1) Something from home.  Feel free to regift, but do it with class.  Re-pot a holiday plant, print and frame a personal picture, fill a pretty basket with food, trinkets, craft supplies or other themed ideas to appeal to your recipient.  Wrap merrily and be on your way.

2) Something on line.  Print out a gift certificate from anywhere — a local or national chain spa or restaurant, Restaurant.com (code SANTA for 80% off), a gym class or workout, or try Cloud 9 Living for that special something.

3) On the way.  Stop at any open restaurant or store for a gift card.  Make sure it’s something your recipient will enjoy.  Also good is a monthly transit cards in some cities, or for fun, gift cards from movie theaters, and scratch-off lottery tickets.  Print out a greeting card to show that you thought about it before you left the house!

4) From the oven.  Supermarkets are still open.  Pick up some ingredients for home-baked goods, and package prettily.  We have a new favorite here, a low-fat, low-cal fruit trifle.   Bake an fat-free angel food cake, break into pieces and line the bottom of a big glass bowl.  Pour in freshly prepared instant pudding to fill in the spaces.  Follow with a layer of fruit, a layer of sugar free whipped topping, and repeat, using a different fruit.  A guaranteed hit for just a few dollars. And you get to enjoy it too.

5) From the Heart:  Donations to charities, especially those that the recipients care about, are always appreciated and really can make a difference in the world we share.  Live, love and laugh with the people in your life.  Have a wonderful holiday, and may all your gifts be filled with love.

Merry Everything, and Happy Always.

We’ll be taking off for the next 2 weeks or so to revamp our site and clean up our homes.  See you after New Years.  Have a happy, healthy and safe holiday season, and here’s to a FRUGALICIOUS New Year!

1) Heard a rumor that Subway is giving out free cookies with gift cards.

2) FEED IT FORWARD!  FREE FOOD  from Restaurant.com.  Click here to get access to their Feed it Forward page.  If you’re not already a member, you should definitely join.  It’s a  free program which sells very very discounted gift certificates for meals out.  A great way to give gifts and try lots of new spots to dine. Plus, you can print or email your gifts.

3) Magazine subscriptions galore are available at Amazon.   Announce your gift with a FREE e-card from American Greetings or  Blue Mountain.

4) Give the Gift of AudioBooks from Audible.com. Try Audible Now and Get TWO FREE Audiobooks! Also, tons of specials at Borders.com.

5) Make something from stuff around the house.  Frame a photo and giftwrap, or fill a cool mug with coffee or candy.

Tomorrow, we’ll check for last minute printables.  Time to wrap it up!

Meanwhile, check here for more cheap, easy gift ideas. Happy Holidays!

1) Are you Crafty?  Crafts stores are actually doing well this year as more crafters make rather than buy their gifts.  Buying materials will boost that market sector, and your gifts will be one-of-a-kind and special.  Using materials you already own will support recycling and the environment.  Win-Win.  Just make sure you make the gifts with the recipient in mind.  Here are some of the things my friend and I have done this year.

2) If you’re going to regift, be sure to also repackage, again keeping the recipients in mind.  Adding a personal touch makes the old gift new.

3) Treat a friend to a day of health and beauty.  It could be a day at a spa, but more fun and way cheaper is a home spa day.  Collect all those samples of facials and masques, and mix up some homemade beauty concoctions.  Start with an exercise hour, follow with a stretch, make a great salad for lunch, open a bottle of wine, and follow with facials, manicures and pedicures.  Add a girly movie (somehow this is much more a girly thing, but with adjustments, doesn’t have to be).  Take pictures, make memories, help each other with hair color touch ups so you don’t miss the back of the head. And a good time will be had by all.

4) While you have the gang all together, go online and get everyone signed up for Groupon for really great daily offers in your closest city.  If you sign up first you will get credit for your friends too!

5) Gift insurance:  Square Trade offers discount warrantees on all the new electronics people will receive this holiday season.  Give a gift that lasts two or three years!  Believe me, when they drop that iPhone, they’ll be thinking of and thanking you again!

We’ll be back tomorrow with more ideas for instant gifts!  Meanwhile, read more ideas here.

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.