fabulous hair, so I knew I could count on them for a new and up-to-date look.  Because it’s Aveda, all the products are eco-friendly, and the corporate philosophy is to give back.  So, I got a haircut (regular price only $12!), bought myself a gift box of products ($40, regular price $45) which came in a beautiful, handmade paper box made by a craftsperson in Nepal, AND I scored a $20 gift card with purchase for my next visit, which I scheduled before leaving.  (The Aveda website also offers gifts and samples with purchases; click here.)  So, I suported a student, a Nepalese family,  myself (with a fab new look and products and a new place to go) and my friend, for company and allowing her to contribute to me.   We had a fun girly day and made a difference.

Search the internet for haircare, massage, nail and related schools, and call to see if they have student clinics.  The savings are amazing and make great gifts for yourself and others.

On a related note, if you haven’t already, now is a great time to join Groupon, which offers amazing city-specific savings on all kinds of goods and services.  I just bought the hubby a haircut and MANicure for just $15!  Check them out here.

The thing is, a lot of people have been cutting back (no pun intended) on things this year.  Haircuts and other personal pampering services are often the first things to go.  Find out what your friends are putting off, and you’ve got the perfect gift.

For more ideas on gift-giving that makes a difference, please click here.

So, in honor of the 10 shopping days till Xmas, we offer 10 Great Holiday Gifts that give back for 2009:

1)Get a $5 gift card from Amazon when you purchase a magazine subscription as a gift.

2) L.L.Bean: Spend $25 or more in-store or online and receive a free $10 gift card. Deal ends December 24.

3)Marriott: Receive a 10% bonus with the purchase of any $50 or greater gift card. Plus, Marriott Rewards Members and Marriott Visa card holders can receive 10 points for every dollar spent when you enter your Marriott Rewards number on your gift card purchase or pay for your gift card with your Marriott Visa. Deal ends December 31.

4) Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar: Receive a free $20 gift card with the purchase of every $100 gift card. This applies to all OSI Restaurant Partners including Outback Steakhouse, Bonefish Grill, Carrabba’s, and Roy’s. Deal ends December 31.

5) Morton’s Steakhouse: Receive a free $50 gift card when you purchase a gift card of $300 or more. Or get a free $100 gift card when you purchase a gift card valued at $500 or more. Offer expires December 31.

6) Ruth Chris’ Steakhouse: For every gift card purchase of $250 or more, receive 10% back in bonus cards. Deal ends December 31.

7) Free $5 gift card with $25 gift card purchase at Boston Market.

8 ) CVS Pharmacy will give a $5 rebate for a $25 gift card purchase, with kickbacks up to $30 for larger denominations.

9) Buy a $100 gift card at the Container Store, get a $25 bonus card for yourself, up to five $25 e-cards.

10) Now is the perfect time to join Restaurant.com — and  Take 70% off Restaurant.com $25 Gift Cert. orders! Use code SNOW and Pay $3 thru 12/17/09. Get some for yourself too!

Coming up soon,  some great ways to give a gift that keeps on giving to others.

Meanwhile, for more ideas on discount shopping, click here. Happy Shopping!

Have you heard of Groupon? I first became aware of this organization about 5 months ago, when a reader from New York mentioned it.  As it was very focused on only a few cities, I passed on reporting it at the time.  But now, it’s expanded to over 30 cities, so it’s time to let all my readers in on it.

Groupon, and other organizations like it, put people together to harness the power of volume buying.  It’s a deal-a-day thing, city specific, where, if they get a certain number of people to sign up for it, everyone gets the deal.  (If not enough people buy, the deal is cancelled and you get a refund.  But this seems to be a rare occurrence.)  The deals are for spa treatments, bars and restaurants, amusements and the like. It’s a great way for businesses to build their customer bases, and for consumers to get awesome deals, sometimes up to 82 per cent off retail!  Plus, they’re brilliant at growing their own customer base, urging readers to sign up their friends so they can create a big enough demand for each offer, and offering referral bonuses in Groupon cash for each member registered.

Groupon now serves 35 metro areas, and they’re actively growing, so if you live in or near any major city, it’s worth a look. www.groupon.com.

For more ways to save on lots of great stuff, click here.

Are the savings really so great?  What drives people into the shopping frenzy?

I first pose the question to Therese, a Canadian ex-pat working at Diamonds International (the ubiquitous port of call jewelry retailers) in Costa Maya, Mexico.  “Let’s put it this way,”  she says.  “Would you wake up on a Tuesday morning at home and go shopping for a diamond?  It’s part of the cruise experience, and there is a great selection…but no, the prices are really not the best you can ever find.  But people enjoy it, and it gives them something to show when the trip is over.”

I next approached Phil, our charmingly English cruise shopping guide.  “Oh yes,” he said, “the prices really are so much lower, since everything is duty and tax free.”  He recounts the tale of many couples, newly engaged or honeymooning, who are dismayed to find that the rings they just purchased stateside are far less expensive in the islands.  But, he added, it’s hard to compare when your’e dealing with stones.  The proof, he continued, is in the prices of the branded items.  For example, if someone wanted to buy a Breitling watch, they could instead take a cruise, buy the watch in a port, and essentially get the watch for free, based on the list price compared to the actual island price.  I will, when I return home, do a little research on the validity of that statement, and will report back on my findings.

Diane, a frequent cruiser and former jeweler, loves to buy jewelry when she travels, although she is clear that the savings are not all they’re said to be.  But she buys anyway, citing unique designs and uncommon stones as her reason for purchasing.  Anna, another frequent cruiser, agrees.  But for every Diane, Anna and Therese,  there continue to be dozens, maybe hundreds, of uneducated, free-spending travelers who believe that they could never find such bargains anywhere else.

