Christmas gift

28 Gift Ideas That Save Money For The Recipient

December 9, 2020 By Kathryn Vercillo 23 Comments

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.

Get a $10 Costco Shop Card

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.

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The Gifts I Appreciate Most

December 4, 2009 By David G. Mitchell 10 Comments

My friend is an aging veteran of WWII, having served in Europe and returned home with all of the horrific memories that combat service indelibly writes on the minds of those who experience it. After the war, he married a woman he loved and returned to a normal life, at least as normal as a life can be after combat.

Usually, I love to receive notes from my friend. On this day, however, I received a note that gave me pause to think. My friend wrote to vent, not because he knows me so well that he knows that I am always ready to listen, but because I think he needed to express his feelings to the world and he did not have anyone else to whom he could turn. My friend’s wife of sixty years had died and he was looking at a holiday season without the love of his life who had helped to heal the wounds, or at least mask the pain, of memories best left forgotten.

My friend was angry and bitter and scared. He told me that when his wife had died in his arms, after a five year battle with cancer and other maladies of old age, she looked worse than many of the women that he had helped to liberate from concentration camps almost sixty-five years ago. My friend is a wreck and I wept to read his message. I hope that I was able to comfort him with my response, but I know that words are never enough to salve the pain of such loss.

I wept for my friend, and for his wife, but I also learned from my friend’s experience. I immediately told my wife that we were going to buy a piece of jewelry that she has wanted for the past two years, but which she refused to buy until the economy was better. It was not a hugely expensive piece, but it was still an extra in which she felt that she should not indulge. It was also something that was truly going to make her happy.

On Christmas Day, the only gift that I want is the gift of watching my wife open the package that contains that small indulgence and the joy of seeing my kids open their presents. I will be thankful that my 82-year old father is healthy and active and is there to join us, that my mother who has smoked for most of her 70-something years retains her health and that my brother, who was not expected to live past his first birthday, will be celebrating his 41st Christmas with us.

I probably will not have any gifts with my name on them under the tree. That is usually the case, and that is how I want it. My gifts will be crowded around the tree, smiling and laughing, and I shall be grateful this year and every year that each is there to share that day with me.

What do you want for Christmas?

12 Mistakes of Christmas

December 20, 2008 By Joe Morgan 6 Comments

Christmas is a wonderful time of year, but it can be stressful as well. Sometimes, people have expectations so high that they could never be met. Other times, it’s the little things that can pile up and just wear a person down. Here are some of those little things you probably want to avoid this year.

One too many trips to the punch bowl at the office party

Alcohol at office parties is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, but there are still of few businesses out there who allow it. Small companies tend to have a feeling of close knit camaraderie that can amplify the decreased inhibition brought on by alcohol, and lead you to saying things you would otherwise not consider. Drinking at office parties is best done in moderation – your career will thank you.

Being too honest when opening a gift you really don’t want

You and I know that socks are a lame gift, but some people out there don’t. When you find yourself in the recipient seat of a lame-o Christmas gift, it’s best to just grin and bear it. A polite, “thank you so much” followed by a prompt re-gifting is probably best. Chances are, the gift giver is so socially tone deaf they won’t even notice that your “thank you” was delivered through gritted teeth.

Giving the gift of a fruitcake

I think Stan Lee said it best when he said, “’nuff said.”

Forgetting to say thank you

This is simply inexcusable. Modern society has become more coarse, and less well mannered with every passing year. Be a leader in putting a stop to it. If you have small children, reinforce the ideal of polite manners at least during the holidays, if not every day.

Not paying close enough attention to your purchases

Sometimes, we find ourselves distracted by other factors during the holiday season. This can lead to mistakes that may cause us to overlook the basics when buying an item. For example, I have this friend who recently took his family to cut down a Christmas tree. This friend was distracted with some silly, work type annoyances and didn’t realize that the 8 ft tree he was cutting down was really a 5 ft. tree right next to a skinny, 8 ft trunk that only had pine needles on the top 3 feet. The result was a very beautiful, very short white pine.

