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With our economy in a shambles and the holidays right around the corner finding the perfect gift without spending a fortune may be difficult to come by. I have always tried to find the perfect gifts for my loved ones, but it seems to get more and more difficult each year. Giving a gift that not only puts a smile on someone that you love’s face and helps others in need at the same time is kinda like a “buy one get one” kind of a deal!

Below are a few low cost green gifts that keep on giving!

• One of my favorite ideas is to adopt an animal in your loved ones name. These adoptions are not the kind you bring home, they consist of adopting an animal with a donation to their cause, such as a manatee, white tiger or sea lion (none of which you would like to bring home) You will not only be donating to a worthy cause, but most of these adoptions come with cute little trinkets for your gift receiver to remind them of the good that these donations provide. The World Wildlife Fund and Oceana are two of my favorite organizations to donate to. I have done this on several occasions and found it to be the perfect gift for someone that has everything!
• A subscription to a favorite magazine, is always a crowd pleaser. Your loved one will receive their favorite magazine for a full year and the cost is always reasonable. Mother Earth News is one of my favorite magazines and a subscription will provide a full year of green ideas, gardening tips, self-sustaining farming ideas and recipes, for the low, low price of $10!
• Another great idea comes from Heifer International . This program allows you to donate an animal to a village in need! The money that you can donate ranges from $20 to $5,000, for a fair donation you are able to donate an animal or a flock of animals to a village. For example, for $20 you are able to donate a flock of chicks, ducks or geese to a village, enabling them to eat or sell the eggs, providing an entire village with much needed nutrition or money. There are many different donations that you can choose from and in essence you will be giving the gift of self reliance to an entire struggling village.

Hope these suggestions help!

Keeping it real ~
Wind