3 Holiday Gift Ideas That Aren’t on a Container

Aren't we forgetting the true meaning of Christmas? You know, the birth of Santa.
Bart Simpson

Supply chain bottlenecks are driving up prices, delaying shipments, and leaving consumers scrambling in advance of the holiday season. And the situation is unlikely to resolve itself anytime soon; Goldman Sachs recently warned that the backlogs could persist for the better part of 2022.

“Buy now!” scream the headlines, with the subtext that Christmas may be canceled if the shelves are bare.

Call me Scrooge, but I’m ok with my kids having to wait for things that they might want. We have food in the pantry, they have clothes in the closet, and a roof over their heads. They will not die if a new Xbox isn’t under the tree on the morning of December 25. They are old enough to appreciate and understand that a pile of gifts is not necessary to celebrate Christmas.

That said, I can see them rolling their eyes right now and muttering about not needing or wanting “another teachable moment.”

But c’mon, this is no time for a parent to waste a good crisis! We have before us an excellent prompt to talk to our children and grandchildren about money. It could be having a conversation about supply chains and delayed shipments—and delayed gratification—or maybe about how and why we use some of our money to help others.

Teaching children about money isn’t a one-and-done; it’s opening up ongoing conversations, and practicing healthy habits and behaviors. Talking is a great start, but showing and doing are instrumental. Here are 3 ways to do just that with a double-duty gift that doesn’t involve shopping:

• Load funds to a Greenlight account which can be sorted for spending, saving, charity and more
• Seed or match contributions to a Roth IRA for a child or grandchild with earned income
• Fund a charitable account and make gifts as a family

An estimated $24 billion in inventory is floating outside Los Angeles and Long Beach alone. You don’t have to wait for those containers to be unloaded if you take a creative approach. Do you have other ideas? I’d love to hear them.

Opinions expressed in the attached article are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Raymond James. All opinions are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. Raymond James and its advisors do not offer tax or legal advice. You should discuss any tax or legal matters with the appropriate professional. Securities offered through Raymond James Financial Services, Inc., member FINRA / SIPC. Investment advisory services offered through Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. Clarity Planning is not a registered broker/dealer and is independent of Raymond James Financial Services. Raymond James is not affiliated with nor endorses the services of Greenlight.