Christmas is a time when we think of gifts for friends and loved ones to express our affection for them. I find buying meaningful gifts for other people quite a feat. With the affluence amongst Singaporean, people can usually afford stuff. We wanted to donate an old CRT TV to a halfway house but was told they only accept LCD/Plasma TV. People from rich to the not-rich, all have choices. The common denominator for all these gifts is that they are material, cost money and given on special occasions.

When my kids want to buy me a present, they'll usually get from Daiso. Costing only $2 an item, it's well within their budget. I was quite happy when I found them a guide on alternative gifts that they can give to others. It was a poster I found 2 years back.

Here, I'd like to share the poster which I hang on the wall for my family:

8 Gifts That Do Not Cost A Cent

I teach my children meditation. We have a meditation corner at home where they can go for quiet sit-down sessions. When they were younger, I sat down with them a couple of times a day. Each time just 10 minutes just to quieten their mind.

It's a wonderful gift to teach our kids meditation. Life will be stressful for them as the workload increase. It's important to teach them how to relax.