Cash-poor? Try giving a gift of time

Do you have your holiday shopping done yet? Me neither. But I have a few ideas to share -- for those who are unemployed and for those who are giving to the unemployed. If you've been stuck, maybe these lists will inspire you.
For the unemployed:
If you want to offer something practical to the unemployed person on your list, consider gift certificates. They offer choices, sometimes for things your recipient wants but can't afford.
UCertificates for services. Haircuts, manicures, tailoring, dry cleaning and shoe repair are all services that your job seeker needs but may not be able to afford.
UCertificates for products. Gift cards to major retailers, bookstores, office supply stores or copy shops will help defray the costs of job search. Certificates for job-search assistance are also helpful: There are lots of professionals who will write your job seeker's r & eacute;sum & eacute;, provide interview coaching, explain salary negotiations or offer general job-search advice. Ask your friends for a referral, or check the phone book.
UCertificates for fun. Movie tickets, spa visits, dinners out, concerts -- the unemployed person on your list has probably cut back on these treats or eliminated them altogether. Here is an opportunity to bring some fun back into your job seeker's schedule.
UGifts of friendship. Never mind the certificates. There's a good chance your unemployed friend could use some time with you. Don't wait for the holidays -- just call him or her and head out for a cup of coffee or a walk. The gift of friendship is hard to wrap, but it lasts a lifetime.
Gifts from the unemployed
This is a tough time of the year for the cash-poor. Even window shopping costs more than you can afford some days, between the gas or bus fare to get downtown and the $3 cup of coffee to warm up between shops.
The first rule of budget-savvy gift giving is to start with a list. Who will receive gifts from you this year? Now look at your finances. Suppose there are 15 people on the list and $100 in your budget. That's either 15 gifts at $6.70 each, or perhaps five gifts at $10 and 10 gifts at $5. However you work the math, it's not going to be easy.
Before you reach for your credit card, consider that list again. Perhaps only one or two people will get a gift that costs money this year, and the rest will get something that doesn't cost you anything. Or maybe you should save the $100 and make all your gifts be freebies.
Here are some free or almost free ideas:
UCertificates for time spent together. Use a computer or even construction paper and markers to create a special gift certificate for each person on your list. Kids will enjoy redeeming their certificates to play board games, go sledding, build things, read stories, take nature walks or go to free/low-cost high school sports games or plays with you. For the seniors on your list, give certificates for running errands, driving them to appointments, watching videos together or playing cards. The young parents on your list will certainly appreciate baby-sitting or housecleaning certificates.
UHomemade booklets. Do you have favorite recipes? Instructions for making birdhouses that your father passed on to you? Poems or wise sayings you'd like to pass on? Put these gems into a small booklet, hand-stapled or laminated at a copy shop, and you will create a keepsake that money can't buy.
UPhotos. Everyone, it seems, has boxes of photos lying around. Why not dig out some of those unused pictures and make a nice montage for each person on your list? You'll find a variety of frames at dollar stores and secondhand shops for very little money.
UHeritage gifts. If your house is crammed with nice things inherited from others, it's time to pass some of them on. Look for items of beauty or meaning, such as special jewelry or glassware. Create a card that tells the story of the piece and wrap it with care.
You've noticed by now that all these gifts -- and the dozens of ideas you think of on your own -- cost time. Maybe that's not such a bad thing. Without a job, you may have a little more flexibility in your schedule this year.
Anyway, everyone knows that time is the one thing we can't get more of.
XAmy Lindgren, the owner of a career-consulting firm in St. Paul, Minn., can be reached at alindgren@pioneerpress.com.