by Kirsten Callejas

Created on: November 30, 2010   Last Updated: August 24, 2011

You care deeply about a dear friend and it is her birthday. It would be great to see her face light up as you give her a special present. You want to give her a gift that represents everything she means to you, but your budget is tight. What can you do? Here are some simple suggestions.

1. Gift of Time -

Give your friend the gift of your time. Where does your friend like to go and what does she like to do? Go and do it with her. Spend time walking and talking or pack a simple picnic with her favorite foods and enjoy it together. She can feel that you care when you take time out of your busy day to listen to her concerns and rejoice in her successes. Friends need time together in order to maintain the friendship. It can be a wonderful gift!

2. Help her develop talents -

A gift that would be remembered and appreciated for years to come would be helping her develop talents that she has or would like to develop. Has she always had an interest in painting? Than give her the gift of paying for some inexpensive art classes at a community college. Would she like to be able to ski? Paying for one ski lesson can be very inexpensive and yet helpful to a beginner. Have you always admired her singing voice when she sings along to the radio in the car? What a great complement to her to pay for a singing lesson with a note telling her how beautiful she sings. Think of a way to help her accomplish something she has always dreamed of.

3. Build or restore -

Use your creative talents to make something special. One of my most precious possessions is a rug made out of t-shirt scraps from a friend who worked in a t-shirt shop with me. The rug cost her nothing but her time to make and yet I will cherish it always. Think of ways that you can make something special for your friend. Can you cross-stitch, sew, or build something with wood? Than use those talents to create something unique for your dear friend.

Giving a dear friend a present is an opportunity to express your appreciation. A gift should be thoughtful and meaningful for the recipient. A gift can be meaningful without sending you to the poorhouse.

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