30 Frugal Gift Ideas to Show You Appreciate Someone

Will Says:

October 11th, 2007, 5:25 am

Great list Leo. Thats given me a few ideas for gifts I can give a special someone! She was only mentioning *cough*moaning*cough* the other day that I don’t give her enough gifts. lol.

Morgan Says:

October 11th, 2007, 6:07 am

It’s only too bad that your image on top of a ‘nice pen’ is a Montblanc, somewhere in the range of $350 for a ball point and $475 for a fountain pen. The reality is that a truly nice pen is likely to cost a lot of money. Otherwise it’s going to be only a fancy piece of disposable junk (think: Lamy refillable plastic pens). However, if you *do* want to get someone a truly nice pen, and you know your pens, then ebay can be a good place to look. A really great standard writer’s pen is the Parker 51. You can get lucky and get them under $40 including shipping and taxes etc.

Leo Says:

October 11th, 2007, 6:09 am

Great stuff, Morgan. I had no idea what type of pen that was. :) I just chose the photo because it looked nice. Thanks for the info.

Jen Says:

October 11th, 2007, 7:32 am

# Stationary and stamps

it’s actually stationEry, dear. Stationary is when something is standing still.

teacherninja Says:

October 11th, 2007, 7:45 am

Being a teacher, I must say we prefer gifts that either help us with our work (books, supplies, gift cards for supplies) or things that go away (the above-mentioned brownies, cookies, etc). We don’t need any more lotions/candles/mugs/tshirts/pens/etc. I’ve actually started telling the kids not to get me anything or to get me something from a “supplies needed” list (which includes books wanted for the classroom). The heartfelt letter is always nice.

I’ll link this to my blog and see what other suggestions folks come up with. Thanks!

Allison Says:

October 11th, 2007, 7:51 am

As a former preschool teacher, I would add a couple of caveats - a teacher gets LOTS of clutter for gifts… imagine 40 out of 60 students each spending $5 on something “cute.” My mother in law is also a teacher and she has a whole closet full of smelly “novelty” candles, mugs, figurines, etc. At holiday times, a teacher also tends to get lots and lots of homebaked goodies, which are nice until you realize that you’ve eaten one cookie off of each of twelve plates… and sometimes you just don’t know WHAT those cookies might be made out of… My absolute favorite gifts as a teacher were gift cards - both for office supply stores or bookstores for things I could use in the classroom (teachers generally spend lots of their own money on classroom supplies), and also for personal things like a coffee shop card (and once I got a spa gift certificate). These DO disclose how much the gift-giver spent, and they seem a little less personal. But they help a teacher simplify his/her life, and they can either improve the classroom or allow a teacher a few appreciated moments of relaxation. Another idea is to chip in with other students on a larger, more useful gift, or a larger amount on a gift card.

Pril Says:

October 11th, 2007, 8:50 am

the best gift i ever gave was a hand made zen garden… made with a flat peice of wood and doll rods clued for the sides a fork bent for a rake and personalized stones for them to use! They loved it!

Val Ann C Says:

October 11th, 2007, 9:01 am

I love the idea of giving stamps. It’s useful and it gets used up. No clutter. Especially nice if the illustration on the stamp relates to the person’s interests. In the US, you can order beautiful first class stamps at the USPS web site. All sorts of themes — nature, history, sports, science. See http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductCategoryDisplay?beginIndex=0&pageSize=10000&langId=-1&storeId=10001&catalogId=10152&categoryId=18401
Somewhat ironically, you must pay to have the stamps mailed to you. And the shipping is not so quick.

teacherninja Says:

October 11th, 2007, 9:12 am

I like the stamp idea. Things that go away!

Victory Says:

October 11th, 2007, 9:36 am

Thanks for the post Leo. The ideas you’ve listed have help spark some ideas of my own. I decided to go about doing some investigation and asking other teachers about they think their colleagues would really appreciate. I’m thinking of combining useables like stationery or goodies as well as some slideshow dvds.

