We all need one this time of year – a guide to gift giving so we can wow our friends, family, boss and co-workers while scoring the best deals to save a little cash. Of course, there’s no perfect list, unless you’re Santa Claus, and everyone’s got their own field of recipients. But when someone else does the legwork for you, its a big help.

Everyone needs a guide to gift giving that includes affordable, last-minute ideas.

We all want to find cheap gifts – the trick is to locate the kinds of presents that either: look more expensive than they are; actually are more valuable than what you paid for them; or are so unique that nobody has any idea what the price tag was.

The affordable guide to gift giving is a different priority than just a clever gift guide. Sure – you can go to Neiman Marcus, but will another down vest or faux fur boots really impress again this year?

The key is to shake it up a little, maybe get away from ordering off your daughter’s Amazon Gift List and put on your thinking cap.

Good news! We did it for you.

For the Family: It’s not just a club membership for cheap toilet paper anymore!

There are big advantages to membership warehouse stores, according to an article on the site Money Crashers, beginning with how easy it is to make up the membership fee – usually around $50. You get it back from the savings you get on everything from low-cost household supplies to cheap gifts for everyone year-round. According to Kiplinger, most retail stores have a 25-50% markup, which is why warehouse stores can offer lower prices – because they’re collecting membership fees.

This kind of business model uses a no-frills approach to pass on the savings to the public – which is why you can get affordable gifts for him and gifts for her. FedMart was a discount store in the 1950s, sort of a precursor to places like BJs, Costco and Sam’s Club today. They just keep growing too. Whereas they used to be known for cooking supplies and household paper goods in the ‘80s, now you can purchase travel, tires, and even insurance, through such stores as Costco.

The guide to gift-giving through a membership warehouse store would certainly include discounted movie and amusement park tickets https://www.costco.com/gift-cards-tickets.html Costco sells cheap movie tickets by the bundle, and discounted tickets to parks like Disneyland, Universal Studios and Legoland.

And it’s not just a few single amusement parks. The Costco site has categories of discounted tickets and passes:
• Movie Tickets
• Theme/Water Parks
• Tourist/City Attractions
• Gyms/Spas/Weight Management
• Restaurants
• Skiing/Winter Activities
• Sailing/Water Activities
• Jewelry/Watches
• Helicopter Tours
• iTunes Gift Cards
• Gift Baskets

Prepaid gift cards are a popular gift for him or her, because your gift recipients get to spend the credit cards at their leisure. There’s scarcely anything more practical, considering they can buy gas with it, dine or shop with a card.

For the Kids: Under the category of “clever, though affordable guide to gift-giving,” a Surprise Activity Box subscription would be a keeper. 

Every month the company sends the recipient activity boxes filled with all the supplies needed to spark creativity and enrichment. It’s a creative idea hatched by Donna and Rosy Khalife, who aim to inspire kids to do more than spend the American average of 7 hours a day in front of a screen.

Donna Khalife has a Harvard MBA and a background studying non-profit entrepreneurship. Rosy has a marketing degree and worked in advertising and media buying for companies in Europe and the U.S.

These two women offer parents the chance to get their kids doing off-line, hands-on play activities.

For the Traveler: This wallet has more pockets than your old purse and wallet combined. A waterproof wallet will keep your passport, cash, and tickets safe from all your adventures.

There’s nothing worse than sitting on the sand and either forgetting to take your wallet out of your pocket or not feeling secure to leave your ID with your towel on the beach. This makes it possible to hang ten while hanging onto your identity.

For the Beard Grower: To some, the Civil War is never out of style and today that’s true for a lot of men! Gifts for him aren’t always easy to find, but this one is a no-brainer if he’s got facial hair. A beard grooming kit includes: beard wash, beard lube, beard conditioner and a comb. 

For the Beauty Guru: A number of beauty industry companies offer a subscription service these days, which can be great gifts for her. Like a wine club, you let them know your preferences and they send out products to your door, which means these are gifts that keep gifting. Monthly beauty services are a newer phenomenon, though they’re much like the Avon Lady from the mid-1900s.

One of those is Birchbox, which is an app you can use on your phone to set up a subscription for five monthly beauty treats. You get a box of both prestige and niche brand beauty supplies, which is a way to sample different products and see which ones you’d like to use on a regular basis.

When you find a favorite, you can purchase a full-size version of the product and the company ships for free.

You can also send personalized beauty products through Ipsy, which was founded on a mission to “inspire individuals around the world to express their unique beauty.” The purpose is to customize options, so clients are getting exactly what meets their needs.

