Signora Sheila

In the 1970 musical Scrooge, even that grumpy Christmas-hating miser finally realized that “December the 25th is the dearest day in all the year!” (Watch the trailer here.)

I never needed any convincing. Andy Williams singing that Christmas was “the most wonderful time of the year” had always filled our home during the holidays. And we grew up believing Christmas is wonderful.

And for us kids, it was a magical time, filled with melodious carols, tasty treats, and lopsided snowmen in the garden. We spent hours playing over board games or watching Christmas movies as we fantasized about the packages under the tree.

Fast forward to my first real job as a teenager. I had gone from babysitting to being a part-time office receptionist. What a great opportunity and with a steady paycheck!

My first Christmas Club

And one of the first things I did was to open a “Christmas Club.” My mom had always had a Christmas Club, so I decided it was the smart thing to do. And it was fun!

These annual savings accounts, which were popular in the 1960s and 70s, have pretty much gone out of style. Although some smaller community banks and credit unions still offer them.

But with the hard times that are upon us, I think it would be a good idea to bring them back. Between inflation, high taxes and rising prices, many people are struggling to pay their bills, let alone afford holiday gifts. Maybe Christmas Clubs could help.

How do Christmas Clubs work?

Christmas Clubs are special, and usually free, savings accounts where customers make weekly deposits of set amounts throughout the year. And then they get that money back just in time for their holiday shopping!

Some banks even allow direct deposit from your paycheck. This option wasn’t available back when I had my Christmas Clubs. I had to diligently remember to make my weekly deposits, which were recorded in my little savings book.

I was so proud of that booklet, and of the first “real gifts,” I was able to buy for the family, including our Maltese dog Tao’s new bed.

Although I ending up insulting my dad a bit by buying him an XXXL flannel shirt. But I was pretty small for my age, and at 6 feet he had always seemed so big. Fortunately, I was able to exchange it for a smaller size. “Sorry Dad, I didn’t mean to make you feel fat!”

Back then, banks encouraged customers, even children, to open Christmas Clubs. And I think they are still a great idea, especially for children. They teach diligence, the importance of saving, and the joy of giving.

Trying to decide what each family member really wanted or needed, helped me focus on others. Instead of just thinking about what was in it for me.

I’ve gotten smarter about my Christmas shopping since that oversized shirt mishap. But Hubby and I still focus on practical gifts and try to discover what others might need. Like a bag of groceries or shoes for growing kids. Or giving to charities, missions, and the needy around us.

We don’t have Christmas clubs here in Italy. But I had always found them useful. Having a spending limit pushed us into finding creative ways to stretch our budget, and be more thoughtful in our gift giving.

It was also a great help for our December budget! So I thought it might be useful to share some of my frugal, hard-times gift ideas here!

My hard times gift suggestions:

All of which are all packed with useful life lessons. Lessons that get passed on without people even realising they’re learning them!

Write your family history.

Then make it into a beautiful booklet or blog (here on WordPress) to give or leave to your children, grandchildren, or loved ones. Many memories, stories, and family histories, are lost and forgotten when family members pass away. Writing your memoirs can be a special gift that will live on long after you’re gone.

Life Lesson: This gift sends the message that family, not stuff, is what really matters in life.

Make a Memory Jar.

Collect old photos and give one to each of your family and friends. Have them write their memories of this person or event on an index card and put it in an envelope with the photo. When all the memories have been returned, put them in a large decorated jar. If you come up with 365 photos, one for each day, this could be a year-long and very meaningful gift.

Life Lesson: This simple activity conveys the idea that memories, not things, are the things worth treasuring. A lesson that the true story from my post But What About the Memories amply illustrates!

Help a child open a savings account. 

Help a child in your life open their own Christmas Club or savings account. Make the initial deposit for them and promise to add more throughout the year for birthdays and other special occasions. Having their own bank account will be so useful and make them feel so grown up.

Life Lesson: Useful and rewarding, this gift will teach kids the value of budgeting and saving.

Cookie Exchange

Host a cookie exchange where guests bring a plate of cookies, along with many copies of the cookie recipe. Serve snacks and play some games. Then give everyone a paper bag to take home filled with one cookie from each plate – along with all the yummy recipes. This get-together is also a great idea for churches and offices.

Life Lesson: This fun activity takes the focus off shopping and shows that even simple gifts can be fun and useful! It also makes your holiday baking easier. You get a variety of cookies without spending all day in the kitchen! And new recipes to try!

Abundance Swap 

It works kind of like a flea market, except everything is free! Participants bring between 1-3 quality used items from their homes that are either useful, beautiful, fun, funny, or interesting. (By quality I don’t mean expensive, but in good condition, worthwhile, and likely to be appreciated.) Guests stay to visit, nibble, and choose free items to take home, according to the number of items they brought. This swap is a great way to get rid of clutter, as you get to exchange things you don’t use for useful ones!

Life Lesson: This unusual get-together teaches that true value is found in beauty or usefulness, not monetary value. It also introduces the idea that gifts do not need to be brand new. Sometimes old treasures are the best!

The Five-Hand Christmas

This idea is perfect for taking the commercial aspect out of Christmas. It presents five different ways to make your gifts more personal and thoughtful, and protect the environment at the same time! But I’ll let you discover these surprising ideas, and their many life lessons, for yourself by reading my post: The Five Hand Christmas!

If you want to make your holidays and gift-giving simpler and more meaningful, give these ideas a try. And let me know how it goes!

📷 Image credits: ornaments | cookies | club invite