How Americans Are Rethinking Prosperity

[See 5 Reasons to Skip Black Friday Sales.]

While some gift-givers choose donations in lieu of presents, others purchase experiential gifts, an option that has grown increasingly popular over the past few holiday seasons. For instance, taking a family member out for lunch, treating a friend to a movie, or giving tickets to a concert or sporting event. "People are looking at more time-based gifts and looking at making gifts, which from a time standpoint is one of the best gifts that someone can give," says Willis. "That shows someone you care about them tremendously."

Andreani recalls getting a "memory book" from her mother, which chronicled her life from her mother's point of view, including birth, ballet recitals, and other milestones, mixing text and images in a print-on-demand book. "That was the most meaningful gift I've ever received," she says.

@USNewsMoney

Corrected on 11/23/2011: A previous version of this story misstated the name of the company Prosper, Inc.

Reader Comments Read all comments (5)

Add Your Thoughts

Comment Name State Select One AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY International Email

Please enter the two words below into the text field underneath the image.

Incorrect please try again

Enter the words above: Enter the numbers you hear:

Your comment will be posted immediately, unless it is spam or contains profanity. For more information, please see our Comments FAQ.