THE COLOR OF MONEY
Gifts that make one more mindful of money truly worth giving

By Michelle Singletary

If imitation is the greatest form of flattery, then I want to be like Oprah Winfrey.

For several years now, the talk show host has thrilled audience members to the point of hysteria with her annual "Favorite Things" show, in which she talks about items that she loves and then gives away the exact gifts to people attending that particular taping.

I can't give away prizes like Oprah, but I can give you a list of my favorite financial things that would make great holiday gifts.

Here are a few of them:

• A piggy bank. This is still one of the best ways to teach children how to save and spend wisely. Every child should own a piggy bank. And I've found a few that I love.

The first is the Money Savvy Pig, a patented translucent bank created by Susan Beacham, a former banker and co-founder of Money Savvy Generation. Beacham's company develops and sells products to help parents and educators teach kids basic personal finance principles.

Beacham is all about financial literacy for the young. For example, the Money Savvy Pig, appropriate for children 3 and older, has four separate chambers inside the bank labeled save, spend, donate and invest. It also comes with a small pamphlet with tips on helping your child understand the importance of saving, spending wisely, investing and giving to charity. In addition, the bank comes with a sheet of stickers to remind your child of his or her specific goal, such as saving for a bike. This piggy bank costs $14.99 ($1.00 more for pigs with glitter) plus shipping and handling. To order online go to www.moneysavvygeneration.com. Or call toll free (866) 390-5959.

The Sharper Image also has a cool piggy bank that isn't a pig at all. It's a robot. The Talking Robot Bank is the 21st century upgrade of the traditional piggy bank. It talks. It counts. It tells time. It also has an attitude — one that I love.

The robot says things such as "I'm hungry, please fill me up" and "Don't forget to insert coins today" and "Please remember to save today."

The bank, which costs $19.95, is recommended for children 8 and up. To order the bank online go to www.sharperimage.com.

• Financial Planning Organizer. This holiday give someone the gift of order — for his or her financial affairs, that is. I recommend the "Homefile Financial Planning Organizer Kit" by J. Michael Martin and Mary E. Martin (Homefile Publishing, $24.95). This 44-page handbook walks you through setting up and maintaining your financial files. The financial planning organizer kit is available by calling (800) 695-3453 or online at www.homefile.net.

• Financial books. I know it's easy to fall back on buying someone the current best seller. But look past the fiction best sellers. Instead consider choosing a personal finance book. For example, my all-time favorite is "The Richest Man in Babylon" by George S. Clason. This book is a classic and full of time-tested advice on saving and investing.

• ShareBuilder Investor Starter Kit. This is like a boxed lunch for investing. ShareBuilder (www.sharebuilder.com) is an online brokerage company that has set up a low-cost system for people to invest in the stock market. Individual transactions start at just $4. Or you can choose from two subscription-based programs that offer multiple stock purchases at even lower costs per transaction. The starter kit sells for $29.95 but its contents are worth more than $100, including a $25 certificate that can be used for a ShareBuilder account, a copy of "The Automatic Millionaire" by New York Times best-selling author David Bach and a one-year subscription to Smart Money magazine.

Finding the right gift is often tough. But any one of my financial favorites will at least increase someone's financial knowledge or help him or her become money-wise.