With the holidays approaching, it’s time to think about Christmas shopping. We always talk about ways to save money on gifts, from hitting the sales to drawing names out of a hat. That’s all well and good, but these strategies only save money for the buyer. How about turning the savings around this year and buying gifts that save money for their recipients?
Particularly in a down economy, gifts that help the recipient save money are much appreciated. You can still save money when buying most of these items if you use the tried-and-true shopping methods. But the bonus is that the following gift ideas also help the recipients save money over the long term. Who can argue with a gift that saves them money?
So, with no further ado, here are 28 gift ideas that save money for the recipient:
1. Gift Cards
Always a staple of the holidays, a well-considered gift card saves your recipient money. After all, they won’t have to dip into their own funds to purchase something that they want or need. They’ll use the card instead.
Try to get a card to a store you know the recipient loves or shops frequently and that carries useful stuff. Cards to stores that carry only expensive “dream” merchandise aren’t really money-savers, because the recipient is locked into buying something frivolous when they might have preferred to spend the money on something useful or “every day.”
To save your recipient money, stick to bigger stores like Target, Walmart, grocery stores, large department stores, large bed and bath stores, or clothing stores. At those places, your recipients can either get something they need or splurge on something fun and they will have lots of choices. And, with the lower prices at many of these stores, your gift will go further.
If you have credit card rewards points then you might be able to use them to purchase gift cards. Therefore, you save money for yourself as well as for the gift recipient.
Want to make it more personal? Write a beautiful letter explaining why you chose this gift.
2. Magazine Subscriptions
Do you know someone who enjoys getting print magazines? Or even digital ones? If so, then offer to pay for the membership for one year. This is an affordable gift for you and yet saves them money to spend on something else.
3. Pay for a Service
Does your recipient hate to clean? Spring for a cleaning service. Hate to cook? Give them a gift certificate to a service like Schwanns that delivers prepared meals. Hate to mow the lawn? Give them the gift of a landscaping service.
If they already have such services, offer to pick up the tab for a few months. Items such as these not only relieve the burden from people who don’t like or can’t do these things, but they save them money because they don’t have to pay for the service themselves.
Moreover, it saves them time. Time can be financially valuable as well.
And if you want to save money, you might offer to perform the service yourself, rather than hiring someone else to do it.
4. Buy What They Need
Rather than blindly hunting for the “perfect gift,” ask your recipients what they need. Then get it for them.
If they need clothes, try a gift card to a retailer that sells many styles. Or offer to go shopping with them.
If they need food, get a gift card to a grocery store. Alternatively, sign them up to receive fresh farm food delivery on your tab.
If they need a 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.
Don’t worry about seeming impersonal by asking someone what they need. Most people are grateful.
5. Gift Them a Night Out
Give the person the gift of a night out. That might mean paying for dinner and a movie. It could mean getting them a hotel room. Or it might simply mean babysitting their children while they go do something that they enjoy. Combine gift cards and services to create a special night out.
6. Offer to Pay For a Sitter
If your recipients have kids, offer to pick up the tab for a babysitter for a night or two. If they have pets, pay the pet sitter.
Sometimes people want to go out, but don’t want to spring for a babysitter so they stay home. Give them the chance to go out without having to pay for a sitter themselves.
Alternatively, offer to be their sitter. Let them drop the kids/dogs off with you and enjoy a night in without them.
7. Reusable Water Bottles
Your recipients won’t have to spend money on bottled water anymore if you get them a good quality, reusable water bottle with a built-in filtration system. If they don’t mind the taste of tap water but buy bottled water for its portability, you can get a reusable water bottle without filtration for a little less money.
This will also be a good reminder for them to drink more water. If they do, then you’re contributing to their overall health. Furthermore, that can save health costs down the line.
8. Set up a Savings Account
This can be especially good 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.
This not only gives the outright gift of money. It also helps set the tone for saving for the future. That’s an educational gift that could last a lifetime.
9. Warehouse Club Membership
If your recipient lives near a popular warehouse club such as Sam’s, Costco, or BJ’s, then 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. That’s a gift that can truly go a long way. They’ll get things that they need all year long at a lower price thanks to you.
10. Pay For Streaming Services
What streaming services does your gift recipient use? Whether it’s Netflix, Hulu, Spotify, Audible, or some other form of pay-by-the-month entertainment, you can pay that bill for them.
If you want to save money, see about adding them to your existing accounts.
