These are practical but non sexy presents for Christmas.
Very good article below about practical gifts that will make money for those receiving them. I strongly recommend those Personal Finance books-I have them all.
Gifts That Help Save Money-From Investopedia.com
This year instead of giving random gift cards or sweaters that will linger in dresser drawers, think about giving a gift that saves money. With the economy tight, jobs scarce, and money crunched and budgeted to the last dime, gifts that save money all year will be doubly appreciated by their recipients.
When thinking about gifts that save money, think practical. Products for home improvement, saving water, saving energy or saving at the grocery store will keep "giving" back.
Programmable Thermostat
Controlling the temperature in your home throughout the year (heat and A/C) can save you hundreds of dollars. Programming the temperature to be comfortable when you are home and reduce usage when you're away is a practical and easy way to save on utility costs. The thermostat costs about $30 at a home improvement store; installation if needed, is an additional cost. It is an inexpensive gift that can save hundreds of dollars all year.
Water Purifier
Bottled water is costs more per ounce than gasoline. A 15 ounce bottle of water in a vending machine costs $1.00 on average, or five cents per ounce. The price of gasoline on average is $3 per gallon or two cents per ounce. If you multiply that by the day, that is an expensive drink of water. An average water filter for the kitchen faucet is simple to install, costs less than $35 dollars, and the filters, which cost between $8 and $11, will last three months. Plus, your gift recipient will be keeping a few hundred plastic bottles out of a landfill. If you add a reusable, washable sports bottle to the gift you'll be saving him or her even more money.
AAA Membership
Who hasn't sat in a parking lot and heard that dreaded "click, click" sound of a dead battery? Giving an AAA membership is a practical gift that can save all year by not only jump-starting a dead battery, but offering your gift recipient discounts on trips, car rentals, discounts at many retail outlets and discounts on insurance. Membership prices depend on your location, but typically are between $60 to $70 per year. There are several levels of memberships available.
Personal Finance Books If you have people on your gift-giving list that are young and starting out, middle-aged and planning for the future, or more mature and seeking retirement guidance, there are great books to help all of them. A number of financial "gurus" have books that can help nearly everyone at every stage of their life learn to take charge of their financial well-being. Author Dave Ramsey has taught many how become "debt free," Suze Orman gives hard advice that will help achieve goals, Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko can teach you how to be "The Millionaire Next Door," and don't overlook Clark Howard and his money saving techniques. Any of these books make great gifts that will teach financial responsibility, give money guidance and help save money all year long.
Kill-A-Watt Energy Monitor
With ever increasing energy costs, anything that helps teach you how to reduce your energy consumption will help save money. One of the coolest gadgets out there is a "Kill-A-Watt-Energy Monitor." You attach the monitor to any appliance in your home and it will tell you how many kilowatts that particular item is using. Even when an appliance is turned off, if it's plugged in, it is using power. It will be very surprising what appliances use the most energy, even when not in use. Giving this can help reduce energy consumption, thereby saving money all year.
A Few Quick Gifts That Save
Here are a few quick gifts ideas that will save without breaking your own budget.
Reusable Shopping Bags Reusable shopping bags can be bought at most larger retailers like grocers and Walmart. They can be purchased for as little as 99 cents each. A few retailers, like CVS, give customers a card that can be "punched" that will give customers savings discounts whenever they present their "green" reusable bag.
Rechargeable Batteries Rechargeable batteries cost a bit more at purchase, but can help you save in the long run. Most electronic devices and toys require batteries, and replacing them throughout the year can cost well over $100. Rechargeable batteries save money and save the landfill.
Fluorescent and LED Lights Fluorescent and LED lights use nearly two-thirds less energy than regular light bulbs, are significantly brighter, and, according to Consumer Reports, will last nearly 50-times longer than incandescent bulbs. Just remember to put a "do not shake" sticker on this gift.