Besides, they say, it’s fun to tell people, when they admire the new pieces, that they bought them in Mexico, St. Maarten, or the duty-free shop on the cruise ship.

Me, I’ll buy a t-shirt.

Back to civilization this weekend, back to the search for Health Insurance on Monday.  For now, though, the jacuzzi awaits.

Meanwhile, for more on discount cruising, click here.

I am beginning to realize that one of the reasons I can live well on a budget is that I don’t care about shopping, and I have enough stuff.  What is it about shopping that gets people so excited?  And are there really such great bargains to be had by leaving the US?

My plan today is to ask my fellow passengers why they get so excited about shopping on vacation.  For me, it’s the fun of having something that no one else will probably have, and the excitement of saying, when I get a compliment on the piece, that I bought it in Wherever.  Are the prices really so great that they can’t be matched in the states?  Is the stuff so unique?  Is it status?  I’m truly curious.  Why do people spend so much money when they’re away? How many watches does one person need?

I go ashore to see the country, meet the people, and maybe find some cheap, unique Mexican silver or pottery gifty things to bring home to my friends and family, and a little something for myself, as a memory of this lovely trip. Tomorrow, Belize City.  I wonder what’s available there.

Petula Clark and Ethel Kennedy

Ah, October — my favorite time of year…autumn colors, cuddly sweaters, all leading up to Free Candy on Halloween!  How do you do Halloween on a budget?  Here are some pix and ideas to show you how to have the best costume without blowing your whole candy budget!

I have been collecting costume elements for years — everybody has something that can translate into a fun or funny character.  Look at the news, tv shows, movies for inspiration.  Dig through your closets, your friends’ closets, and your local thrift shops (do good, and take a tax deduction!).  You can even donate them back at the end.  Brainstorm with friends and family.  Ideas are plentiful, and many need little to no additional money spent.  Here are a few from my past, and a few off the web.

Why, who's the little lady?

You can be just one fruit, or a whole platter!

Kids' and Adults' TV shows can be good inspiration

And then there's that constant source of amusing ideas, the news

Past and current movies are always a great source of characters to portray -- guys love these from The Fifth Element

If you’re not really interested in making your own stuff, or need some help, now is the time to get on line and order.  I’ve found a few spots to check out:

BuyCostumes.com has daily $5 and under specials — they keep changing so check now!

CheapHalloweenCostumes.us — Lots of great buys, and a fabulous selection of both complete costumes and accessories.

I also like Costume SuperCenter, which has deals on shipping and
lots of pre-holiday specials.

For some great looks and ideas from last Halloween, click here.

And before you know it — it’s Christmas!  We’re scouring the market to find you the best items for holiday gift-giving, and the best places for the best prices.  Check back soon!

Skip the shopping for a day, go get some culture!

For today,  click here to read more on discount travel and entertainment.  Happy Weekend!

Greetings from Fire Island, NY, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. (But we only tell our best friends about it, so shhhh.)

When we last checked in, we had reached our first destination, New Jersey, where we stayed with a dear friend and had a delicious dinner.  The next day for lunch, we bought a salad for our hostess and shared a big one between us, total cost $20.  The on to Brooklyn, where $20 bought us (and several of our friends) a few slices of great New York pizza, some soda and a great night with more childhood friends at a free concert featuring Blondie, Pat Benatar and The Donnas.

Next stop, Long Island, where we stayed with family and visited the beach outside their door.  After a stop at a local supermarket, we stocked up on items that would surely be overpriced if we bought them at our next destination, Fire Island, and tiny sandbar of a beach paradise, with nothing but beach, bay, bars and a few little shops.  (Very expensive, but I hear that next week the stores start cutting prices drastically in order to clear out their inventory before the summer ends; will keep you posted).  Supermarket bill, $80.  Savings over Fire Island prices, probably $75.

We parked at a friend’s house, saving over $100 for parking, and another friend drove us to the station, savings of about $5.  The ferry ride over was $34 round trip for the both of us, and we are now ensconced for the next week at the home of another dear friend,  just steps from the beach and a short walk to the town.  So far, we’ve been cooking and BBQing, and our on-island expenditure up to now has been $6 for yummy water ices.  Added to the running total, we’ve now spent, between the two of us, including gas for the car, roughly another $200, bringing us so far to a grand total of about $500 and we’ve been gone a week, and traveled about 1300 miles.  So far, so great!

It’s good to have friends in high places!  (Of course, they’re all always invited to visit us in Florida any time they want.)

Until next time, stay cool!

(BTW, we didn’t win the lottery…yet!)

For more about travel on the cheap, click here.

The Queen and I have reached our first destination, New Jersey, where friends await and the gas is cheaper — and they pump it for you!  We came prepared with gas and gift cards from cash-back rewards, and we saved by figuring out how to fix a blown fuse ourselves.

We stayed at budget hotels along the road, splurged on Lottery tickets in most of the states we passed through, and joined a dozen of our childhood friends for a delicious family-style dinner and ate more than our fill for a very reasonable price.  We used Dunkin’ Donuts coupons for a few discounted meals and free drinks and snacks, and munched on nutrition bars purchased by the dozen at Costco.

Between us, the total so far has been less than $300, of which real out-of-pocket cash was probably slightly more than half.  This is a small savings over the current airfare costs, not including the luggage fees and airport transfers, and a huge savings over the AutoTrain, which would have cost us over $700 including us, the car and the accommodations.

We’re keeping a running total of money spent and money saved, and will keep you posted as the trip continues.

Here’s a little video of us taken along the way.

Let me warn you, it’s kind of nauseatingly shaky.  But cute, we think!

Postcards from the Road

Meanwhile, click here for other info on discount traveling.

More to come!