Clever ways to show you care without buying a gift

If time is the most precious resource, consider each item on this list a luxury gift.

There’s no need to spend money on holiday gifts this year when you can, instead, get creative. Gift your loved ones with a thoughtful gesture made just for them. For your busy single mom friend? Recommend a grocery store for them. Your dog crazy brother? Walk Fido for a week. Your aspiring monologist friend from art school? Offer to join them all in a one-person show this year – with a plus, of course, to help fill the seats.

Make the presentation extra cute with a handmade, redeemable coupon or use a digital template to create a fillable voucher. Then wrap them in a wide box for fun or put them in a cute card.

They will appreciate the initiative and effort that went into planning. And for the non-planners who might miss the holiday gift-giving festivities, save these ideas for future birthdays and anniversaries. They are evergreen. After all, it’s more fun to open your heart than your wallet.

Send them to LAX

Navigating Los Angeles International Airport — whether departing or arriving — tops the list of frustrating LA experiences. Treat your friends or relatives to a hassle-free trip to and from the airport. Insider’s tip: When leaving, use the arrival level as you leave them. Feeling particularly generous? Show up with hot coffee in the car for them on the way to the airport. Or after picking them up, have an Italian dinner at Jim Enoteca in nearby El Segundo. Even a bare-bones trip to LAX — just braving the infamously jammed, U-shaped path from the terminals — is a worthy gift to yourself. Bonus points for getting them on especially early flights.

He cooks them food

Cooking a meal for a loved one—yes, feeding them—is the ultimate act of caring. Bring them to your house for a holiday or post-holiday dinner and spoil them with their favorite dishes. Or bring them a pre-cooked meal or two that they can enjoy later at their leisure. Or maybe the gift is an event. Years ago, when I was considering catering as a career, I gifted friends, a married couple, with a private chef experience: dinner for up to six people. We came up with a menu. Then I shopped for food, cooked the food in their kitchen and served it to the group at their dining table. But I joined them for every course, of course.

Listen to their breakup sob story – no time limit

Listening is a skill. Listening to these long, repetitive interlude stories is a skill that also requires honest patience. If these are skills in your toolbox—and you have one of those friends who has a story to tell—gift them with an open ear until they need it in a session. (But maybe just once!) It could be at a quiet dinner or a long walk; Or by phone, in the middle of the night, if they live in another city. Try not to give too much advice – just listening and empathizing is helpful. Feeling heard and understood is the first step toward healing.

Exercise with them – exercise of their choice

You hate cardio. We get it. So it’s a priceless gift, then, go to a high-octane trampoline fitness class with your best friend. Or whatever they want to do for exercise. Maybe a 5 a.m. boot camp? are you there. Circus practice? You are game. A trip to the gym is always more fun with a friend and your “gym buddy” offer may encourage your recipient to try new things, because there is safety in numbers. Bonus: You’ll burn calories in the process.

Babysitting for them

This is a classic in the history of love gestures. Date nights are expensive. More so when factoring in $25 an hour for childcare. Offer free evening babysitting to your favorite couple. It’s likely been a while since you earned extra money watching the neighborhood kids. So remember: Be prepared with games or other activities planned. If appropriate, bring drinks or medicine. Just avoid the big “kids watching adventure” (if you’ve seen the movie, warn yourself).

Go to the doctor with them

I once drove a friend to surgery at 4am, waited for her at the hospital and then drove her home. He still thanks me years later. Driving a close friend or family member to the doctor, and if needed, sitting with them at their appointment to ask questions or help process information is a generous and thoughtful gift that won’t soon be forgotten.

Read their handouts

This is a gift that, depending on the recipe, may require a lot of time and effort. Gift with judgment. But for the right friend—and chances are, in Los Angeles, you have a friend who has an unpublished novel or screenplay—this gift can be a game changer. Offer to read and comment on their manuscripts. Remember to be specific with your comments, offering a mix of positive notes with your suggestions for improvement. And hey, as a result, you might get a seat at the next awards ceremony.

Go with them to the horse bath they secretly want to try

There’s no shortage of quirky events to explore in LA, but it’s considerably easier – and more fun – with the One Plus. Which can be difficult if attractive friends are few and far between in your social circle. If you’re up for it, offer your company your best friend’s next “Griffith Park alien abduction outing” – only to return home later.

The pet sits for a week

A reliable pet sitter, especially at the last minute, is as hard to come by as a free street parking spot in Koreatown on a Friday night. Feed your gift dog or cat for a week when they suddenly leave town. Or during a vacation, planned long in advance. Just knowing about your proposal—even before they’ve planned the trip—will bring peace of mind that the gift is worth it.

Make them a custom uplifting playlist

It might feel a bit retro (if tasteful), but it’s also timely. At a time when the world feels more chaotic and uncertain than ever, take the time to make your gift recipient a carefully curated list of feel-good music tailored to their tastes. Mix genres and decades. Introduce some songs that are new to them. And don’t underestimate the power of good music to improve their mood—the best gift of all.