Are Homemade Gifts the Best Gifts? - Money Tip Tuesday

You may be crafty and have a niche for making cool gifts, but does that mean you should give your homemade creation to family and friends this gift giving season? It depends. There are some considerations on whether your homemade gift will be well received.

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Transcript:

Welcome to Money Tip Tuesday from the Making Money Personal podcast.

Your intentions may be great, and if you want to make sure your homemade gift is well received, here are some practical considerations to think about before you spend 8 hours knitting a sweater for your aunt, who lives in Florida and suffers from chronic hot flashes:

1.  STYLE: Is your gift something the recipient would pick out for herself? This is probably the first question in the litmus test. I love to make family ornaments to give to my husband’s seven siblings—the problem is some of his siblings don’t have the same taste that I have. These ornaments have more a modern farmhouse theme, and one sister is a gold leaf gal who loves Italian impressionists, and her Christmas tree is decked out in gold balls. Be considerate of how these gifts may be received. If you can adapt to each one’s interests, then that’s best.
   
   
2. PALATE – No, this does mean pallet furniture. This is about physical taste, as in food gifts. My best friend is a connoisseur of butter crunch and her annual gift of a tin of butter crunch is received with great anticipation and fanfare every year. If you have a special recipe and are excited about sharing the best chocolate walnut fudge recipe ever—do remember those with allergies and plan accordingly.
   
   
3. SIZE – It’s not the size of the box that matters, right? Correct. What’s in the box is more important, but if your daughter lives in a 200 square foot studio, she may have to move if Dad makes her a handmade armoire.

Homemade gifts are heartwarming, sentimental, and cherished. Each gift reflects the giver’s time and effort…and truly, there is no higher commodity than someone’s time. If you make homemade gifts, or are interested in trying something new this season, do a little discovery. What do your relatives want? What are their interests? What’s trending on Pinterest, and here’s a pro tip: Whatever you give, make the unboxing experience amazing! Unboxing has become a gift in and of itself so take the extra time, like you did when making the gift, to create a beautiful gift presentation.

May you have a wonderful time of craft making and enjoy the season of giving! If you have any comments or ideas for additional tips, please email us at tcupodcast@trianglecu.org. Be sure to follow the Making Money Personal podcast page on Facebook and IG for more great content.

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Have a great day everyone!