To add insult to injury, when I… I mean my friend… got the tree home and cut the bottom branch off so it would fit in the tree stand, he noticed there wasn’t another branch for the next 2 feet up the trunk. He was left with a 5 foot tree that only had branches on the top 3 feet!

All of this happened because… my friend was not really paying attention to what he was doing. The result was an impromptu outing to a nearby box store the next morning for another tree. Save yourself the headache of buying two Christmas trees, when you only need one – be focused on the task at hand.

Getting carried away with the spirit of giving

That old adage that it is better to give than to receive is so true – especially when giving to children. But getting carried away with the gift giving, and ending up paying for Christmas in installments stinks. Don’t get carried away and end up in debt. It’s simply not worth it.

Getting the gift you think someone should want, instead of the one they asked for

I love my sister in law, but she has this habit of “knowing what’s best” for someone. This extends to the gift giving arena, and often leads her to getting gifts for people that they didn’t really want. She believes that it’s the thought that counts, and putting the extra thought into a gift is more meaningful than a gift card. I get that, but not if it’s something the person doesn’t really want.

Using more vacation time than you need to

I love to take a week or two of vacation around Christmas and New Year’s. Spending time with my family, especially my two young children, is what make the holidays special to me. I know a lot of people who feel the same way. But before you block off those days on your calendar, make sure you aren’t using too many. For many full time employees, any unused vacation days are bought back from them upon their termination of employment. This can make a big difference if you get laid off from your job. It can mean another paycheck or two, depending on your circumstances. Of course, if you happen to work at a company with the “use it or lose” mindset, then be sure you use it.

Buying something just because it’s on sale

I am awestruck every time I hear someone brag about how much they “saved” on some sale item they didn’t need or want to begin with! Saving 70% on that new pair of shoes when you didn’t need them means you spent 30% more than you had to. Repeat after me: It’s only a sale if I need it!

Leaving nothing for tomorrow

It’s easy to blow through your budget before you know what happened, but don’t forget to save a little something for those after Christmas sales.

Re-gifting

I personally think an office party, secret Santa type of gift is OK to re-gift. If it’s a close relative or friend, you should probably either let them know they screwed up, or grin and bear it.

Thinking it’s all about you

It’s not. It’s much larger than you. Christmas is about family and friends. It’s about the people in your community. I’ll leave the religious points for another post, but at the very least we should open our hearts and remember to face life with humility and a humble and thankful spirit.

Christmas Gifts: The Art of Giving Intelligently

September 5, 2008 By David G. Mitchell 8 Comments

Christmas and Chanukah and Kwanzaa are coming! That means that if you are a prudent shopper, you have been doing your holiday shopping for many months now. I am sure that all are doing a fine job of controlling their spending while they shop for holiday gifts but I wonder whether we are all spending prudently, regardless of how thrifty we might be.

When I was a child, Christmas was always the most wonderful time of the year. To this day, Christmas Eve remains my favorite 24 hours in the calendar. My childhood home in Massachusetts was always lit up with Christmas lights and decorations and our Christmas tree would have made Santa and his elves quite proud.

And then there were the presents. LOTS of presents. Our tree always had a sea of brightly wrapped packages underneath it and Santa always brought many, many more. To describe my parents as “generous” would be like describing the Pacific Ocean as a “puddle.” I always got more gifts than all of my friends and spent most of Christmas morning unwrapping and sorting.

I will always appreciate my parents’ love and generosity. Unfortunately, in all of the years that I lived at home with them, I rarely, if ever, received a present that I actually wanted or could use. Especially as a younger child, I received a lot of games that I never played and a lot of toys that gathered dust until we donated them to the white elephant sale at my school carnival six months later.

My parents had the concept of “giving” down to a science. They had never mastered, however, the art of “giving intelligently.” If you are spending all year long looking for bargains that you can put under the tree, you may not be giving intelligently either, and you may want to consider the following tips to ensure that your holiday gifts are remembered for the joy that they bring beyond the holidays, and not just the anticipation that they created when they were wrapped under the tree.

