The Gift Therapist
Jennifer Melnick Carota has become an expert source on smart shopping
and charitable giving. Best known for her role as the Gift Therapist,
Jennifer is famous for her gift giving advice, new product reviews, and
annual holiday gift guide. Products and services that meet her high
standards for quality, affordability and creativity receive her
endorsement in the form of the Gift Therapist’s Seal of Approval.
Her website, www.thegifttherapist.com, offers great advice for moms on holiday shopping. I met Jennifer recently and asked if she'd give us some advice.
Can
you give our users some general advice for smart shopping? My
best advice for consumers this year is to plan first, spend later. Take
the time before you hit the stores to establish a realistic cash budget, prepare
your gift list accordingly and begin researching the best deals as early as
possible. If you are not sure what to buy, indulge in a window shopping
spree to jumpstart your creativity. Always shop the discount
department stores first and vow never to pay full price for anything. If
shopping online, be sure to search for coupon codes that provide significant
discounts when checking out. My favorite site that helps me search for
these secret sales is www.ratherbeshopping.com. With
a little research, you'll be amazed at how much you can save.
What are your favorite stores to shop? I
absolutely adore Gabriel Brothers, Ollies Bargain Outlet, and Big Lots but
each for different reasons. They are all discount department stores with
great prices, but each store has certain favorites that the other does
not. Gabriel Brothers is a fantastic resource for upscale home decor,
designer clothing, shoes, and jewelry. Ollies Bargain Outlet boasts prices
on books, DVD's, and toys can not be beat! And Big Lots has the best
selection of gourmet food items that you can't even find at your favorite
grocery store.
What about kids gifts and toys?
Any good hints? Toys and gadgets for the little ones can quickly add up to
big bucks if you are not careful. To avoid spending upwards of $25 (or
more) per child, why not consider giving a group gift that the entire family can
enjoy together. Choose a theme for the gift and find two or three items
that will tie the theme together. For example, a "Family Fun Basket" may
contain a family friendly DVD, classic board game, scrapbooking supplies, or
museum passes. Get creative based on the lifestyle of the
family!
What’s your favorite “sanity saver”?
As an expert Giveologist, my mantra is "focus on the giving, rather than on
the gift." Forget about price-tags and obligatory spending! Give the best
you can with what you've got and feel great about it. If you take the time
to put together a meaningful gift that reflects your cherished relationship with
that person, you will hit a home run every time...even if you only spent
$10.
What about a gift for the dad that has
everything? That's a tough question, but it can also be applied
to just about anyone on your list who wants for nothing! My best advice
for this gift giving quandry is asking yourself "what does mom/dad value most?"
and give a gift that reflects their character and values. For example, if
you know your dad loves to go bowling with the guys, why not give him a gift
certificate to his favorite bowling center along with a snazzy bowling shirt
complete with his name embroidered breast on the breast pocket. Jazz up a
gift card by adding a small gift that reinforces the theme to make it extra
special and extra thoughtful.
What time of year is best to
shop? The best time is to shop off-season, after any holiday, and
only when you can afford to shop! Think opposites. When it's hot
outside, look for steals on cold winter weather gear and vice versa. This
goes for every item that you can think of including furniture. Who wants
to think of buying furniture when it's 80 degrees and sunny? You won't be inside
much to even think about it! Hence, look for major furniture and
appliance sales in late spring and throughout the summer season.
What’s your best advice for getting a great deal?
The key to finding the best deals is to always shop the clearance
sections of your favorite stores first. Don't be blinded by all the new
and shiny merchandise tempting you in the front of the store. Head
directly to where they often hide the best deals, usually near the back of the
store, on bottom shelves, or little cubbies that you have to sniff out with
skill and experience. Save yourself the hassle and just the clerk where the
clearance sections are located. They are usually very happy to oblige.
Do you have a “standard gift” that you like to give for a
friend’s birthday? Housewarming? Mothers day? Fathers day? I take
great effort to individualize every gift that I give, but when in doubt I
usually give the gift of food. Who doesn't like food? The key is
give what they like rather than what you like! I usually add a little
extra "WOW" to the gift by making the container part of the gift as well.
For example, one year I bought a football shaped crockpot for $12 at Big Lots,
made my famous spinach dip and took it as a hostess gift to a Superbowl
party. Everyone loved the dip and the hostess now has a functional gift
for future parties...SCORE!
You have $25 to spend on a Secret Santa gift for a ladies'
Christmas party? What would you give? I love Secret Santa
gifts! This is when I really get to show off! Normally I devise a
theme around the likes or values of the recipient. If I don't know him or
her very well, I put some time into covert research by talking to mutual
friends, visiting her profile at online social media sites, or when all else
fails, going with a practical gift card and adding a few small items that I've
collected in my gift closet to compliment the theme. For example, a $20
gas card, gourmet coffee or tea, a stainless travel mug that I found on
clearance, and a batch of homemade trail mix in a decorative tin. In the
card I may write, "Think of me on your way to work tomorrow morning!"
What’s your favorite give you’ve ever received? I have
received so many wonderful gifts over the years. My husband is such a
wonderful gift giver that it is so hard to choose! Just having his
unconditional love and support every day is more than a girl could ask for, not
to mention he is the technical genius behind everything the Gift Therapist has
ever done :) His love is definitely the best gift ever!
What’s your favorite gift you’ve ever given? Every gift
that I give is my favorite at the time because I try really hard to make
the gift reflect my connection with that person. Last Christmas, my
husband and I bought an antique train for our Dad. We bought it after we
found out that the train that had been in his family was lost over the years and
he really missed having one. Because my husband and I had shopped smart,
we had plenty left in our gift budget to buy the train. Yes, it was a high
ticket item, but it meant the world to our Dad and he now cherishes that
train. You can't put a price on memories.
Now that you've read Jen's advice, come back to our message boards and offer your best shopping tip and be entered to win one of The Gift Therapist "shopping package" including a shopping planner/calendar and copy of Jen's book, "Shop Smart, Give More"
Posted
Nov 03 2008, 03:08 PM
by
Heather