Nontraditional gift giving ~ Donations to a good cause!

My family has no kids... not that they are all grown up, but neither myself, nor my sister or brother ever had kids.

We are all ok with this! We have friends and relatives that "share" kids with us all the time!

Christmas is different with all grownups and no kids around though.. and sometimes because of where we live, we can't even all be together for Christmas day... but that is ok, too. We have learned to have fun when we can be together!

Christmas gift giving is also something that does not seem quite so vital to us. Perhaps since each of us have pretty much all the material things we could ever need or want. Perhaps it is because if we see something that someone would like in June, we give it to them in June!

My family is also very generous with what we have ever had, and some times that was not much at all. My mother is generous beyond belief in her time and spirit, my uncle is also generous and tries to teach others to learn to take care of themselves properly, my brother and sister are also very generous.

So, as we have done in past years, we are not exchanging gifts this year, but taking the money we would have otherwise spent on gifts to each other, and donating it. My choice is the Daily Bread Food Bank here in Putnam. They run solely on donations. Some day I might need some help, so I am paying it forward, backward, and sideways!

If you don't agree with making donations to causes, you may want to start a savings account or mutual fund for family members, and donate $XX.xx per month. It will add up, and then they can get something they want with it someday!

I am a Putnamaniac that is giving a donation as a nontraditional gift to my family this year!

See what is going on in Putnamania on the Putnamaniac Activity Calendar here