This holiday season, many good girls and boys surely hope Santa will help them cope with the ever-rocky economy.

To give the gift of greater spending power with something more thoughtful and fun than a stocking full of cash, consider our annual list of personal gifts that will save the recipients money in the long run -- either by eliminating some of their recurring expenses or boosting their earning power. Your friends and family will be sure to remember your sentiment all year long as the savings keep rolling in.

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15 Gifts That Keep on Giving

With markets gone haywire, a share of stock might seem more like a lump of coal than a money gift on some days. But stocks have historically earned more for investors over the long haul than any other asset. And a piece of your gift recipient's favorite company can make for a fun gift.

At OneShare.com, you can shop for the officially issued stock certificate of a single share of stock (when available). The site offers shares of more than 200 companies, including Walt Disney, Facebook and Harley-Davidson (the three most popular picks over the past year).

Cost: You pay the share price of the previous day's close, plus $39 for the certificate. You can also add other embellishments, such as a frame -- for $34 to a whopping $600.

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1. Stock

The eggnog won't last forever. For the friends or family members on your list who have an expensive bottled-water addiction, a water purifier will help them save at the grocery store.

The Filtrete Water Station, for example, filters water into reusable bottles to preserve the convenience of bottled water. Filters, which cost $10 each on Amazon.com, only have to be replaced every three months or every 100 gallons.

Cost: The Filtrete Water Station was recently selling for $28 on Amazon.com.

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2. Water Purifier and Bottler

Help lighten the load of your favorite do-gooder this holiday season. Not only might your donation save them money they'd otherwise contribute on their own, you'll also show that you care about their values.

If you're not sure of their favorite charities, try CharityChoice Gift Cards -- where you can choose the donation amount and let the recipient pick which of more than 250 organizations to give it to.

And remember to keep your receipt -- this gift comes with a tax deduction for you as long as you itemize your taxes.

Cost: Choose your own charitable amount (and subtract your tax savings).

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3. Charitable Donation in Their Name

If you want to help somebody sock away some cash for the future, handle the nitty gritty of opening an account on his behalf.

For a recent graduate, a Roth IRA can provide a jump-start on tax-free retirement savings. For someone who is saving up for a new house or a new car, consider seeding an online savings account with low fees and a relatively high interest rate.

See our list of this year's Best Deals in Online Banking and our rankings of the Best Online Brokers.

Cost: Give as much as you'd like.

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4. Savings or Investment Account

In addition to a little extra peace of mind while heading over the river and through the woods, a AAA membership offers countless savings.

On the road, members are entitled to free tire changes and free delivery of gasoline if they are on empty (paying only the price of the fuel). The AAA member card can be presented for discounts off the road, too -- for deals such as up to 20% off Hertz car rentals and Best Western hotel stays, and 10% off three-day advance tickets with Amtrak.

Cost: You'll pay $48 to $96 for a basic annual primary membership, depending on the recipient's location.

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5. AAA Membership

This eco-friendly gift can be wallet-friendly, too. In areas such as Washington, D.C., where you get dinged a nickel for every disposable bag you're given, the gift of reusable bags can add some jingle to the recipient's piggy bank with every shopping trip all year-round.

And nationwide, many retailers offer incentives, albeit small ones, for customers to haul their groceries in their own reusable bags. Whole Foods Market, for instance, offers at least five cents off per reusable bag presented at checkout (the exact discount varies by location). At CVS, the GreenBagTag program lets ExtraCare members save $1 for every four times they present their GreenBagTag card along with their reusable bags at checkout (cards are available in stores for 99 cents).

Cost: At www.reuseit.com, you can find a variety of styles, ranging from a small thermal shopping bag for about $2 to a set of three heavy-duty hemp grocery bags for nearly $70.

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6. Reusable Shopping Bags

Make room under the tree for your financial planner. A few hours of consultation would be the perfect gift to steer anyone down the right financial path. Lauren Locker, a fee-only financial planner in Little Falls, N.J., and chairwoman of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, says one of her clients gave her services to a granddaughter for college graduation. Seven years later, the gift keeps on giving, and the granddaughter is still Locker's client.

Locker offers gift certificates, usually for two or three hours of financial planning. Gift givers are only charged once the recipients have their sessions (if they never make an appointment, you pay nothing). The gift meeting covers a broad overview of the gift-ee's finances and helps him create a plan to achieve certain goals, such as buying a house or saving for retirement.

Your best bet to give a financial planner's services for the holidays is to ask your own planner if he's open to it. You already know and trust his services and won't have to worry about giving your loved ones a dud gift. If you don't have a planner to call your own, you can find one at www.napfa.org. But be sure to vet the planner properly. For tips on how to do so, see our special report on Choosing a Financial Planner.

Cost: In the New York metro area, Locker says, hourly rates can range from $175 to $300. Prices may vary for different regions.

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7. Appointment With a Financial Planner

Give your friends and family warm wishes for the holiday season (and cool tidings for summer) with lower energy costs. A programmable thermostat can save your recipient about $180 on heating and cooling bills throughout the year by allowing him to preset temperatures and reduce energy usage when no one's home.