The Bottom Line While these gifts may not receive the "oohs and awws" of others, they are practical, needed and will help to save money all year. With money tight, the economy stagnant and everyone needing to save money, these gifts will be appreciated and you'll be thought of each time someone turns on a light.
2) In the Markets today:
Stocks spiked ahead of the close Wednesday following a report that the G20 is considering a $600 billion IMF lending program to Europe and as investors largely shrugged off the latest announcement from the S&P saying it may downgrade the EU in addition to some large financials.
Stocks flat as hope dims for Europe debt crisis deal-From USA Today
Hopes for a key European summit this week rose and fell on Wednesday, but U.S. stock indexes barely moved. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 50 points near the close while other indicators edged lower.
French and German leaders sought to downplay expectations for the summit, which wraps up Friday.
Traders hope that European countries will link their budgets more closely and impose greater fiscal discipline on heavily indebted nations, such as Greece. Officials said Wednesday that a deal this week might include only some countries, and crafting a fuller plan might take until Christmas.
"The pattern has been, get your hopes up, then be disappointed by EU summits, and that pattern has been in place for a while," said Steve Van Order, fixed-income strategist at Calvert Investment Management.
The Dow was up 77 points at 12,227 at 4 p.m. ET. It had been lifted by insurance giant Travelers (TRV), which rose 1.6%, and medical conglomerate Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), which gained 1.4%. Machinery maker Caterpillar (CAT) fell 1.9%, the most in the Dow 30.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 5 points to 1,264. The Nasdaq composite index rose 4 points to 2,654.
Traders have been growing restless with the delays in getting a resolution to Europe's debt crisis.
Rating agencies have warned of possible downgrades for nations using the euro if they do not quickly set a firm plan for solving the two-year-old ordeal.
In Europe, stock indexes were mostly lower and the yields on Spanish and Italian government debt rose. That means investors are demanding higher returns because of fears that one of those nations might default. Borrowing costs for Spain and Italy had fallen sharply until Tuesday, having reached dangerously high levels a week earlier. Germany's DAX fell 0.6%, Britain's FTSE 0.4%.
In corporate news:
— Citigroup (C) rose. The bank's CEO, Vikram Pandit, said Tuesday that it will cut 4,500 jobs and take a $400 million charge this quarter for severance and other related costs. The cuts would reduce Citi's payroll by about 1.5%.
— Struggling women's clothing company Talbots (TLB) jumped after private-equity firm Sycamore Partners made a $205.2 million takeover offer.
— Men's Wearhouse (MW) surged after reporting third-quarter results that topped Wall Street's expectations and it raised its full-year earnings guidance.
— Defense contractor SAIC (SAI) rose after the company reported results that beat Wall Street's expectations.
3) Top financial story of the day:
Consumers Take on More Debt-From The Wall Street Journal
Consumer credit increased by $7.65 billion to $2.457 trillion, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday.
Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had forecast a $6.5 billion expansion in consumer credit. September’s figure was revised down to a $6.88 billion increase from the originally reported $7.39 billion.
October’s rise was driven by an increase in nonrevolving credit, which includes student loans, perhaps suggesting that more people are returning to school as unemployment remains high. Total nonrevolving credit, which also includes car loans, rose $7.28 billion in October to $1.665 trillion.
The Fed report said revolving credit, which includes credit-card debt, expanded by a more modest $366.2 million to $792.34 billion.
The consumer-credit report doesn’t include numbers on home mortgages and other real-estate secured loans. But the data are important for the clues to behavior by consumers.
So far this year, Americans are continuing to spend despite high unemployment and stagnant earnings — wages are up by 1.8% over the past 12 months, not keeping pace with overall inflation at 3.6%, the Labor Department reported last week.
That has meant lower savings rates and increased borrowing — total consumer credit is up 12 of the past 13 months.
4) Quote of the Day from Dave Ramsey.com:
Honesty has a beautiful and refreshing simplicity about it. No ulterior motives. No hidden meanings. — Charles R. Swindoll
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