Shown above in the photo is a vanity license plate indicating 'JNGLSRF' or jingle surf, and Respect the Beach, Surfrider Foundation.

The stakes are high in 2007 as retailers see the economy in a slump, no lie!  In our "affordable" California neighborhoods we're seeing neighbors pack up and leave their homes, going to rentals as the economy no longer supports industries that many worked in and enjoyed. It can break your heart to watch those who give tirelessly for causes, have to take their children out of school and move because of this situation. There certainly is plenty of shake-out in California this Christmas.

What do you bet that the holiday sales will again show lower percentages of increase in sales for yet another year?

What can be a sad story, can also be a positive one.  Many of us who used to spend more, are having to spend less and must hedge our bets on the best investments this holiday. 

Here are some gift ideas:

Why not buy your loved one a bag of silver, precious metals or gold this holiday? While the stock market is fluctuating, investment in metals looks like something that is not only useful as an investment, but would make a valuable gift.

In the same vein, shop at pawn stores for jewelry gifts and other items. The economic down turns are one of the best times to find deals in quality items.

Food coupons for restaurants. You are going to eat out anyway, so pick a place that somebody you know really likes, and then you can be sure that they'll get a good meal, even when the economy tanks.

For the kids, take them on a local trip. If you stage it right, the trip can be the vacation.  In California the cruise lines offer some affordable three-day excursions to Baja Mexico. For under $1000, you can bring a family of two or three on a retreat with food included, sailing the open seas and stopping in ports of call.  It's one of the most fun gifts you can experience.

Web name and web site.  Buy your loved one a web name (godaddy and others sell them for around $10). You can build a free web page or purchase web space for around $5/month. If BritneySpears.com isn't available, you can always try some of the less popular extensions  that few can remember for your common name that everyone knows...try ws, asia, info, biz, etc.

Vanity license plates. The license is something you renew annually anyway. But in California it is who you are or what you represent, often.  For an additional fee, you can get someone looking cool with their palm trees or whale fluke license decor and vanity name.

If you can't afford the license plate, get a customized license plate frame. For a few bucks you can support a cause by purchasing their frame. Or for additional fees, you can have one made for somebody. Promote a web site, a book, a cause or favorite saying on a frame. Cool stuff!

Newspaper and magazine subscriptions. There's a publishing war going on and the stakes are print survival. There's never been a cheaper time to buy someone literature.

Join a group.  Gotta surf?  There are three of four surfing museums that will take your money for an annual membership and rights to put it on your bio that you are a member. (Check out Santa Cruz, Oceanside and Huntington Beach for surfing museum memberships.)  From trees to ocean quality, historical efforts to museums and amusements, some memberships are simply to support a cause, while places like Disneyland and SeaWorld San Diego offer incredible savings for those who plan to attend often through the year.

Plane tickets.  Go for it. Jet Blue lets me fly from Long Beach, Calif. to Oakland, Calif. some days for around $39, plus tax and fees.  That's a one way trip. But for $100, I can visit Christmas elsewhere for the price of a nice meal for two.  Last year, in fact, a friend and I met in Oakland, and took Amtrak all the way to Yosemite National Park. What a trip! OK, our dinner was more than $100.  It is now $375 / person! Many do buy their loved ones expensive Bracebridge Dinners at Ahwahnee Lodge, and with good reason. For a night of entertainment, you become part of a tradition carried nearly 100 years.  Pudding and Wassail are part of the meal, along with many gourmet entrees to accompany the cast's meal that is part of the performance. Sound weird?  It's a blast...but not for everyone. You have to head up to where the bears like to forage to enjoy a Christmas Ansel Adams and an esteemed list of the world's elite travelers have experienced.

Finally, if you missed another one of our stories about California Christmas shopping, we suggested you Shop at an Asian Mall or similar ethnic shopping center near your California location to buy something different.

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