The $170 Venstar Color Touch Series T5800 earns top marks among the 30 thermostats tested by Consumer Reports. You can program it with different settings for each day of the week. The no-frills Lux TX9600TS, for about $70, which also offers seven-day programming, is a better bargain option and also is rated highly by Consumer Reports.

Bonus gift: Hire a contractor to install the thermostat -- for $150 to $200, according to Homewyse.com, a homeownership Web site. Or do it yourself with guidance from Home Depot's YouTube video.

Cost: The 30 thermostats tested by Consumer Reports range from $30 to $300.

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8. Programmable Thermostat

Many community colleges offer gift cards that can be used for books, merchandise and -- here's the potential for payback -- credit hours. If your loved one is looking to dust off her professional skills or to brush up on her French before a trip to Paris, a community-college course can be fun and functional.

Mesa Community College, in Arizona, for example, offers gift cards in denominations of $50, $100 and $250. Courses cost $76 per credit hour for in-county students and $300 for out-of-county students (classes are typically three credit hours). Contact your local institution for a course catalog to include with your gift.

Another idea for a gift of education? Computer software, such as a course from Rosetta Stone, can offer similar benefits.

Cost: At your discretion, and based on the college's cost per credit hour.

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9. Community-College Gift Certificate

If New Year's Eve isn't the only time your friends enjoy a fizzy drink, a carbonator can help them save by allowing them to make their own.

Appliances such as SodaStream's soda makers carbonate water with CO2 in less than one minute. Flavors and juices can be added to the carbonated water to replace soft drinks. CO2 canisters come in different sizes that last for about 60 or 130 liters of water. Used CO2 canisters can be traded in for full ones for about $30 for either the 130-liter model or two canisters of the 60-liter model.

Cost: The appliances from SodaStream range from $80 to $200. Each comes with reusable bottles and one or two CO2 canisters, depending on the model you choose.

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10. Beverage Carbonator

For even your littlest loved one, there's no better present than an investment in her future. Get him started saving for college by opening a 529 account for him.

Or if he already has college fund, you can simply make a contribution for the holidays. To ensure your generosity is earmarked for a college degree, you can make a direct payment to a 529 plan -- you'll just need to know the account holder's name and address, as well as the account number. Or you can maintain the element of surprise by giving the future scholar a GradSave college-savings gift card, which can be used to fund any savings plan, 529 account or state prepaid college plan.

Cost: Buyer's choice. GradSave gift cards can be purchased online in increments from $25 to $500.

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11. College Fund Donation

Identity theft cost each victim $354, on average, last year, according to Javelin Strategy and Research.

You can help protect your friends and family from that loss with some solid security for their computers. Norton Internet Security 2012 won the editor's choice accolade at PC Magazine for best security suite. It scored top marks across the board, with safety essentials such as antivirus, firewall, anti-spam, parental control and phishing protection. It costs $70 for three licenses to cover all of your recipient's computers.

Cost: Prices for the 28 security suites for 2013 reviewed by PC Magazine cost between $5 and $72 (and between $44 and $99 for three licenses).

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12. PC Protection

Cooking classes can be a great way to cut your recipient's restaurant costs. Check community calendars for seminars, or look to chains, such as Williams-Sonoma and Sur la Table.

In Boulder, Colo., for example, Sur la Table offers a $100 class in December on "Ina Garten's Foolproof Holiday Dinner." The class menu includes slow-roasted filet of beef with basil parmesan mayonnaise, truffled mashed potatoes, orange-braised carrots and parsnips, and chocolate cassis cake. Students also get an autographed copy of the Food Network star's book, Barefoot Contessa Foolproof: Recipes You Can Really Trust ($35, Clarkson Potter).

Cost: December and January classes at the Sur la Table in Boulder range from $59 to $100. Prices may vary elsewhere.

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13. Cooking Classes

Give your loved ones the chance to regift for a good cause. Kiva is a non-profit organization that connects people around the world who are looking for financing with individuals who are willing to fund small loans.

With a Kiva card, you can get your philanthropic or entrepreneurial friends started with the micro-financing opportunity of their choice for as little as $25. When the loan gets repaid, your gift recipient can use the funds over and over, lending to different projects via Kiva. Or he can opt to cash out into a PayPal account. Cards can be printed or sent via snail mail, e-mail or Facebook.

Cost: You can buy a card at www.kiva.org in increments between $25 and $10,000.

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14. Kiva Card

Personal-finance wisdom, actionable advice and clear explanations -- these are a few of our favorite things. And, hey, we're proud of what we do. A year's subscription to Kiplinger's for your friends and family members will give them both money-saving and money-making strategies.

Cost: $12 a year (12 issues)

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15. Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine

Guide to Smart Holiday Spending

15 Sites to Help You Find Amazing Deals Online

KIP TIP: 10 Online Shopping Traps to Avoid

What Not to Buy During the Holidays

Give a Gift Subscription to Kiplinger's Personal Finance

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