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What do you get for your neighbors for Christmas?

How about your coworkers?

Your neighbors and colleagues are people you would see everyday. At home, your neighbors are closest to you. In case of an emergency in your home, your family and friends who live far away may not reach you in time. Your neighbors may well be the ones you have to count on to save your life, or the lives of your loved ones.

If you work, chances are you would spend most of your waking hours in the office with your coworkers. A poor working relationship with your colleagues can make life plain miserable. Being great friends with your colleagues whom you see everyday can make a major difference to the quality to life in the office.

It is wise to build a good relationship with your neighbors and colleagues.

Exchanging gifts is a great way to help build rapport. Or at least a cordial relationship. As is helping one another, forgiving the careless words that might hurt and basically building an easy-going, give and take relationship with the people you see everyday.

Back to the topic of Christmas gifts. What do you get for your colleagues and neighbors?

If you know them well enough, you might pick a gift that is in line with their hobbies. A new set of golf clubs for an avid golfer if you budget permits it. Eye cream for a neighbor or colleague who keeps complaining about her dark rings under the eyes or crows feet.

For the office gift exchange or for coworkers or neighbors you might not know very well, but would like to impress, Christmas gift wine might be more appropriate, unless they are teetotalers, that is.

I know, the temptation to recycle unwanted Christmas gifts from last year is strong and you know what? You might be able to get away with it. Two rules to remember.

1. Don't give the gift back to the one who gave it to you.

2. Match the gift to the recipient. One man's junk is another's treasure, so give these presents to people who would actually use them.

Christmas food gifts are very versatile and more affordable. These are wonderful for neighbors and colleagues especially if you are afraid something too personal might cause misunderstanding. Everyone must eat, so good food would be appreciated by both sexes and by the young and old alike. In fact, food gifts are your best bet.

Cookies make great Christmas gifts. If you have the time, you can bake your own. If not, you can always buy delicious cookies beautifully packaged as Christmas gifts for anyone who is not on a diet. Home made Christmas cookies make cheap Christmas gifts that would be well received.

If you want to give something that shows some effort and save money as well, how about giving Christmas cookies to everyone, in pretty basket tins. Make them yourself in bulk quantities and you would save quite a lot of money. Get flour, eggs and baking ingredients and cookie recipes to make an assortment of Christmas cookies. Use cookie cutters to cut the cookies into festive shapes. Put them in airtight tins or pretty baskets and present them to your neighbors and coworkers for Christmas.

Too much work? Give perfume coffrets. For a family with women or teenage girls, or even one with guys who are well groomed, a fragrance coffret for the girls or guys or both, would be a nice change from food gifts.