11. Reusable Shopping Bags
Many places now charge customers for using paper or plastic bags in the store. Therefore, you can save people money by giving them reusable shopping bags. Make them yourself if you knit, crochet, or sew. Alternatively, purchase them inexpensively. If you’re giving them another gift as well, use this as the gift bag.
12. Gifts for the Couponer
If you know someone who is into (or wants to be into) couponing, then you have several gift choices.
First, you can get them a subscription to the local Sunday paper if they don’t already have one. This is a great source of coupons even in digital times.
Second, you can purchase a membership for them at a coupon/shopping website.
Third, you can buy them an organizational system for their coupons, such as a binder and pockets, recipe box, or divided filing pouch.
Alternatively, you could write out or print out all of your favorite couponing tips and put them into a journal for the person to learn from.
13. Seeds / Materials for a Window or Container Garden
If your recipient has a green thumb (or just wants to reduce their grocery costs), then consider setting them up with some pots, dirt and seeds/starter plants to grow their own vegetables or herbs.
Many plants can easily grow in containers in small spaces, so even those with limited space can grow at least a few things.
If they aren’t as handy with plants but are interested in the idea, try getting them a starter kit that does a lot of the work for you. A ready-to-grow herb garden or mushroom farm is a great start.
14. A Good Cookbook
Maybe your recipient eats out a lot because they, “Just don’t know what to fix.” A good cookbook can solve that problem. Moreover, it can save the recipient hundreds in dining out / ordering in costs.
Ideally, the recipes should be easy and quick to prepare. Plus, they should require only 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.
An alternative to the cookbook, of course, is a meal subscription plan.
15. Books About Saving Money
If your recipient is looking for ways to save money, then they may be interested in books about saving money. If you already have some in your personal library, then you can save money by gifting those. Add a nice message written in the front of the book to personalize the gift.
16. Fans, Window AC’s, and/or Space Heaters
Heating and cooling costs are usually the biggest components of an energy bill. Therefore, finding ways to help the person reduce those costs is a huge money-saving gift.
Portable fans, window air conditioners, and space heaters allow you to heat and cool just the rooms you are occupying, rather than cooling or heating the whole house. Therefore, they save a ton of money. Some of these items have gotten so fancy that they make great gifts.
You can also buy decorative ceiling fans and offer to pay for the installation (or do it yourself). With heating and cooling costs going through the roof, a chance to save a few bucks is a welcome gift.
Alternatively, you might offer to pay for a home energy audit, smart temperature controls, or other tools that will teach the person to reduce their home energy bills.
For example, get them a programmable thermostat. 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.
17. Reusable Lunch Tote
A chic lunch tote and accessories (including sandwich boxes, utensils, thermos/bottle, and napkins) make bringing lunch to work or school fun. If you have people in your life who are still going to work / school during COVID times, then they may find it really hard to figure out the lunch situation. This can help!
18. Cloth Napkins / Towels
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 to suit different styles and tastes. Moreover, they can be tossed in the wash with the regular laundry, so they don’t add much to the chore load.
19. Rechargeable Batteries with Charger
Your gift recipient will never have to buy batteries again if you get them this gift. Purchase one or more common battery sizes (such as AA).
Have you noticed that many of the items that your gift recipients money also help save the planet? Good things help in more ways than one!
20. Gas
Most gas stations now sell gift cards that can be used for their “brand” of fuel at any participating station. Therefore, you can get a gas gift card for someone. Or you might simply offer to take the car out, fill it up, get it detailed, and return it ready to go.
21. Reusable Air Filters
These tend to do a better job than the cheap air filters, plus you can reuse them over and over again with just a simple wash to keep them clean. You’ll save your recipient’s money both in energy costs (these make air systems run more efficiently) and in the cost of replacement filters.
22. CFLs or LEDs
They don’t make a very sexy gift, but CFLs use about 75% less energy than regular bulbs and last ten times longer. Your gift recipient will save on energy costs as well as the cost of bulbs over the long term. Brightening up their home with nice lights that last a long time is a gift that keeps on giving all year long.
23. Low-Flow Devices
Low-flow faucets and showerheads save money on the water bills. These devices have come a long way and now come in massaging and other fancy varieties that make good gifts.
24. Supplies For Their Hobby
What does your gift recipient love to do in their spare time? Buy them the supplies to support that hobby. For example, get yarn for a knitter or crocheter. If you know someone who scrapbooks, purchase tape and papers for them.
Of course, if you’re not sure what supplies they like, you might get them a gift card to a craft supply store instead.
