WASHINGTON — Call them the gifts that keep on giving — you buy them once, and they use them all year.
Janet Bodner with Kiplinger’s Personal Finance has some advice for gifts that can have lasting impact — long after the holidays are over.
Many entertainment gifts can bring year-round enjoyment.
“You can actually buy a gift card to Netflix. You get it on Amazon.com, ” Bodnar says.
While many view gift cards as impersonal, Bodner says gifting a yearlong streaming TV service could help a friend or loved one find a new show or feel better on a sick day.
“You can get an actual gift card from $30 to $60, or email a card from $25 to 100. So they can start a new subscription [or] they can add to an existing subscription, and binge-watch all they want,” she says.
Bodnar also suggests buying someone an hour with a financial adviser, a share of a stock or educational software that will help that person learn a new language.
Think inside the box if you’re buying for a budding chef and give them a meal preparation subscription like Hello Fresh or Blue Apron.
“You select from their menu of recipes. They deliver all the ingredients you need, and they deliver it in a refrigerated package to their door,” Bodner says.
Meals run about $10 and you can order a week of meals for two.
“You can also get two-week or four-week options, or you can go with a family size that serves four people,” she says.
Another option: a subscription to Amazon Prime, which lets people access free shipping and streaming music and TV.
Kiplinger’s Personal Finance put together a full list of gifts that keep on giving here.
