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Greenback Gifts That Keep On Giving

Terry Savage

Finding holiday gifts with meaning is tough. We often spend much of our time shopping for presents that are just "perfect" -- but then are quickly forgotten. We run to the bank for crisp bills to hand to the doorman or hairdresser, but they sometimes don't remember the generosity amid all the other tips they receive. And kids' toys often are just left strewn around the floor in the days after Christmas or Hanukkah.

It's time to give a gift with a little more "money" meaning. As you continue your holiday shopping this weekend, I have a few suggestions for alternative presents for all ages.

Gift Cards With a Personal Touch

A gift card loaded with cash is an increasingly popular choice when gift givers can't decide on a present or don't have time to shop. The advantage is that the recipient gets to use the embedded cash to buy something of his choice -- guaranteed to please.

That's why the use of gift cards is soaring. There are several Web sites where you can order debit gift cards, including Giftcards.com. The Visa debit cards offered there range from $25 to $250 and are mailed to the recipient with a matching greeting card.

Some people gripe that gift cards are costly and impersonal. The fees depend on the issuer and on the dollar amount you load onto the card. But I've found an unusual Visa gift card that continues to remind the recipient that you provided it because it has your picture on the face of the card! That makes it very personal.

The First National Bank of Omaha is offering these personalized "Design Your Gift Cards" for a $5.95 fee, starting Dec. 7. You can load $25 to $750 on these prepaid Visa debit cards, using any credit card of your own. Instead of putting the standard holiday bells and greenery on the face of the card, you can actually personalize it with your photo, or a family photo.

It's easy, and it takes only a few minutes to do on First National's Web site, with tools that enable you to edit the size of the image and choose a border design to complement the photo. You'll need to have your photo stored in a JPEG or PNG format on your computer in an easily accessible location.

The gift card is mailed to you to give to the recipient, and it is packaged in an enclosure that carries a personal greeting you created. The card must be activated by calling a toll-free number.

Once it's activated, you can check the balance by calling that number or checking online. The recipient has two years to use the money embedded in the card, but since it has your picture, it can remain a keepsake even after the money has been spent.

ATMs for Kids

Today's kids don't have to be told that money doesn't grow on trees. They know it comes out of ATMs! They sit in their car seats or grocery carts and watch as Mom puts in the card and out comes money. But what they don't learn is that Mom and Dad work hard to get the money that goes into that ATM.

My favorite holiday toy isn't really a toy at all. It's the modern-day version of the "piggy bank" -- an ATM that actually accepts deposits of coins and currency and updates balances up to $999. The young depositor has her own ATM card and creates a PIN to access the ATM.

The coin deposit slot senses whether the depositor is inserting a penny, nickel, dime or quarter, and it automatically computes the balance on screen. The ATM also draws in paper money. The child enters the denominations of the bills to be deposited, and again the balance is updated. When the child wants to take out money, she must enter the amount to be deducted, and then the cash drawer at the bottom opens for the withdrawal.

The manufacturer says this toy is suitable for children age 8 and above, but even younger children in the family can learn some basic money lessons from watching their older siblings develop a savings habit. And the three batteries are included, so you can get started right away. I ordered it online from Hammacher Schlemmer for $39.95, and it's also available from other toy retailers.

Stock-ing Stuffer

It's simply too expensive to buy a few shares of stock to give to children these days -- at least that's what most people think. But at Sharebuilder.com, you can buy even a few shares of stock for a fee of just $4. Sharebuilder is a Web site designed for the novice or small-dollar investor, with a series of plans that allow you to buy shares of just one company or start a program of regular investing.

You can't set price limits on your purchases with this automatic investment program, as trades are executed once a week. There also are no paper stock certificates, unless you're willing to pay $30.

Sharebuilder offers a special gift package for the holiday season. The Sharebuilder Young Investor Starter Kit costs $34.95. (If you order before Dec. 20 and include the promotion code Holiday05, there's a 10% discount, making the price $31.45). This kit, along with a gift certificate in a denomination of your choice, will open the door to investing for a lifetime. The package includes an additional $25 gift certificate, a certificate for Young Money magazine and a $10 gift certificate to Apple's (AAPL Quote) iTunes. That should pique their interest in stocks and investing.

Don't go for boring and breakable and predictable holiday gifts this year. Give a gift that grows in value or in meaning. That's what the holiday spirit is all about! And that's The Savage Truth.