Cheap and Thoughtful Last Minute Gifts

Flowers are one Thoughtful Gift!

Have you ever been in a situation when you realized that you need to quickly produce a gift, and you have very little time or money?  Most of us have been faced with this problem at some time in our lives.  If you are a new retiree on a fixed income, this can be even more of a challenge.  You really have to watch what you spend, and you don't want to go into debt just to provide gifts for others.  What are some ways to handle this situation?

Prepare Ahead

One solution is to go to garage sales and estate sales in your area, and buy inexpensive items that you can keep on hand.  Don't overdo it.  However, if you can find a few pretty vases for under $5, or some lovely mismatched plates for a dollar or two, buy them and put them aside.  Then, when you need an inexpensive gift, you can wrap up one of the vases in a pretty box, or fill it with flowers from your garden and not even bother to wrap it when you give it away!  The plates are a handy way to present gifts of a homemade cake, cookies or candy.  Simply place the baked goods on the plate and present it to a friend, telling them to keep the plate.  If you are unable to find any suitable plates or vases at local estate sales, check out the Dollar Store or .99 Cent Store in your community.  You can usually find something there.

Regifting Can Be Fun

Another idea for a thoughtful and cheap gift is to regift something that has been given to you.  I frequently attend gift exchanges around the holidays.  When I end up with something I know I will not use, I store it in a closet and re-gift it the next year.  Careful, though!  Be sure you mark down where you received the gift, so you pass it on somewhere else.  You would hate to give it to the person who gave it to you ... or their best friend!

Dinner Invitations

If you need a gift right now, and have nothing on hand, write out an invitation on a piece of personal stationery and invite your friends to dinner at your home in two or three weeks.  Be specific and do not make it some vague date.  If they have to change it, you can work it out with them; but, start with a specific date in mind.  Your friends will love being your guests ... and you probably would have invited them to dinner at some point, anyway!

Gift Donations

You can also sit down at the computer and make a donation to a friend's favorite charity.  Then, tuck the receipt into a gift card and present it to them.  If you have chosen the right charity, they will be delighted by your thoughtfulness!  Many people love to receive a donation as a gift.

Really, Really Last Minute Gifts


Are you on the way to a party right now, and you realize you desperately need to pick up a cheap gift on the way?  Don't despair!  You can pick up a bottle of wine and a gift bag at the liquor store, or a flowering plant at the grocery store.  If you need something for a white elephant gift exchange, pick up two or three funny local tourist gifts at the local convenience store.  Items like bottle openers, shot glasses and hats promoting a local sports team are perfect for those silly gift exchanges, and someone might actually like them!

Whatever you decide to take with you, stick to your budget.  All of us are very money conscious these days, and there is no need to break your budget purchasing gifts that may end up on someone else's re-gifting shelf!

For more helpful retirement ideas, use the tabs or pull down menus at the top of the page to find links to hundreds of articles about affordable places to retire, retirement planning, health issues that can arise, changing family relationships and more.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

(Photo courtesy of Morguefile.com)

New Years Holidays in Las Vegas

Spend New Years by the
Ballagio Fountains
(photo by morguefile.com)

Why not spend New Years in Las Vegas this year? Many Baby Boomers and other retirees are looking for something fun, exciting or different to do this New Years Eve.  Now that you no longer have young children to worry about, you can make plans that are more elaborate than you could during your child rearing years.  If you are thinking about taking a trip to Las Vegas this winter, you need to start making your plans right away.

December and January are popular times to go to Las Vegas.  Hotels are available in a a wide variety of price ranges, from expensive 5 Star hotels like the Ballagio, Paris or the Venetian down to much cheaper motels, including Motel 6.  In between, there are a nice selection of moderately priced hotels, as well, including the Golden Nugget on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas, or the Luxor and Stratosphere on the strip.  If you plan to go to Las Vegas in the winter, make your hotel reservations as soon as possible.

Unless you want to eat in a specific restaurant, you can be more casual about dinner reservations.  There are so many restaurants and buffets, it is usually possible to find one with an opening.  However, exceptional restaurants such as the one in the Eiffel Tower at the Paris Hotel, or the one at the top of the Stratosphere may require advance reservations.  The late night clubs may be more difficult to enter on New Years Eve than at other times of the year.  You may wish to talk to the concierge at your hotel for their recommendations.  They may be able locate one for you, and arrange to get you admitted. 

If you are planning to see a show, your concierge can also help you arrange tickets.  However, if you aren't picky, you may be able to get half price tickets at a kiosk owned by Tix4Tonight.  They sell the tickets that are left over for that night's shows.  Availability varies from day to day, but it is a fun way to save money on a Las Vegas show.

Check the weather forecasts carefully before you decide what clothing to bring on your trip.  My husband and I have taken frequent trips to Las Vegas during the winter, especially since we have been in our 50's and 60's, and the weather seems to be different on every trip.  We once planned a golf vacation, only to arrive to 6 inches of snow, with the valet parking attendants building a snowman in front of the hotel!  You can be almost certain that it will be quite cold in the desert after dark.  During the day, however, it could be sunny and mild, rainy and chilly, or downright freezing.

Las Vegas is a ideal place for Baby Boomers to enjoy time away from their normal routines.  New Years in Las Vegas is an especially exciting time to be in the city.

If you are a Baby Boomer interested in staying up to date with other travel locations as well as general information affecting your retirement plans, you may want to bookmark or follow this blog at http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/ 

Scrapbooking with Christmas Cards

Save Your Photo Holiday Cards
(photo by morguefile.com)

After the holidays, most people scoop up all the Christmas cards and holiday letters they received and toss them in the trash along with the wrapping paper and other holiday waste.  However, there is an alternative that will bring you and your family joy for years to come.  Create a special Christmas scrapbook, using all your favorite holiday cards, particularly the photo greeting cards.

