I need to give gifts to my regular pet sitting clients for Xmas. In the past years I’ve put together gift bags with pet treats and toys, but it is very difficult to find things that are inexpensive and that a particular pet will enjoy, so I’m just going to give $5.00 gift cards to PetSmart to most clients. But some of my clients are going to be giving me really nice gifts or tips, and I’d like to do a little more for them. I don’t know much about their personal interests outside of their pets, and I sure don’t have time to shop.
I was thinking maybe I could add a second gift card, either for a bookstore, iTunes, or Starbucks. I wish I could think of something else, but with the exception of some kind of sweets, I can’t, and I don’t want to give sweets.
What do you guys think? Add a second gift card? Give everyone the same thing? Something else?
I know you said you don’t want to give pet stuff but I think they’d appreciated it if you gave something small and cute just to have under the tree. Also, a pretty bow and a handwritten card can go a long way towards make the gift feel thoughtful. The dollar stores are full of holiday decorations now, you could maybe find some greeting cards or wrapping paper in a kitty or puppy print.
How about a collective donation the SPCA or local animal shelter as a gift for your clients? I’m not normally quick to suggest the charity donation as a gift, but I think it’s a good idea if you can find a cause that you know is dear to the recipient (and not yourself, the giver). And since they all own pets, I assume they’re all fond of animals.
With both of my kids in special ed, we’ve had to make large quantities of “teacher gifts” every year. Lately we’ve settled into oatmeal-cookies-in-a-jar (you layer the ingredients in a canning jar, and attach instructions with how to actually make the cookies). Other years we’ve made:
“Friendship soup” (involving beef bouillon granules, pasta, barley, other stuff, also in a jar)
Cheese ball
Sugared almonds (though in your situation, a spiced-nut mix might be nice as an alternative)
The oatmeal-cookie mix has turned out to be a huge hit with our friends and the assorted teachers. Also very cost effective - I think we spend maybe 3-4 dollars per jar, plus the assembly time. The others were popular also but a tad pricier.
If you do anything like these, it’s worth it to invest a couple of dollars in a canning funnel - that’s a wide-mouth, wide-opening funnel that fits canning jars perfectly. We have three of them (and will buy a fourth for next Christmastime) so the whole family can get in on the assembly line.
I have to give out gift cards to some of my really good customers. I mentioned to the big boss (dad) that everyone can use a Best Buy gift card. I mean, if nothing else, everyone needs batteries from time to time.