A good cookbook
Maybe your recipient eats out a lot because he, “Just doesn’t know what to fix.” A good cookbook can solve that problem and save the recipient hundreds in dining out costs. Ideally the recipes should be easy and quick to prepare and require simple, easy to find ingredients and utensils. Otherwise, the recipient will quickly get frustrated and spend more money on equipment and ingredients than they would have by continuing to eat out.
Seeds and materials for a window or container garden
If your recipient has a green thumb (or just wants to reduce their grocery costs), consider setting them up with some pots, dirt and seeds/starter plants to grow their own vegetables or herbs. Many plants can be grown in containers in small spaces, so even those with limited space can grow at least a few things. Even a plant or two can cheer up the most dreary of spaces, and a fifty-cent tomato plant can return fifty DOLLARS worth of edibles!
A membership to a warehouse club
If your recipient lives near a club such as Sam’s, Costco, or BJ’s buy them a membership. They’ll save money on food, household items, and gas (if the club has a station) and they won’t have to pay the membership fee.
Set up a savings account
This can be a good one for kids or grandkids. Open an account (making sure to get any bonuses for opening a new account) and seed it with a little money. Even if nothing more is ever added to it, it will still gain some interest. You can add money to it each holiday to keep your gift growing. Alternatively, you could gift savings bonds or shares of stocks to help your recipients gain a bit of money.
Rechargeable batteries and charger
I’ve received this one myself, and let me tell you, it has saved me a ton of money. So many things these days are driven by batteries that you can spend a fortune feeding batteries to your gizmos. Give someone a set of rechargeable batteries (in a common size, like AA) and a charger and save them from buying so many batteries.
Cloth napkins/towels
Though perhaps not the most exciting of gifts, you can eliminate the need for your recipient to buy paper napkins and paper towels by giving them attractive cloth substitutes. Many sizes and designs are available and, since they can be tossed in the wash with the regular laundry, they don’t add to the chore load.
Find out what they need and get them that
Rather than blindly hunting for the “perfect gift,” ask you recipients what they need and then get it for them. If they need clothes, try a gift card to a retailer that sells many styles. If they need food, get a gift card to a grocery store. If they need hobby or office supplies, either get a gift card or fill a box with several items. If they need household supplies like cleaners, toiletries, or linens, get a gift card to a big-box store, or create a gift basket with several items. Gifts that meet a need are just as appreciated (if not more so) than the doo-dad that you thought was “so cute” that you had to buy it. And getting them what they need means they won’t have to spend their own money to buy it.
Money-saving books
If your recipient is looking for ways to save money, a book such as The Tightwad Gazette can be a good choice. It’s full of ideas to save money, but it’s not preachy. A person can easily find many ways to save money with this book, but be careful. Only give it to someone that you’re sure would appreciate it, otherwise they might think you’re calling them poor or insinuating that they have financial problems. (Of course, you could always just direct the to Financial Health Guy!)
Programmable thermostats
These save a lot on energy costs because they are set to keep the house warmer or cooler when no one is home or everyone’s asleep and not benefiting from the “ideal” temperature. Why waste the money to heat or cool an empty house? Set it up once, and a programmable thermostat does the job without someone having to remember to turn the temperature up and down all the time.
Sewing Machine and Fabric
Making even a single piece of clothing can be a very rewarding experience, and with a little practice you can at least make a decent set of curtains with very little effort. Ten dollars’ worth of fabric can decorate a room if used properly – try it!
