She looked at her student wondering if she could ever get through. “You need to learn to think for yourself,” she wanted to tell him. “Your friends are holding you back and bringing you down.” But she didn’t because she knew his friends were all that he had and even if that meant a life of misery, he would never give them up.

Don’t forget that gifts often come with costs that go beyond their purchase price. When you purchase a child the latest smartphone, you’re also committing to a monthly phone bill. When you purchase the latest gaming system, you’re likely not going to be satisfied with the games that come with it for long and want to purchase new titles to play. When you buy gifts it’s important to remember that some come with additional costs down the road that can be much more expensive than the initial gift itself.