Donna Says:

October 11th, 2007, 10:22 am

My son’s preschool teachers asked that those wishing to give gifts to give a maximum $5 donation. They then purchased school supplies, medical supplies, and a goat for a village in Africa (through a charitable organization like Oxfam).

teacherninja Says:

October 11th, 2007, 10:31 am

The $5 limit is good, especially for elementary kids. Some teachers I know have everyone buy a paperback book costing no more than $5 (something anyone in the class would like), gift wrapping them, then they have a swap before the holiday break. They teach the kids to be nice (whatever they get) and that books are exchangeable at a bookstore or can be donated to the class library. Some teachers skip the swap and just have them donate books to the class library only.

Beth Walker Says:

October 11th, 2007, 10:39 am

I teach in a university, and mostly teach graduating seniors. Here’s my 2 cents worth - that that’s about what it costs when a student does it, too: a note. Students are so busy, and so caught up in the moment, but when one jots down an appreciation and sticks it in my box, I’m thrilled.

JC Says:

October 11th, 2007, 10:50 am

How about taking the teacher out for a nice lunch? Maybe several friends who also have the same teacher would join in on the fun?

LRH Says:

October 11th, 2007, 11:08 am

Great Post! 2 comments:
1. My husband is a teacher, and I second what other said above - avoid knick-knacks and food. The best gift is a hand-written note, after that classroom supplies or a gift card work well.

2. It’s a great idea to give some personal ‘art’. For both of my parents’ 50th birthdays I wrote a short story about a special memory I had of them. I framed the story and gave it to them… the cost was 1 piece of nice paper, an inexpensive frame, and some time. Both parents love the gifts and have them hanging in charished positions in their home. I’ve also had several relatives comment on how special and meaningful the stories were.

cynthia Says:

October 11th, 2007, 11:32 am

As a teacher, may I say– I LOVE wine and chocolates! And I adore champagne.

As for: taking the teacher out to lunch. This gift asks for more time from the teacher (and in a TEACHER role, never truly relaxed) and can feel more like an imposition than a gift. This is especially true at the end of the school year. By then I am desperately looking for time with family, friends, and time to myself! I can’t stress this enough. Right around graduation at my college I am driven to madly scheduling lunches in an already overfilled schedule.

Elaine Says:

October 11th, 2007, 12:25 pm

If you’re going to give someone food, please find out about any dietary requirements first!

JoAnn Says:

October 11th, 2007, 12:49 pm

This would require some coordination with your classmates, but how about movie tickets (gift certificate) and a separate gift certificate for dinner?

One of my daughters had a well liked teacher with 6 kids. Everyone in the class kicked in $10 and they got a gift certificate at a favorite, moderately priced restaurant so the whole family could go out to dinner together.

Bob Durtschi Says:

October 11th, 2007, 13:32 pm

For teachers one of the nicer gifts is a letter to the supervisor expressing how much you appreciate having that teacher, or having that teacher teach your child. Perhaps with a copy to the teacher.

Barbara James Says:

October 11th, 2007, 15:20 pm

5. A nice pen. - I think a nice Mechanical Pencil would be a good gift. Something current, like my clear Pentel .e-Sharp with the bright purple (orange/blue/red/aqua/black) plastic cushioned grip. And if you really want to splurge in your appreciation, get them a pocket Moleskin to go with it, yes?

Barbara James Says:

October 11th, 2007, 15:26 pm

I am so sorry if I sent anyone to a dead link - I’m a bit new at this and put the wrong location (thinking about who could use a gift) - won’t happen again, promise! :>

Audrey Says:

October 11th, 2007, 16:40 pm

My Grandmother had a lot of friends that didn’t get out much. She always gave a colorful box with 20 or so cards of various themes. (Birthdays, thank you cards, weddings…etc. ) She usually included stamps. Her friends absolutely loved it. And if they had forgotten an event - they had the card and the stamps ready to go!

