Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Home Made Gift Idea: Coupon Books




Coupon books aren't just for Mother's Day any more.


I love making little coupon books. I know that they may seem cheesy to some, but for me they are an old standby.


People have a lot of stuff. By stuff I mean all of the physical possessions you own. While sometimes I may think to myself "man I really need this new XYZ product", I really don't. I have tons of "stuff" sitting around my house. That's why I am constantly rummaging through things, clearing out, and getting rid of items (via yard sales, donations, and freecycling). Of course then I turn around and either buy or receive more "stuff" and thus the cycle continues.


However, throughout the year I can recall countless times where I've thought "wow, I could really use some help doing _______." That's where coupon books come in.


To the right I have two items that I created: the cover for a coupon book and then the actual certificates. Feel free to print and use these to make your own coupon books.
What makes a good coupon?


If you are a kid, it is cute and easy to include coupons that are "good for one free hug". However the grown-up version has plenty of other options. Here are some suggestions for good coupon vouchers for grown-ups. Keep in mind that you should always customize your coupons to the recipient. Personalization is what really makes the gift special:

  • One free night of baby sitting: Only include this if you would actually feel comfortable baby sitting.
  • One day of baby sitting (or a few hours): For the purpose of running errands, etc.
  • Hassle-free lawn care: I just imagined this being a good gift for a husband to give his wife - she could just hand in the coupon and he would just go do the lawn, no fussing allowed!
  • No strings attached back rub: Self explanatory if you catch my drift...
  • Girls (or guys) night out: A coupon for staging a girl or guy only get together.
  • One hour of down time: Good husband/wife coupon where the recipient can just have one hour of down time where he/she can just close the door and not be asked to do anything. You could include multiples of these.
  • Guilt-free nap: Same principle as the above.
  • Dinner's on me: This one ultimately costs money, but this is a nice one to include for spouses or friends.

There are actually many more ideas that you can pull from. You can get very abstract like "a shoulder to cry on" pass. You could also go for humorous ones like a pass to get you out of answering the "does this make my butt look big" question. You can also use them to refer to personal jokes, like a "don't judge me because I bought that" pass.

You'll have fun making them. The recipient will have fun receiving them. And they'll have even more fun redeeming. Plus the gift has a nice throw-back charm to childhood.

















2 comments:

  1. Ohhh these are very handy. I'm asking for a foot massage, with no expiry date. :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. Excellent idea and thanks for allowing the printing of coupons you've already designed. That's a nice gift in and of itself! :)

    ReplyDelete