In this episode learn some great gift suggestions for the friends and family members that live a self-reliant life.
In this episode learn some great gift suggestions for the friends and family members that live a self-reliant life.
Episode 27 PP
Best Self-Reliant Gifts to Give This Year
It’s gift-giving season again. It’s that time of the year when some of us scramble to find the perfect gifts for our family and friends.
But what about that special gift for those in your life that are trying to live a more self-reliant lifestyle? Do they seem like a challenge to buy for?
Not anymore…I have quite a few suggestions for practical gifts that would be perfect for that person in your life whose self-reliance means everything. Are you ready?
Hi and welcome back to the Prepping Positively Podcast! I’m Annie and today we are talking about how to find the perfect gift or gifts for those people in our lives that self-reliant living means everything.
I do want to throw in here though, I am still struggling with a horrible cold so if I sound a bit nasally, I apologize.
So I just got back from a trip to Pennsylvania for a baby shower for my youngest daughter. While at the shower, an old friend and I were chit-chatting about Christmas being right around the corner and having to finish our shopping.
To my surprise, this friend who has known me since we were small children, blurted out, “I am glad you and I don’t exchange gifts because with you being all self-reliant and all I wouldn’t know what to get you!”
Now I must say I was a little taken aback by that comment. Then I kind of giggled and said, “why would you think I would be hard to buy for?”.
Now if I was not surprised enough at what she said, her next answer really threw me for a loop. You see, she explained that since I grew everything myself, and basically do everything else myself, she thought buying gifts would be impossible. Apparently, the idea of trying to be self-reliant to her meant I lived in a grass hut, never shopped in a store for food or anything else for that matter, and basically never left my property.
Listen that conversation turned into a 2-hour teaching experience for her, on how “normal” I actually was. I had to “fill her in” on just how easy it would be to provide a gift for me.
That inspired this whole episode today! So with that story, let me make some great suggestions for gifts. But first, let me tell you something in case you didn’t know!
We people, who are trying to live as self-reliant as possible, do not live in grass huts. We are not living without power, and we do go shopping.
Now I could go on and on about what being self-reliant means. However, you can go to my website, roadtoreliance.com, and read all about what it means. What I want to share today is a basic understanding of the thought process so that you can be less intimidated about buying that special self-reliant type of person a gift without stress.
Then I promise, I will give you a ton of ideas you can use for gifts.
When buying a gift for a self-reliant person, think about practical gifts. Think about reusable gifts. And most of all think about the person you are specifically buying for.
Does this person spend a lot of time in the kitchen? Gift suggestions may include:
Does the person you are buying for sew a lot?
Other crafters may enjoy:
For the person who loves the outdoors:
For the person that reads a lot
For the gardener:
For the forager:
For those with animals:
Generalized gifts:
Gifts for the Home:
Remember you can always turn your gifts into a gift basket too.
Last year I got my sister a large wicker basket from the thrift store. I filled it with new hand shovels, a hand rake, a pair of gardening gloves, some seeds from my garden, and a book on square-foot gardening. I wrapped it in a cute burlap sack and stamped designs on it then tied it with a pretty bow.
I did the same concept for my daughter, except I filled the basket with wooden spoons, three mixing bowls, some measuring cups and spoons, and a recipe book I had made myself.
I have even done gift baskets for kids with an x and o board, pick-up sticks, a set of jacks, crayons, a coloring book, and whatever small games-type things I could find.
Be creative. Think practical.
You can’t go wrong with a basket that includes a bottle of wine and two wine glasses. Or how about a basket of handmade soaps, combined with a natural luffa and a bath brush? Include some homemade bath salts or bubble bath.
Oh, and if you do have that self-reliant friend that actually lives in a grass hut with no power, how about some fire starters and a good machete?
I hope some of these suggestions help you buy that perfect gift for your self-reliant friend or family member!
So you can get out there and shop now, and I’ll see you next week!