Hi mammas:
Reading with interest everyone's concern for year-end gifts.
I, too, have a predicament that had me running to three stores and stressing.
My daughter has one main teacher and 3 aides for her preschool. I know they are probably underpaid and I wanted to get the teacher maybe an amazon gift card for $20 and the 3 aides, $5 Dunkin' Donuts cards, but the latter seemed cheap.
Instead, i'm thinking of an Edible Arrangements fruit bouquet for all of them.
My daughter only attends two day half-days a week and started in February.
I hate to seem cheap, but I'm on a budget due to chronic unemployment :-(
Thoughts on Edible Arrangements vs. separate gifts?
Of course I waited until the last minute--the last day is tomorrow. Will probably go with a small Edible Arrangements for the whole gang because my daughter did "blossom" there. And I will do better next year in terms of planning and personalizing.
Two half days a week and just started in Feb and you ask if you are cheap?
Sorry, but I know how much Edible Arrangements cost, and they're expensive. No way you are cheap.
Stop worrying about what you think you may "seem". Only buy what you can afford.
Edible arrangements is going to be more expensive than what you have planned. I'd go with your original plan.
Make some cookies or brownies and wrap them up separately for each of them to take home. Include a simple thank you note with each.
Why not *make* them something? A few treats and handmade card from your daughter would be sweet and thoughtful - and cheap ;)
Don't worry about seeming cheap.. You don't... simply do what you can...
BTW, my MIL received the Edible Arrangement's dark chocolate covered strawberries for Mother's Day and they were quite good...
While I do think it's great to give, do only that which you can afford. IF they are underpaid as you suggest, then they should understand what it means to be on a tight budget (particularly when a person is unemployed)
Go with the gift cards you never know what allergies people have or whether they will all get to share the fruit. A note saying thanks and have a coffee on me is a wonderful thanks.
It's the thought that counts. A handmade card your daughter helps you create thanking them would be enough. Homemade cookies you wrap up, with a thank you card, too.
I'm on a fixed low-income and had three to gift yesterday, 2 teachers, one aide, and spent about $30 total, I purchased things here and there to spread the cost out ;) I made up cute orange sand pails with all orange goodies inside and on the front of the card's pictured orange I wrote "Orange you glad it's summer?" Inside I wrote my heartfelt thanks for helping my guy throughout the past nine months. The teacher's aide was so shocked and touched, she burst into tears. (She is such a dear woman, like another Gramma to my guy, there's no way I would have left her out.)
My point, don't feel obligated to gift certain gifts. The main thing is you express your "thanks" and appreciation, don't worry about being "cheap."
