By John P. Napolitano CFP®, CPA, PFS, MST | Founder & Chairman
We’re a week from the holidays, and hopefully, your holiday shopping is mostly done. Few things are less fun than joining the crowd of stressed procrastinators looking for last-minute presents this week. And can we even trust that 2-day delivery online shopping promises throughout the rest of the year?
As a grandparent, my wife and I love giving gifts–partially because of the joy it brings and partially because all of the new, exciting “stuff” doesn’t accumulate at our house.
Giving gifts is also a fascinating micro case study in happiness and contentment. Over the years, I’ve gotten to watch which kinds of gifts actually had the best “ROI” when it came to lasting use and value. As a general rule, “stuff” has a short shelf life. What has a longer, strong ROI? I think I’ve seen the best results from experiences and access. Here are a few examples:
- Multi-generation vacations
- Grandkid-only vacations (parents love breaks)
- Memberships (state/national parks, athletic clubs…)
- Classes + camps (music, sports, adventure…)
- Performances (concerts, comedy, drama, sports…)
- Personal development (conferences, business investment…)
- Financial growth (Roth IRA, 529, DAFs…)
- Family expansion (contribute to renovations, down payments…)
There are so many ideas, some relatively cheap and others more significant. Whatever the opportunity, give high ROI gifts.
And better yet, none of these require long lines or suspicious shipping times…
