I think some of the best gifts are free. I like to get crafty and make a cute little card good for redeeming a favor from me. For example, free night out with you significant other and I babysit the kiddos. My friends love this one! I think lending out a helping hand, when needed, speaks volumes on how much you care about another person. Anyone else given away free services or favors, as a gift? What do you think are some other good ideas that your friends and family and loved ones would like to receive?
Giving someone your time I think can be a great gift to anyone. Do something for them or offer to do something for them. They'll appreciate it. Other free gifts ideas: Send someone a note, telling them how much they mean to you. While something like this may seem to be of no value to you, people need affirmations of this kind to feel valuable. If someone wronged you in some way, then forgiving them would be a nice enough gift. Save a gift you've got from someone and give it to someone else.
I like making my own gifts whenever I can as well. I even prefer it when other people make the gifts too instead of just buying something from a store, even though that is welcome too of course. If I were to make something for someone I'd most likely just turn to crafts and if I wanted to spend a bit I'd just buy a few ingredients and cook a nice meal.
I like your idea of offering your time. I would like to do this and I can think of a lot of things I could offer to do. It is very meaningful and helpful. I also like doing art and crafts and have given gifts I have made. The most recent was a lovely embroidered picture. As long as it is quality and heartfelt, I don't think someone would feel they missed out on a purchased gift.
Ah, coupons! I think they suck when they are given to a lover with stuff like, "Free hug", "free kiss", "Free back rub" because these are things that you get anyway (or that you can ask for and are no big deal). But when they are actually gifts of time and of a positive experience, which they would not really get so easily or would feel a bit uncomfortable to ask for (or would get deny -- like, if you give the kid of your cousin an "hour of outside playtime" when you usually just say you're busy), then it's great. I like to knit, paint, and write. Knitting is not really free (and so is painting I guess), but it still feels non-materialistic non-commercial enough. Making jewelry is also fun and personnal, I guess.
I like this idea. I wouldn't do free hug, free kiss, because like you said, you get those anyway. Free back rub though? Yes please! I'll always take extras in that department. I think babysitting for a friend to get a night is great. I would have loved a gift like that when my kids were small. I do a lot of upcycling, so some of the gifts I make are free as well. All the little kiddos in my life got handmade Easter baskets, for example. I was told that they turned out quite well, and they cost little or nothing to make.
