★ Rockstar Money Challenge #3: Thank the Forgotten

This is part of our Weekly Money Challenge series. Be sure to check off any you’ve missed!

This week, think of someone who’s not normally on your Christmas list (but deserves something special), and find a way to surprise them with a gift. Here's a great example from Nate:

When I started thinking about someone who's not on my Christmas list, but could be for a small item, my mind jumped immediately to Diane, my mail carrier. I walk many miles around my neighborhood every day, and we always run into each other. I've lived here for nearly four years now, and every interaction with her makes me smile and brightens my day just a little bit. I've heard that people gift Christmas gifts to their mail carriers, but I've never thought about doing it myself! So this year that's what I'm going to do.

This Week's Money Challenge: Think About Those With a "Thankless" Job and Thank Them!

Your mail carrier is a great start. But how about the crossing guard at your kids school, bus driver, or even the custodian. Police officers, fire fighters, and sanitation workers. Think about all the people who help make your life better but that you don't have direct contact with. Start there and I think you'll find it easy to find someone who deserves to be thanked. Let's get thankful together!

  • Think of someone who normally wouldn't be on your gift list.
  • Find a special way to thank them (doesn't have to cost much, it's the thought that matters here).
  • Let us know about it over in the Rockstar Forums. How did they react?

Merry Christmas, see you next week! - Derek, Master of Challenges ***** PS: Click here and scroll to the bottom to see how last week's challenge went :)

Update!

A few highlights from the Rockstar Finance Forums. Nate followed through on his idea to surprise his mail carrier with some amazing looking homemade cookies. :

This sounds weird, but we've got an AWESOME garbage guy! We just moved to our cabin in the mountains earlier this year. Services there are a bit more, ah, "backwoods" than here in the city. Turns out we found this SIDE HUSTLE GARBAGE GUY who did the math and realized he could CRUSH IT by charging $10/month less than the "big guys". He put some huge side panels on his pickup truck, and is killing it. I like the guy's hustle so much, I taped a $50 on the garbage can lid as a Christmas surprise. He deserves it.

From Make Your Money:

This made me realize that I forgot the janitor's at my kids school when coming up with the little treat for all the specialty teachers and office staff. I think they deserve it more than anyone!

See y'all next week for a fresh new challenge.