The company began in 2011 with a name derived from the Latin “ipse,” which means “self.” If your guide to gift giving has the individual in mind, Ipsy is probably a good bet. The Ipsy Glam Bag includes five products personalized for the “ipster,” and there’s more information available on the website, including videos and articles. It’s a way for the shopper to try more beauty options in the process of defining their beauty style.

For the Coworkers: If Secret Santa is a “thing” at your place of business, you need to come up with new ideas every year that outdo your last. But depending on the size of the company, it can be expensive! For cheap gifts, turn to the lottery. One idea is to buy scratchers in bulk for your fellow employees, because a cheap scratcher could be a $100 gift for a lucky coworker.

 Visit Brostrick for more last-minute gift ideas if you’re still stumped.

The site has some unique ones on the market this year, which are hot-linked to Brostrick. If you’re hunting cheap gifts for a child, you can check out the balloon animal night light. For the other end of the spectrum – a drinker (hopefully an adult) – there’s the Micro Brew Beer Gift Basket or the Whiskey Ice Wedge.

Your friends will think of you all year with gifts that keep gifting.

Wouldn’t it be nice if the present you pick out serves them beyond the 25th of December? The greatest gift of all is a gift that keeps on giving, which in many cases includes helping some of the thousands of charities that need donations this holiday season.

Animal Charities

If the sad eyes of a puppy needing a home is what pierces the heart of your friends and family members, chances are a donation to an animal charity would please them this year. There are many ways to buy gifts for animals – and if you do it in an individual’s name, he/she gets the satisfaction of saving a dog, cat or other animal.

And the good news is, it fits the bill in the case of gifts for her or gifts for him.

Pasadena Humane Society
You can send someone a contribution to the Pasadena Humane Society and express it to them in one of many ways. You can pay for the donation and obtain the receipt, which you send to your gift recipient in a holiday card. You may also create “tribute giving,” where donations are purchased in memory of someone who has passed away.

What animal donations can provide is food, shelter, blankets and medical care, plus more opportunities to find adoption families. Many animal shelters and rescue centers have wish lists that you can access online if you’d like to donate items for care. 

You can also donate a car to an animal charity through Cars2Charities. It’s an option in any cash-saving guide to gift giving, because you don’t have to pull out your checkbook! You’re simply turning the value of your vehicle into support for animal charities. 

Golda’s House
Golda’s House accepts online donations, plus you can shop from their unique merchandise at their store, which is located at 67802 E. Palm Canyon Cathedral City, California. The hours are Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Check their wish lists online; and know that every purchase goes to support animal rescue, volunteering, and adopting.

Because it’s a 501(c)(3), all donations to the organization are tax-deductible. You can also donate your vehicle to Golda’s House and receive a tax break.

Living Desert Zoo and Gardens

If someone on your list loves environmental causes, you may want to do some “green gifting.” One idea is to donate to The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in the Coachella Valley. Not only is it a worthy cause, it’s a way to show your friend or family member that what they care about is important.

Whether you make an annual donation or a one-time gift, it goes to keep animals fed and housed. Even a minimal gift makes a difference. For instance, $5 feeds a snake for a month; $50 provides a week of carrots for the entire collection of animals; $200 purchases one month of meat for a cheetah; and $1,000 takes care of one month of supplies for many of the animals.

If that price tag sounds high, what about a car donation to animals through Cars2Charities? It doesn’t involve scraping up cash, and you get to write it off of your taxes.

Support local firefighters through gifts that keep gifting.

Both fire personnel and victims of wildfires need help. You can donate a vehicle through Cars2charities, and again, it offers disaster relief to those in need and improve your tax situation.

The Monterey Firefighters Charitable Foundation per Community Foundation of Monterey can offer you that benefit to your bottom line. If your car donation to disaster relief is made in the name of a person on your gift list, he/she will be proud to be a part of the cleanup effort.

You can donate your vehicle through Cars2Charities to support these charities and many more.
It’s the gift that keeps gifting, while putting in no cash on your part, and minimal effort. We tow away the car you no longer need and handle the entire process for you.

There aren’t many options in the guide to gift giving that are this easy. And you can choose the charity of your choice!

See the site for video details.

By the time the Camp Fire in California was finally 100% contained, donations for fire victims were pouring in, as millions watched news reports of the more than 150,000 acres burned. There were thousands of grieving victims of the wildfires in Paradise, California, who were living in emergency shelters, campsites and hotels, trying to regroup while suffering the loss of everything.

