Showing the people that we love how much we appreciate them is extremely important.  Although you do not have to limit yourself to major events, I wanted to write a post about FNPhenomenal Ways to give the perfect birthday gift. Please note that you don’t have to spend a lot of money, or even buy a gift, to show the people who are important to us just how much we care.

Here are 5 ways that you can save on that next birthday present and still be thoughtful.

1. Use online savings sites.  I love sites like Groupon and Living Social because you can find deals on dinners and creative experiences.  For example, there was a Detroit deal on there for the Beer Festival and to the Bacon Festival.  That is a cool event to take a friend to and you can get a significant discount just by using a discount site.  Also, if you are shopping online then Google the store name and the word “online coupon code” or “promo code” to see if you can find a code that will allow you to save a little extra.
2. Use shopping sites that pay you back.  Upromise is an amazing site that lets you earn money towards repaying student loans when you shop.  If you install the turbo saver bar onto your browser or log into your Upromise account, then you can shop through your own site and earn a percentage of your purchase which you can apply towards a college savings account or apply towards your existing student loan accounts.
3. Consider a group gift.  I love group gifts because it allows people to pool the money that they can afford and with that money, you can buy a better gift for the recipient.  I’ve been doing group gifts for years with my sisters during Christmas time.  Instead of buying 3 separate gifts that don’t meet a want or a need for my parents, we pool our money together and then buy my parents something that we know that they will use or need.  This is also a great strategy for bridal and baby showers as well.
4. Think experiences.  You don’t always have to buy a physical gift for someone.  Psychology Researcher, Thomas Gilovich , says that “Our experiences are a bigger part of ourselves than our material goods.  You can really like your material stuff. You can even think that part of your identity is connected to those things, but nonetheless they remain separate from you. In contrast, your experiences really are part of you. We are the sum total of our experiences.”  Think of things that the birthday girl loves to do, and then do that with her.  A moment is never wasted when a memory is created.
5. Gifts of appreciation and memories.  The blog ZenHabits.com lists 30 ideas for gifts for people.  I’m including my favorite 2 in this post.  The first one is an “I appreciate you because” jar. To make this, fill a nice jar with slips of different colored paper, each with a reason you appreciate (or love) someone.  The second idea is to frame a picture of you with them or make a scrapbook or photo album with your favorite memories of you and that person or that person and the most important people in their life.

Now that you have some nice ideas to show someone just how much you care, please be sure to leave a comment to let me know how you plan to use these tips!

If you want more tips and resources, download your FREE Hotsheet that will show you the best online savings sites and apps!  Click here to download!

Aisha Taylor is a #1 Amazon Best Selling Author of the book “5+5 FNPhenomenal Ways to Save $100 This Week Without Killing Your Lifestyle”, the Founder of FNPhenomenal (Frugal –n- Phenomenal), and creator of The Live Phenomenal Program. The Live Phenomenal Program is a program designed to give you the tools that you need to totally transform your finances, and stop living from paycheck-to-paycheck. It’s time for you to be Financially Phenomenal! Book your complimentary 20-minute financial clarity session with Aisha here.