Top Holiday Gifts for a Cash Strapped Friend.

Now you have to understand that while getting a sentimental gift is a good idea, do it only if you're sure of EXACTLY what the other person wants. To be quite honest, if someone is hungry, they won't care very much if you get them the teddy bear or the baseball cards that they've always wanted. They'll be excited if you take them out to dinner, and absolutely thrilled if you establish a year long supply of their favorite (and healthy) food. As such, try and give a gift that actually helps them out and is pragmatic, don't let the emotions get the best of you and them.

Of the myriad of gifts that many people give and receive over the holiday period (which at one point of time was supposed to be about Jesus, and not people, but that's for a different time), none beats cold hard cash. In fact, recent studies showed that most people trade in over 50% of their gifts for something else. As such, most people prefer just getting cash. However, just for people like that who need/want money and not gifts, the following are the best gifts:

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2. Just cash - No matter the amount, this brings a smile to everyone's face. There's no getting around the fact that people love cash. This is easily the best gift to give someone with no worries of them exchanging it for something else. The amount depends on you, though something like $50 works best in most cases. You don't want to give too much so as to make them feel indebted to you (unless it is to a significantly younger relative, like a grandson), and neither do you want to make them feel like you gave them something just because you had to.

   
   

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4. Gift Cards - These are a step above cash because of a very good reason - there's no risk of the receipient spending the money on something you don't want them to (like drugs or alcohol). This is the best thing to do in most cases, because even though cash is wonderful, there are no restrictions as to how it's spent. On the other hand, gift cards work really well in that respect, and the person has no choice to spend it on anything but what's available at the store for them. This is the best gift to give to a teenager, especially these das in this culture given the kind of depravity most teenagers find themselves in.

   
   

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6. Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day; teach him to fish and he'll eat for many days - The best gift to give to a cash strapped friend or a relative (who is close to you) is to get them something that will make help them make a lot of money over time. In this regard, there are many things that you can try and get your friend, and my suggestion would be to get The Light In The Darkness program for them. I don't get a commission off of this, so dont worry about false advertising on my part, this really is the best thing out there. It costs only $19.95, and you can get a coupon from the author to give as a gift (just send him an e-mail). This program will teach your friend (or even yourself, just like me) to make quite a bit of money over a short period of time, and it won't require any investment on their part either. As such, I recommend this above all the other gifts for you friend.
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Do there you have it, the best gifts for your cash strapped friend. Try to help them out, instead of trying to make sure that they don't realize that you know that they are struggling.