Quality is better than Quantity

Unless you have trained your children to expect a mountain of gifts at the holidays, they should appreciate whatever you give them. Do not feel compelled to turn your living room into a toy warehouse. Before buying a gift, ask yourself whether your child will actually appreciate and enjoy the gift for more than a few minutes. Do you see your child using the gift a week, a month or a year after you give it to him or her. The longer the useful life of the gift, the more memories the gift will give to your child. (One gift that I do think my parents had spot on was my annual gift of a different set of “army men,” toys that I still own and which my own children often used when they were younger.)

Know your Child

If your child loves to read but hates sports, do not give him or her a lot of sports equipment just because you hope to jumpstart their interest. Buy books, because that is what your child will want, and leave the sports issue to another day. If your child has developed a novice interest in an activity, do not buy gifts that are intended for experts, because that will only frustrate your child. Similarly, if your child has developed expertise in something, do not buy a gift that is below his or her level just because it is on sale.

Know Yourself

If you find a bargain on a gift that is perfect for your child but which you know he or she will never find a way to use, stay away from it. As a child, I recall a friend who had a ping pong table that was folded up in his basement. His parents had given it to him for Christmas one year because he loved ping pong. After they played with it for a few days, his parents had folded it up and then, only rarely, did he ever get a chance to use his gift. In my case, I never bought my kids toys that were very loud, because I work at home and could never have gotten any work done with a lot of loud noises in the background.

Help your Child to Know What He or She Likes

I always told my kids that I needed a Christmas list from them by September 1 of each year. It gave me four months to look for bargains and it forced my kids to think about what they would appreciate. When my kids would ask for something expensive, I always asked them to tell me why they wanted it. If they could not give me an answer, they knew that they needed to revise their list and remove the item from it. We would go through that kind of questioning for a few rounds until they knew, and I knew, what they really wanted.

You Do Not Need to Purchase Every Gift

Most kids will have more fun playing with their parents than playing alone with their toys. Even if you play with your children, as I am sure you do, you can give them a great gift just by making them a coupon book that allows them to redeem coupons to do things with you. You can be as creative as you want with the coupons – anything from “Play a game of Monopoly” to “Take a road trip” to “Get out of doing your chores for one Saturday.” You know best what coupons will make your kids happiest.

Help Your Child to Develop an Interest

If your child does have a hobby, whether it is a sport or stamp collecting or bug collecting or whatever, the holidays are a great time to help your child to take the interest to a new level. Now is the time to give that special baseball bat or stamp or coin. If your child has a positive association with an activity, it will make the gift all the more exciting.

Help your Kids to Play Together

Look for presents that will encourage your kids to play together. A game that is good for two or more players will help all of your kids to get excited about the gifts that their siblings receive. You have done a good job shopping if the recipient of a gift shouts “Cool!” when the gift is opened. You have done a great job shopping when everyone in the room shouts “Cool!” when the gift is displayed.

Avoid Family Gifts Unless You Know the Entire Family Will Enjoy Them

If Mom and Dad want to go to Bermuda for a family vacation, the kids need to go even if for some reason they do not want to go. If Mom and Dad want to force a holiday vacation on the kids and then claim it is their “gift,” Mom and Dad need to think again. Never give a gift to oneself and then claim it is a gift for the family. Similarly, don’t buy the family a stereo system or big screen TV if the kids will never get to play their CDs on the stereo or will end up constantly fighting over the remote control. It is better to give each child a Nano than to spend all the money on a system that will become the subject of family fighting.

It’s Not About the Gifts

Always remember, whatever faith you may follow and whatever your secular beliefs, holidays should not be about gift receiving. If your kids approach the holidays as their chance for a free ride for a few months, they are missing the point. Teach your children to appreciate all that they receive and they will appreciate you all the more as they grow up. When your young children are old enough to earn an allowance, make sure they set aside a little money every week so that at holiday time they can buy a small gift for an underprivileged child. They will enjoy the feeling of giving and it will help them to understand how important it is to appreciate what they receive.