Because of the scope of recent California fires, there’s a huge need for donations for fire victims.

The deadliest fire in California’s recorded history, the Camp Fire killed nearly 100 individuals, while many remained on a “missing” list. More than 13,500 homes and more than 500 commercial structures were burned. 

Collecting donations for fire victims gives friends and neighbors the chance to provide hope and healing to those who are suffering. While you may feel some relief that your house is still standing, there are many ways to channel empathy for those who have experienced loss and couldn’t save their belongings, heirlooms, photos or anything else.

Even perfect strangers want to find ways to make California fire donations through reliable programs to offer fire relief to those who are suffering. Donations for fire victims take many forms – the hard part is choosing which organization best supports those you choose to benefit.

Charity Navigator is a reliable source of information when you’re determining the integrity of a non-profit organization. It’s the largest evaluator of charities, offering data that lays out the financial documentation of non-profit groups in an objective manner. The site has been working since 2001 to maintain accurate ratings for nearly 10,000 of America’s charities.

When you know the best firefighter charities in the state, or in the city in which you live, your contributions can have a serious impact. You want to know that when you share your money it’s going to a good cause, which means you want reputable non-profits to receive your contribution.

You can donate to firefighters directly.

First responders are often fighting devastating fires while their own homes burn to the ground. According to the Fire Rescue 1 website, in this year’s Butte County blaze there were 53 Paradise firefighters and 17 members of the police force who lost their houses.

The best firefighter charities are non-profits that get the money where it’s needed, and there are many to choose from, including:
• International Association of Fire Fighters Foundation Disaster Relief Fund
The IAFF accepts donations to offer monetary support to firefighters who have personally suffered because of the fires.
• National Volunteer Fire Council’s Volunteer Firefighter Support Fund
This directly contributes to emergency personnel and firefighters who have lost homes in the wildfires.
• Ventura County Community Foundation’s Sudden and Urgent Needs Fund
Also known as SUNF, the foundation provides $5,000 grants to non-profits who help victims of the Camp Fire and Hill Fire.

• California Fire Foundation
Formed in 1987, the California Fire Foundation provides emotional and financial assistance to families of fallen firefighters and the communities where they work to protect citizens. Because it’s a 501(c)(3) you can directly donate, or you can work through a program such as donating a car to charity and specifying the Foundation to receive proceeds.

One of the non-profit’s projects is the California Firefighters Memorial, which was designed and built to memorialize fallen firefighters at the Sacramento State Capitol. On an ongoing basis, the CFF supports families of firefighters killed in the line of duty by providing emergency supplies and education assistance to their children.

You can also donate to firefighters through specific, local fire departments.

The area where you live may have a foundation specific to your town or county. Firefighters from the recent devastating California fires have non-profit organizations to serve those who suffered injury on the job.

There’s a foundation benefiting firefighters in Monterey, California, which you can choose to support directly or through a car donation to MFFCF. The International Association of Fire Fighters Local 3707 has a non-profit entity called the Monterey Fire Fighters Charitable Foundation.

The organization is dedicated to providing relief to fire victims, as well as taking care of their own members. You can find out more about making donations for fire victims through Monterey Firefighters on the website.

The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and the Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemen’s Fund takes care of families of firefighters when they have lost their lives or been injured while fighting fires.

To assist the Northern California first responders, the North Valley Community Foundation is able to process donations for fire victims. It helps public safety personnel who are suffering losses from the Camp Fire. Specifically, it includes sheriff deputies, police and fire workers and those in related departments who have lost their homes. Based in Chico, California, the NVCF supports evacuation centers in the area through its resources.

There’s a GoFundMe for ambulance crews of Butte County. A group from the California Ambulance Association created a GoFundMe page for the 25 employees and their families who lost their cars, houses and other possessions due to the Camp Fire. The goal was set at $50,000.

There’s also a GoFundMe page for members of the Paradise Police Departments. Those whose homes burned in the Camp Fire can gain much-needed relief from donations. They include seven police officers, four dispatchers, two community service officers, two animal control officers, one records clerk, one administrative assistant and the police chief. It was created by the Paradise Police Officers Association, who set up a goal of $200,000.

Sometimes cash donations are more useful than donating supplies to fire victims.
It’s not that all kinds of donations aren’t welcome, but a lack of storage space can become a problem when too many supplies come in following a disaster, according to financial website MarketWatch.

Even Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg publicly announced they wanted donations to the Camp Fire to be limited to cash. He said, “Please don’t send supplies, as the evacuation centers say they have been inundated.” 

