Affordable Holiday Gifts 2011
Guest Post: This post was written by Couponing.com’s James Lander. The site offers couponing techniques and coupons for top retailers.
It’s that time of year again. The holidays, the season of gift giving: a period that can drain the psyche and the wallet. Finding the perfect gift can be quite a hassle, especially if you’re a neurotic procrastinator like the majority of the population. Luckily, the Internet, combined with a little personal creativity, can be a powerful ally in this taxing annual endeavor. It’s coming down to the wire - here are some great, affordable, last minute holiday gift ideas, some specific and some more general:
For the film buff: Netflix Gift Subscription (available from Netflix.com, $7.99 for one month) – If you know someone who loves movies and lacks a Netflix subscription, this gift will revolutionarily change their life for the better.
For the indie film buff: Film Festival in a Box Game (available from urbanoutfitters.com, $9.99) – Support the arts and give the gift of laughter AT THE SAME TIME!
For the gourmand: Restaurant.com Gift Certificate (available from restaurant.com, increments starting at $15) – Save someone you love awesome amounts of money on delicious cuisine! Special deals are available for the holiday season, and you can instantly send a gift certificate via email!
For the literate: A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin (available from amazon.com, $18.75, Hardcover only) – Get a friend hooked on the popular A Song of Ice and Fire series and give him a chance to indulge his inner nerd. Alternately, get started with a more affordable paperback copy of the first book of the series, A Game of Thrones.
For the pet: Special dog treats (like PetHolidayTM Rawhide Dog Treats, available from petsmart.com, $5.00) – Pick some up from your local pet store and see the tangible joy of the canine recipient as he chows down!
For the clothes-wearer: Cool graphic T-shirt (available from urbanoutfitters.com, from $19.99) – Everybody can use more T-shirts. Pick a design you think they’ll like, and who knows? Maybe this will become that one T-shirt that everybody keeps forever until it’s full of holes because they love it so much.
For the wine drinker: Wine! (Available at any grocery store, $15+) – A bottle of wine makes a great, easy, last minute gift for almost anyone. Spend $20-$30 for a reasonably nice, gift-worthy variety.
For the music lover: Good ol’-fashioned CD (available from amazon.com or your local music store, $10+) – These pieces of ancient technology are still pretty cool—you can easily convert the music into MP3s, and the cover art and fiddly little inserts make a CD a more special and tangible gift than an iTunes gift card (though the latter can be a good choice too, especially if you don’t exactly know the recipient’s taste).
For the artist: Nice colored pencils (like Premier Colored Pencils Set of 12, available from utrechtart.com, $10.99) – People who love to draw can always use more colored pencils!
For the socialite: Disposable camera (available from any drug store, $3+) – A super cheap, super easy gift option for your favorite wild child. Challenge them to record their New Year’s experiences—waterproof models are available!
For anybody: Wool socks (available from rei.com, from $7.50) – Warm and wonderful, perfect for the season, and affordable. Everybody loves these cozy foot-holders—get creative and find a pair with a fun design!
Remember, gifts don’t have to be over-the-top to mean a lot to the person; happy shopping!
Guest Post: This post was written by Couponing.com’s James Lander. The site offers couponing techniques and coupons for top retailers.
It’s that time of year again. The holidays, the season of gift giving: a period that can drain the psyche and the wallet. Finding the perfect gift can be quite a hassle, especially if you’re a neurotic procrastinator like the majority of the population. Luckily, the Internet, combined with a little personal creativity, can be a powerful ally in this taxing annual endeavor. It’s coming down to the wire - here are some great, affordable, last minute holiday gift ideas, some specific and some more general:
For the film buff: Netflix Gift Subscription (available from Netflix.com, $7.99 for one month) – If you know someone who loves movies and lacks a Netflix subscription, this gift will revolutionarily change their life for the better.
For the indie film buff: Film Festival in a Box Game (available from urbanoutfitters.com, $9.99) – Support the arts and give the gift of laughter AT THE SAME TIME!
For the gourmand: Restaurant.com Gift Certificate (available from restaurant.com, increments starting at $15) – Save someone you love awesome amounts of money on delicious cuisine! Special deals are available for the holiday season, and you can instantly send a gift certificate via email!
For the literate: A Dance with Dragons by George R. R. Martin (available from amazon.com, $18.75, Hardcover only) – Get a friend hooked on the popular A Song of Ice and Fire series and give him a chance to indulge his inner nerd. Alternately, get started with a more affordable paperback copy of the first book of the series, A Game of Thrones.
For the pet: Special dog treats (like PetHolidayTM Rawhide Dog Treats, available from petsmart.com, $5.00) – Pick some up from your local pet store and see the tangible joy of the canine recipient as he chows down!
For the clothes-wearer: Cool graphic T-shirt (available from urbanoutfitters.com, from $19.99) – Everybody can use more T-shirts. Pick a design you think they’ll like, and who knows? Maybe this will become that one T-shirt that everybody keeps forever until it’s full of holes because they love it so much.
For the wine drinker: Wine! (Available at any grocery store, $15+) – A bottle of wine makes a great, easy, last minute gift for almost anyone. Spend $20-$30 for a reasonably nice, gift-worthy variety.
For the music lover: Good ol’-fashioned CD (available from amazon.com or your local music store, $10+) – These pieces of ancient technology are still pretty cool—you can easily convert the music into MP3s, and the cover art and fiddly little inserts make a CD a more special and tangible gift than an iTunes gift card (though the latter can be a good choice too, especially if you don’t exactly know the recipient’s taste).
For the artist: Nice colored pencils (like Premier Colored Pencils Set of 12, available from utrechtart.com, $10.99) – People who love to draw can always use more colored pencils!
- Or grab some colored pencils for yourself and make some art of your own, like in grade school! A hand drawing, sculpture, collage, etc. can make a truly meaningful gift for a special someone (plus it isn’t too hard on the wallet!).
For the socialite: Disposable camera (available from any drug store, $3+) – A super cheap, super easy gift option for your favorite wild child. Challenge them to record their New Year’s experiences—waterproof models are available!
For anybody: Wool socks (available from rei.com, from $7.50) – Warm and wonderful, perfect for the season, and affordable. Everybody loves these cozy foot-holders—get creative and find a pair with a fun design!
Remember, gifts don’t have to be over-the-top to mean a lot to the person; happy shopping!
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