There’s no shame in chipping in
September 24, 2007 by Deborah Ng
Filed under Simpler Thinking
A few months ago at my son’s birthday party, several of his friends came in carrying a huge gift. It was a fort kit, but one he could actually build himself without any help. If there’s anything my son likes, it’s building stuff, and putting furniture together and emptying out the linen closet to make forts. In fact, he’ll drape every sheet in the house over furniture to make the living room one big fort. It takes him hours to make these elaborate forts and caves, and I encourage every bit of these imagination building opportunities.
But I digress…
Most of the parents of the party goers got together to chip in for this one great gift rather than buy smaller individual gifts. They were kind of embarrassed to tell me about it, but they knew this gift was just right for my boy. It was just expensive.
Why should they be embarrassed? There’s no shame in chipping in! My brother and sisters and I do it every year to get my Mom a great gift for Christmas and some birthdays and I also do it with my inlaws. What these Moms did was so thoughtful. They found the perfect gift and they found a way to make it work. I was touched by the gesture.
Friends, there’s nothing cheap about chipping in for a gift. No one will think any less of you for adding to a gift. Sometimes the perfect gift costs more money than one can spare. The holidays are coming up soon. If you’re worried about buying someone for a loved one because it’s out of your price range, contact your siblings or friends and chip in. There’s nothing wrong with it. I promise.
Absolutely Deb! Something my siblings and I say almost every year is how difficult it is to buy for my dad. He has everything. Chipping in is a good way to get him something that he will use and enjoy. Great post.
That’s so great for friends to do for a child, rather than bringing a bunch of junk that was purchased because it was cheap – and what a lovely token of friendship, that they know your son so well.
Some of my favorite gifts are “chip-ins” — my KitchenAid mixer (a Christmas gift from my husband’s entire family about 10 years ago) and my iPod (my family’s birthday gift to me last year). One wonderful little thing can be so precious.
what a sweet idea….and how precious that they know your son well enough to give him the perfect gift. Pam, South Bend
I agree. That is a great idea. Me and my friends do that all the time. Having one gift you really enjoy is SO much better than 5 you don’t. Great post Deb!
Deb-
I started out at your writer’s blog and love it. I started looking arounf today, and this one is FABULOUS! So nice to know I’m not the only thrift-concious person here. Have you ever made your children clothes from old ones of yours or your husband’s? Or hand me downs from older cousins? I save a TON this way. Thanks!!
I don’t understand why more people simply won’t chip in if it’s the best gift for someone. Just like I don’t understand why they won’t simply give a gift certificate if that’s what the person they’re giving to really wants. What’s so great about unwrapping a bunch of unwanted junk just to have something to unwrap? (Can you tell my family’s bad about this kind of thing?)
It’s so much more thoughtful to get the person something they will enjoy than stuff they’ll stick in a yard sale as soon as they can get away with it. No matter if that entails chipping in for a large gift or giving them a $20 gift certificate.