Think 'home' for your holiday gifts

This year I pledge to get my holiday gift buying done before Dec. 15! Saying this aloud is one of my holiday traditions, knowing full well it is destined for the same success rate as my New Year’s weight loss resolution. Although we here at NeighborWorks of Grays Harbor are not necessarily the experts in gift giving, we do know a few things that are important to renters and homeowners alike.

First: Over the years we have worked with hundreds of people whose finances get derailed by their generous hearts at Christmas. It’s a time when – despite best intentions -- household budget’s take a hit. Sometimes it can take years to dig out from under the debt caused by overspending. Yikes!

Second: At the same time, we know how critical the Christmas shopping season is for small businesses in our communities. So, we do want to encourage you to not just spend your money wisely, but also spend it locally!

The day after Thanksgiving, has been dubbed “Black Friday,” because traditionally that’s the day that many businesses would no longer be in “the red” financially, but would begin to make a profit and thus be in “the black.” That just demonstrates how important the last month of the year is to keeping many small businesses in business into the next year.

Third: We have some gift ideas that fit right in with the goal of NeighborWorks of Grays Harbor to encourage safe, comfortable and affordable housing for all.

Some of these are crowd pleasers for that office gift exchange, or are perfect for that hard-to-buy-for individual on your list. Or, maybe you are the one who is hard to buy for and need something to put on your wish list!

Home safety gift ideas

• A good quality fire box or fire safe to protect important financial and personal documents. Standard fire boxes run about $30. Some even protect against water.

• An All-Hazard Weather Radio. They can be purchased at local hardware stores or box stores and have a price tag between $20 and $50.

• A first-aid kit for either home or car.

• Rechargeable lanterns or table lights are a great gift for around $20. Charge them before the storm and you don’t have to worry about batteries.

• A new compact fire extinguisher. They now come in a spray can style that costs about $10. Very easy to use and easy to store.

• A box containing an emergency three-day supply of easy-to-prepare food items and water. Don’t forget to include pet food.

• An extension ladder stand-off attachment. These provide a great way for do-it-yourselfers to get things done safely!  

• New smoke detectors for a home. (Did you know they should be replaced every 10 years?!)

• A carbon monoxide detector. (Some smoke detectors have them included.) These are especially helpful for any home that has some type of fossil fuel heating device such as a woodstove, fireplace, gas or oil furnace or kerosene space heater.

• A gun safety lock for each gun.

• A “second floor” escape ladder. These collapsible contraptions fold up and out of the way until needed. They are available at local hardware stores or through a fire equipment supply company.

• An emergency blanket for the car.

• A doorbell with built in camera.

• Outdoor security cameras.

• Car battery jump starter that also provides battery power to charge your phone or other accessories when the power goes out.

• A small emergency generator.

• Maybe someone you love is ready to make the switch to a safer artificial tree. Get one on sale for them this year with the promise of a safer Christmas next year.

Gifts of time and service

Sometimes the best gifts aren’t things at all, but gifts of time, service and peace of mind. Consider these:

• A renter’s insurance policy for a year. (It is more reasonable than you think. Shop around for a policy that provides affordable coverage.)

• A gift certificate for a chimney maintenance/cleaning.

• A gift certificate from a local contractor to clean gutters and inspect the roof.

• A gift certificate for furnace cleaning or gas fireplace cleaning services.

• A window washing service (The recipient may want to wait until spring to redeem.)

• A few hours of work from a handyman, painter or plumber.

• Change out incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs to reduce electricity use.

• Perhaps a homemade certificate for you to deep clean a garage, attic or basement. (And, make good on it!)

• A certificate to make a dump run. You could offer your own truck or trailer to take a full load and pay the fee! (This could be in addition to the deep cleaning gift.)

• A gift certificate for a spring clean-up lawn service including raking, tree trimming, etc.

• A lawn mowing service for one or two months.

• Landscaping service gift certificate.

• Gift certificates for gravel or beauty bark.

• Gift certificate to pay to paint one interior room.

• Offer to buy and help plant spring bulbs and/or sign up the recipient for a Master Gardeners class.

Some fun stuff too

Here are some fun, home-enhancing odds and ends that you could help Santa deliver:

• A bird feeder with bird seed

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  A bird feeder with a built-in camera!

• A decorative bird bath for the garden

• Pre-built garden boxes and several bags of soil

• And, an odd but oddly appreciated gift -- a heated toilet seat.

Eric Bjella is the executive director of NeighborWorks of Grays Harbor; a nonprofit organization committed to creating safe and affordable housing opportunities for all residents of Grays Harbor County. For questions about home repair, housing counseling, homebuyer education and financing, call 360-533-7828, listen to the extension picks that will best help you and leave a callback name and number