Jasmine Birtles
Your money-making expert. Financial journalist, TV and radio personality.
Why I’m giving invisible gifts this year
Jasmine Birtles
30th Nov 2013
I’ve just sent my nephew his birthday present. I generally like to give him a few things but this year I’m just sending him a Lego voucher (he loves his Lego). Vouchers may be kind of like invisible gifts but they can valuable to someone if you know what sort of thing they’d like because it means they can get exactly what they want.
I had a few bits gathered up to send as well but when I put them together I realised that the postage would cost as much as they were worth to buy. It’s just not worth it!
So, as he lives a couple of hours away, for his birthday he’s getting a (rather more expensive than I had originally planned) voucher that will cost me nothing to send but will buy him what he wants. The other bits will wait until Christmas. At least I have time to get the presents to him in person then.
I’ve already mostly switched from paper cards to e-cards – I send Jacqui Lawson e-cards as they’re beautiful and only cost about £7.50 a year for unlimited cards. Now there are so many things you can give people by ‘e’ that it makes sense to do at least some of your present giving online.
It’s particularly good for people who are hard to buy for. Amazon vouchers are acceptable to everyone and iTunes or other music and video downloads are great for most people with a mobile phone or laptop.
I know it’s nice to get a real live ‘thing’, just as it’s better to speak to someone face to face in the same room than to text, phone, email or Skype them. But we can at least do a mix now to save on postage, wrapping and packing.
If you have friends and family abroad it’s perfect. Never has the invisible present been so desirable!
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