Pick out a wonderful red or green scrapbook, or one with a holiday motif.  On the first few pages include any old Christmas photos you can find, going back as far into your family history as possible.  Once you have the scrapbook started, begin to add your own Christmas photo card and holiday letter each year.  As you write your holiday letter, keep in mind that you are creating a family history.

In addition to your own photo greeting cards, add those from other members of your family, as well as close family friends.  If you want additional enhancements to your Christmas scrapbook, add some holiday stickers or little notes that explain who everyone is, or what they are doing.  After 10 or more years, you will begin to realize that you have created a wonderful family keepsake.

As your children become adults, make color copies of the pages in your scrapbook, use them to start new scrapbooks, and give one to each of your adult children.  They can add their own pages, and your family history will continue to grow.  Using your Christmas cards in this way will create a family treasure that will be valued for generations to come.

If you are a Baby Boomer or a retiree who is looking for information on how to make your senior years more satisfying, you may want to bookmark this blog or continue to follow it at http://baby-boomer-retirement/blogspot.com

Top Toys for Grandkids

Barbie is Still A Popular Toy
(photo by Amazon.com)

What are the best toys to get your grandchildren?  If you are like most grandparents, this is a difficult problem since you only buy gifts for your grandchildren a couple of times a year. Fortunately, Amazon comes to our rescue with their periodic list of the Top Toys for Kids which is very helpful when you are looking for gift ideas.

This year, Amazon has put forth their list of toys that are popular for Christmas 2011.  You can purchase them directly through Amazon, or you can purchase them in most large toy stores, whichever is more convenient for you.  Even if you decide to purchase them at a local store, you may want to check them out online first, to compare prices and see if they look like something your grandchild would want.

According to Amazon, here are the Top Toys for Kids:

The Barbie Collector 2011 Holiday Doll
Real Construction Deluxe Tool Workshop
Vtech InnoTab (Child's Tablet "Computer")
Qwirkle Board Game
Simon Flash
Crayola Model Magic Jewelry
Disney Princess Ultimate Fairytale Kitchen
Spy Net: Stealth Video Glasses

Here Are the Top Electronic Gifts for Kids:

Philips Rich Bass Neckband Headphones
Alfred's Kid's Guitar Course Starter Pack
Kodak PlaySport Zx5
Parrot AR. Drone Quadricopter

These are The Best Gifts for Babies:

Cloud b Twilight Constellation Night Light
Prince Lionheart Wheely Bug
Tiny Love Move and Play Gymini
Baby Einstein Count and Compose Piano

Simply type these names into an Amazon search box, and you can get complete details on each of these items.  On many Amazon toys, you can even read parent's comments before you make a purchase.  In addition, Amazon will also show similar products, if you wish to compare them.

Don't forget to check with the parents before purchasing any gift for a child.  They may already have it!

If you are a grandparent who is retired or planning to retire, you may want to follow this blog for more up to date, relevant news stories that could affect you.  Follow by email, or bookmark, http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/

Tips for a Happy Marriage for Baby Boomers

Tips for a Happy Marriage
(Photo by photoxpress)

The marriages of many Baby Boomers have been strained to the breaking point during the past few decades.  In fact, marriage problems have caused the divorce rate for our generation to be much higher than the divorce rate for our parents.  Divorce among people who are in their 50's has become so common there is now a name for it ... grey divorce.  However, after 40 years of marriage, my husband and I have discovered that there are things you can do to strengthen your marriage, and these actions may reduce the chances that your marriage will be one of those that fail.

First, many of us Baby Boomers began our relationships without a strong commitment to the idea of marriage.  We were the first generation to live together before marriage in large numbers.  Today, some of that lack of commitment is still causing couples to give up on their relationships at the first sign of trouble.  Of course, if you are in a relationship that involves what is known as the three "A's" ... abuse, addiction or adultery ... you may be wise to leave.  Otherwise, simply believing that a committed relationship is important may be very effective in reducing the chances that your relationship will flounder.

In addition to commitment, we all need to accept that there are no perfect marriages. As much as the movies still depict the concept of "happily ever after," we Baby Boomers need to realize that relationships are complicated and messy.  Your partner will have some irritating habits; you do, too!

Communication is another important factor in maintaining a healthy marriage.  My husband and I have known couples that have gone to a marriage counselor for years, in order to keep the lines of communication open.  My husband and I have not had to go to that length, but we have found it important to sit down and simply chat once in a while.  Honesty and the willingness to listen are important factors in healthy communication.

Have fun together and separately!  While it is important to have date nights, and spend time together doing things you both enjoy, it is also important that you both spend time separately.  There is nothing wrong with the husband playing golf with his buddies, or the wife going off on a girl's weekend once in a while.  Like everything else in a marriage, there needs to be balance ... time together as well as time apart.  This may be especially important after you are both retired.  Baby Boomers need to take heed of this.  Too much time together can actually increase the strain on your relationship!

Split the chores fairly.  There is no such thing as "man's work" or "woman's work."  She can take out the trash, do the gardening or hang a painting.  He can cook some of the meals or do the dishes and laundry.  Especially as the two of you become empty-nesters and, eventually, retirees, it is important to be flexible about your roles.  Do what works best for the two of you, without preconceived notions.  You'll both be happier and more relaxed. 

Finally, never forget to show each other affection and respect.  Both are essential for a loving relationship that lasts for decades.

If you are planning your retirement, you may want to check out the tabs or the pull-down menu at the top of this page for links to hundreds of additional articles on relationships, where to retire, financial planning, medical issues and more.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com.

Photo credit:  Photoxpress.com