This gift shows that you know them and value their interests. Moreover, it saves them money on doing something that they love.
25. A Paid Day Off
Many people don’t get paid for the days that they don’t go to work. Some people have a job that has very limited paid vacation or sick days. Other people work for themselves, are stay-at-home parents, or otherwise don’t have the option to take a paid day off. Therefore, any time they need to “call in sick” they feel guilty and stressed.
Make up some personalized coupons to give them a paid day off. Pay their salary for X amount of days during the year to give them the stress-free option of taking a day to themselves.
26. Education
Give someone the gift of an education. This could mean starting a college fund. However, it might also mean paying for some professional development courses that a friend has always wanted to take. It might simply mean paying for a few online workshops to boost someone’s resume. You’ll save the cost of the classes. Moreover, with better education, they might earn more down the line.
27. Donate to Charity in Their Name
Do you know someone who always loves to give to others? Perhaps they can’t do that this year. Maybe they don’t have the extra money that they usually spend. Or perhaps they usually volunteer in person but COVID has limited their options. Save money and stress by donating to their favorite charity in their name. For example, this year people in my support network are donating to Dressember to help me fight human trafficking.
28. Create a Themed Basket
Some of my best gifts have been big boxes or gift baskets filled with items that have a theme. For example, I once got a gift basket full of nothing but pet supplies. It was all stuff I would have bought at some point, but it saved me the money and time on doing so.
I’ve given boxes filled with office supplies to people who have their own businesses and gift baskets of cleaning supplies and household goods to people buying new homes. I’ve given gifts of toiletries and toiletry totes to kids going away to college and boxes filled with “green” items to those looking to change their lifestyles. You can make gift baskets for new babies with diapers, wipes, tissue, and other supplies. Useful items can be grouped and packaged in interesting and attractive ways to make great, creative gifts.
It’s great to give something like this because, if it’s all things the recipient would have bought at some point, it saves them the money. Plus, it recognizes something important happening in a person’s life right now.
Why Buy Gifts That Save Money For The Recipient
These ideas aren’t only for Christmas. Gifts that save money are welcome on birthdays, graduations, baby showers, and other occasions, as well.
To come up with gifts that save your recipient’s money, think of the things that you spend money on, and then come up with a creative way to make that a gift. Chances are your recipient has to spend money on that category or item as well, and will be relieved to avoid or reduce the expense.
I much prefer a gift that helps me save money over receiving another knick-knack that I have no need for and have to clean. Don’t you? It’s great to think of ways to save money on your gift-giving, but if your gifts can save your recipient’s money at the same time, you’ll be doing them a great service.
Give the gift of savings! Learn more
Read More:
- 5 Holiday Gifts That Would Last a Lifetime
- Why My Family Stopped Giving Christmas Gifts
- Our No-Cost Christmas for 2020
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Definitely some good ideas up there!
Might I add?
* Membership to a RV group (Good Sam) or Auto group (AAA)
YES, make those jazz up the ‘unsexy’ things in a reusable container.
Here’s the thing for the hard to shop for Dad/Guy/Teen —
Start with:
Big Plastic/Alum Drink Cup that fits in the car console.
Stuff with:
* Car Wash Gift Cert (you do the job, or the neighborhood business)
* Gas Card (budget permitting)
* AAA membership (budget permitting)
* Tire Gage
* Red Rags for dipstick/long loads
* Car Air Freshener item
Easy peasy!
The gas idea is a great one because there’s nobody who can’t utilize it. Even people that don’t have cars can “re-gift” it when they are being given a ride or are involved in a carpool of sorts. Or, I’m pretty sure the gift cards also work for the convenience stores associated with the station so they can be used for drinks, snacks, etc.
I wrote an article on another site that was very similar. I had a sewing machine on my list, fabric for known seamstrest, school supplies, gift certificate for their pharmacy (some seniors could really use that one)certificate for a free tune up on the auto, and themed gift baskets. One gift basket idea is for a young girl–shampoos, conditioners. For a family with a new baby, a basket with diapers, coupon for a night of babysitting…… One year I received a coupon for a free year of internet service.
This will probably gross some people out, but I gave each of my close friends a DivaCup for Christmas a couple of years ago. They totally eliminate the need to buy feminine products. I’ve been using one for 4 years now – it’s a huge money-saver.
My husband got a rechargeable battery set for Christmas last year from a relative. He really did appreciate it!
Plastic shopping bags will soon be the currency in the UK. They used to be a nuisance but now I’m always on the lookout for them.
