The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Christmas is the season of giving. But it’s been a financially challenging year for many, so it’s only natural to feel anxious when it’s time to do your holiday shopping.
But even with tighter holiday budgets, you can still afford to celebrate Christmas and give your loved ones unique gifts they will remember for a long time, especially if you’re creative enough and give them truly thoughtful gifts.
The Gift of Experience
Research suggests that experiences and memories created from experience gifts last longer and bring repeated joy than most expensive toys, high-tech gadgets, and the glossiest wrapped presents. So why not gift experiences this year and create beautiful and lasting memories with your loved ones?
We’re not talking about an all-expenses paid trip to an exotic location or a home upgrade. You can give unforgettable yet budget-friendly experiences this Christmas, and they can be as unique and special as the person you’re giving them to.
And while you spend on budget-friendly experiences, use your RCBC MyDebit ATM card to get a chance to win a 2-way trip to Seoul, Korea. Earn 1 raffle entry for every P1,500 spend. Who knows? You might just be able to afford that grand gift of experience in Korea!
Curated Theme Gift Bundles
It’s a great holiday hack, plus you’ll surely delight anyone who receives a box filled with curated goodies they love. You can put together many things depending on their likes, favorites, or a particular theme.
From wines, chocolates, chips, and coffee, to candles, essential oils, stationery, and skincare products, you can package all these small treats that don’t cost a lot in a beautiful gift bundle. They’ll be perfect for the next movie night, sleepover, road trip, or spa day!
Get the best deals at Winery.ph for your wine-loving friends and enjoy 7% off until December 31, 2022 with an RCBC Credit Card. Just use the promo code RCBC7.
Italian Food Night Kit
For your foodie friends and loved ones, why not give them a kit for an Italian food night? The fun is prepping the ingredients and cooking the food while sharing laughs and stories.
Throw in a CD of popular Italian music, a few bottles of gourmet pasta sauce, some dipping oils for bread, and a packet of pasta. Add a little note with cooking instructions, too.
Shop your ingredients online at Sunmart and pay using your RCBC credit card with the promo code RCBCxSUNMART to get up to 15% off. The promo period is until June 14, 2023.
Note: If they love Japanese food, you can change up the contents to include a sushi and maki set so they can make them from home. Add a sushi rolling mat, a bamboo maki mold, a Japanese sauce tray, spreader paddles, and chopsticks. You can add a sushi cookbook and a store gift card where they can buy the ingredients they’ll need to make sushi or maki. You can do the same if they prefer Korean or other cuisines!
Classes or Subscription
Services
Give your loved ones something they can use all year round, like a class or a subscription service. For example, add them to your music or movie streaming plan or pay for a whole year’s subscription to their favorite magazine, newspaper, or online bookstore.
Get a 3-month subscription for the price of 2 when you sign up for HBO Go using your RCBCMyDebit Mastercard. Enjoy unparalleled streaming quality with HBO Originals, exclusives and other first-run content. Simply select RCBC MyDebit Mastercard as your payment option and the discount will be automatically applied. Happy viewing!
Promo runs until December 31, 2022.
Do they want to learn something new as a hobby or take a class to improve their skills? Go ahead and sign them up for a lesson they’ll love and enjoy.
Whether it’s yoga, pottery, calligraphy, cooking, art, music, dance, writing, foreign language, or photography class, they’ll undoubtedly be stoked to learn something new.
Moreover, you can start them on a healthy lifestyle with delicious gourmet meals. With your RCBC credit card, you can sign them up for a signature meal plan at Nuthera (Nutrition Therapy) and enjoy 10% off. This promo will run until March 31, 2023.
Pamper Day
If you have family members or friends who work too much, give them the gift of relaxation. Book them a spa and massage session or a pedicure and foot spa treatment at Breeze Oriental Spa & Massage. Get a 10% discount on all types of massage and 15% off on all other services when you use your RCBC credit card. Promo will run until April 30, 2023.
Escape Room
The shared trauma of surviving an escape room can strengthen your relationships and create some of the best and most hilarious memories. So book a session at an escape room with your adventurous friends or competitive cousins. Finish the mission or solve the puzzle under time pressure. It’s sure to be a crazy and fun-filled hour!
A Fun Photoshoot
If you have a fancy camera and some mad photography and Photoshop skills, you can have a fun photoshoot with your friends and loved ones. You can send them digital copies or print out copies that you can frame or put in an album and then give them as gifts.
If you don’t have the equipment, that’s fine, too. There are many self-shoot studios in the metro where you can book a fun photoshoot. Make sure to decide on a theme to make it even more fun and unique. Don’t forget to bring props!
Personalized Video Message
Make their fangirl or fanboy dreams come true by giving them a personalized video message from their favorite celebrity. Whether it’s their favorite band, actor, actress, social media influencer, author, or even politician, wow them this Christmas with a video message they’ll proudly share online and won’t ever forget. It won’t cost a thing, and you’ll be the person who made one of their fan dreams come true.
It may require connections to make and shoot the video request or some luck (and plenty of planning) to be in the exact location with their favorite celebrity. You can always stalk them on their social media pages and send a direct message if all else fails.