The Humane Society and the American Red Cross have doubled down on that opinion. What comes in first – and rapidly – are clothing, food and other necessities, but victims need cash. They lack resources to buy what they and their families need.

The Red Cross issued the following statement: “After a disaster hits, the American Red Cross witnesses the incredible generosity of people from across the country who want to help in any way they can with donations of items like clothes, shoes, food and household items, but the reality is, cash donations are best.”

Actress Sandra Bullock donated $100,000 to the Humane Society of Ventura County so the organization could house displaced dogs, cats, donkeys, pigs, horses, chickens, ducks and other pets in the area.

Gift cards are a practical method for contributing to the cause. You can purchase Walmart or Target gift cards, gift cards from gas stations and money for groceries. Some of those companies and stores that are within range for victims of the California wildfires include: Raley’s, Walgreens, Dollar Tree, Big Lots, Rite-Aid, CVS and Food Maxx.

A car donation to fire victims offers much-needed cash funds to those who have lost their homes.

Though it isn’t always the first thing to cross your mind when you see the devastation from wildfires, the thousands of individuals displaced and grieving from the loss of belongings and even family members, you can donate a car to victims of fire.

Donating a car to firefighters and fire victims is possible if you go through a trusted car charity program.

Cars2Charities has created a subcategory for anyone who wishes to donate their vehicle to fire relief or an organization that helps firefighters and/or victims affected by the California Fires. We will send the proceeds to one of our local nonprofits or if you have a specific cause in mind please contact us and we can reach out to them. 

You can donate a car to the Salvation Army through Cars2Charities as a means to impact fire victims. 

Not only has the non-profit been a trusted charity for more than 100 years, the Salvation Army is directly involved, offering supplies to those who need it. There is an amazing story about how a local warehouse was converted into a store for fire victims to browse clothing and provisions, thanks to the Salvation Army. Survivors of the Camp Fire were able to go to the Koret distribution warehouse, located near the Chico Airport, to “shop” for belongings. 

It’s sometimes ironic – that while thousands of individuals have nothing, you may something in excess you no longer need – a car. The high demand in donations for fire victims isn’t easily met, and when you have something sitting in your garage that has value it can be converted into support for the cause.

Getting rid of a car you don’t use seems like a small need by contrast to the toll on California fire victims. The Woolsey Fire destroyed 1,500 structures totaling 97,000 acres. It could even be seen from space, says a CNN report.

That’s why many are grateful for the win-win aspect of solving your problem (disposing of a vehicle) by giving a sizable boost to those in need.

You can offer fire relief even in the aftermath of disaster.

Regardless of the location of the devastation, donations for fire victims are always part of the equation. And it extends beyond the time the blaze is contained. 

It’s easy to assume that residents of Malibu don’t need financial support, and they are a tight-knit community to be sure. But there are apartments in Point Dume where renters have been displaced and others, such as struggling actors, who live in backhouses and bungalows.

Not everyone is a multi-millionaire. Some Malibu residents are retirees, often former tradesmen from the entertainment industry, such as Dick Haverick, who bought a trailer 30 years ago and lives in it on a property in Malibu. 

Even people who didn’t lose their homes were evacuated and couldn’t return due to downed power lines, etc. The recovery process is slow and painful for everyone.

And it wasn’t just Malibu.

The Woolsey Fire started in Simi Valley, California on November 8 during the heavy Santa Ana Winds, then it spread into Malibu and parts of the San Fernando Valley. There were about 1,500 houses and buildings destroyed and damage to hundreds more. Maps show the fire affected two counties because of its spreading.

The Hill Fire scorched approximately 4,500 acres in Ventura County. It was named for the Hill Canyon Trail, which is located in an area of Thousand Oaks called Santa Rosa, and it began on November 8, 2018 around 2 p.m., just before the Woolsey Fire.

Investigators have determined the Hill Fire was caused by human activity and they’re asking anyone with information about the possible cause of the fire to contact Cal Fire's tip line at 800-468-4408. ABC News reported there’s even a reward of $10,000 for information leading to the person responsible for starting the blaze. 

So, it seems you can be part of the solution through more than giving resources; you can aid authorities by giving information.

There are lots of choices – you can donate clothes to fire victims, donate your car to charity, or simply write a check. But none of these communities will recover quickly. The beauty of the human spirit notwithstanding, there’s damage to account for – even people missing. There’s still work to do.

Donations for fire victims will still be needed for months, possibly even years. Whether you dip into savings, carve out part of your paycheck or turn the value of your car into cash. There are many who are grateful for your generosity.