I got my hubby a good rechargeable flashlight for Christmas last year and that was all (money was tight). He looked at it funny, but really appreciated it when we lost power and the sump pump stopped and then the basement flooded. He had a totally bright light to go down in the mess and fix. He has used it many times since and loves it. Now I’m looking for some size 13 Wellington rubber boots for yet any more basement floods (we live with a low water table).
Currently I’m sewing him pajama pants for his birthday. The thought about reusable shopping bags reminded me that my DIL wanted one last year for Christmas. I can make her a couple for the price of the one she wanted on line.
My kids and hubby know I am always happy to receive thread or fabric for presents or at least a JoAnn’s gift card. I’d rather have that than the perfumed this and thats that people give me completely forgetting I have allergies and can’t use them. They get regifted to the local residents of a senior home who like getting that sort of stuff for free.
What a wonderful post, Jennifer. I wanted to write something like this at Smart Spending, but I don’t see how I could improve on yours.
I like everyone’s additions. May I add some of my own:
***Utility payments. Find out if your local electric, gas or water utilities sell “gift certificates,” or just make a $25 payment against someone’s account. With utility costs rising, sometimes it really IS a “heat or eat” situation for those on fixed incomes.
***Meals. Offer to make and deliver several entrees packaged to freeze. A family-sized lasagna could be left in one big pan, but for singles or retirees it could be cut into one- or two-serving sizes. If you make several different entrees, it’s a way of ensuring that an aging relative is adequately nourished or that a working couple gets an occasional night off from cooking.
***Stamps. Yes, some of us DO pay bills by mail; some of us write letters! A few books of stamps could be a great help especially to those on fixed incomes.
***Cards. To go with the stamps! Seriously, a selection of greeting cards might be appreciated especially by shut-ins or the elderly who cannot drive. Many dollar stores have cards for 50 cents apiece; I’d also look for “all occasion” boxes of cards at discount and drug stores. (I believe I saw a box of them for about $3 or $4 at Walgreens.)
***Homemade gift certificates. Some possibilities: rides to the doctor or to do some shopping; oil change; help getting the storm windows on or off; spring cleaning; putting the snow tires on and taking them off again in the spring.
These are awesome suggestions and I use at least two of them. In my family family we don’t wrap gifts, instead we have reusable fabric drawstring bags in holiday fabric. We use the same bags year after year, and some of the tags too. All my friends know we do this and look forward to getting a gift and a bag. Second tip I use, for three years running my girlfriend Claire and I have exchanged magazine subsriptions for X-mas. My grandmother has been getting me National Geographic for my birthday for about 20+ years. It’s great!
Why are people so scared to just give cold hard CASH?
I know it’s nice to put “thought” into a gift, but those creative gifts often go unused because they are harder to use, e.g. gift cards, coupons, etc.
There are a lot of nice ideas here! I would appreciate a lot of them. I used to dislike gift cards because they are kind of impersonal, but although I still try not to give gift cards, I have to admit I like receiving them so I can buy something I want without having it hit my budget.
Another idea — something I received as a gift after putting it on my wish list — is a Kill-A-Watt electricity usage monitor. It helps me save money by showing how much electricity various items use (and whether they use electricity when turned off but plugged in), but I didn’t want to buy it myself as a money-saver because it would have taken a long time to break even.
Those are some good ideas! Here are some of mine:
*Membership to a zoo or museum, this way rather than paying $10 per person, you can go whenever you want, for how long/short time you want for free! Plus, it’s less clutter, you don’t have to clean it, and it won’t break!
*Art supplies- finger paints and paper and crayons for kids, yarn and sewing things, etc. Or a gift card.
*pay for a class- knitting, cake decorating, ballet, belly dancing, whatever.
*an appliance. My parents bought us a chest freezer for christmas one year. i don’t know what I’d do without it!
I thought of a few: Reusable coffee filter, slippers and housecoat, throw rugs, thermal pajamas, and alarm clock (for young ones just starting out).
Thought of a few more: picnic basket or bag, lunch box, and thermos.
What great suggestions with Christmas coming up especially. I have some really hard to buy for people on my list and I’m pretty sure I will be using your ideas for them! Thanks so much!
Thought of one more: a very heavy comforter so that they can turn the heat down at night.
I like the idea to Pay For a Service. There’s a lot of things I wouldn’t pay for, like a house cleaner. But if it was a gift, I could have somebody clean my house without the guilt of wasting money.