They often mentioned using all of the cards and how helpful that gift was (So next Christmas she would then ‘refill’ the box with new cards).

mary Says:

October 11th, 2007, 17:32 pm

Inexpensive and interesting mechanical pencils and pen are available from a Japanese company called Muji. My favorite was a pen/ pencil set about 4 inch tall , thin, and in plain aluminum. Minimalist and small enough to fit into any wallet. Muji is the only store I sidetrack to when playing tourist.
(I have ordered from them before they had a US presences, they are about to open a NYC store - muji.com US site and http://www.mujionline.co.uk/ for online store)

Keith Says:

October 11th, 2007, 17:32 pm

Number 11- Don’t let the RIAA hear that

Just for laugh Says:

October 11th, 2007, 17:37 pm

Don’t get addicted to gifts if you are looking to spend a frugal life style.

Polkapunk Says:

October 11th, 2007, 17:38 pm

Might want to refrain from burning a CD of a person’s favorite songs. According to the RIAA, that’s a crime worthy of capital punishment.

Sean Says:

October 11th, 2007, 19:39 pm

Be aware of copyright laws when giving gifts especially in the litigious society that we live in. I would immediately question Burned CDs or DVD rips that moved beyond fair use. Especially with the recent court case where in the RIAA experts stated that they view personal backups as pirating.

Digby Says:

October 11th, 2007, 20:05 pm

ATTN: Morgan
You can have a Mont Blanc for $15. Just buy a G2 and put in a Mont Blanc refill.

http://lifehacker.com/software/writing/convert-a-3-pen-into-a-200-pen-186819.php

Alex Says:

October 11th, 2007, 21:21 pm

Great list Leo.

I’m a state over from Victory and I also work in a school. Good luck on the exams mate!

Teachers tend to have a lot of beer and wine, so something different would be good for them. They also drink a lot of coffee, tea and consume cookies! Some fresh coffee beans and a coffee plunger seems to be a hit.

brandi Says:

October 11th, 2007, 21:44 pm

What a great list!

Leo Says:

October 11th, 2007, 21:49 pm

Great additions, everyone! I appreciate the ideas.

Couple things:

1. I corrected the misspelling of “stationery”. I always do that!

2. Regarding illegal copyright violation and burning a CD: of course, I was talking about legal burning. Meaning that you use public domain music. ;)

I'll burn whatever I damn well please, got it RIAA?? Music is now FREEEEEEEEEEEE Says:

October 12th, 2007, 1:16 am

Don’t fear the RIAA bastards or their looyahs. The public must exert pressure on these companies by standing up to them.

No, burn to your heart’s content. Better yet, put all your mp3’s on a removable drive so you can take them into itunes or whereever else, without depending on apple (who is in bed with the RIAA). Burn, baby, burn!!!!!

Also a removable hard drive full of mp3’s is a great gift for most anyone…

markrega Says:

October 12th, 2007, 3:00 am

Excellent list there. Simple thoughtful and sweet

Arlene Says:

October 12th, 2007, 3:19 am

Very much appreciated personally. I am on a very low budget and have been the fortunate recipient of a wonderful person’s time, good thoughts and recently a sizable and expensive gift that was desperately needed. Yet I was nonplussed as to how to show my sincere appreciation. This provided the perfect possibilities to happily mull over and create.

Sandra Says:

October 12th, 2007, 3:22 am

Wow.. cultural differences abound… there’s NO WAY I would consider giving alcohol to a high school teacher here in the US… O_o

Jeff Says:

October 12th, 2007, 9:41 am

Give your significant other some flowers. I can’t overstate the power of this simple act: showing someone you’re thinking of them.

Byron Says:

October 12th, 2007, 10:10 am

A shaving kit? Isn’t that a little personal to give a woman? What would you be saying about her appearance? And for a man, it’s hard to know whether he prefers and electric razor, a certain type of razor, etc.

Eugene Says:

October 12th, 2007, 13:28 pm

Leo, I totally agree. I think it’s crazy how so many people still judge the quality of gifts by how much they cost. Price and value are not the same thing.

Despite the fact that my 21st birthday was a disaster, the highlight was gift my best friend made. It was basically just a folded piece of A4 paper he’d fashioned into a card. He even drew a picture of the two of us on the cover. It was just so sincere it made me cry!

Maray Says:

October 12th, 2007, 13:29 pm

Great post, I loved the ideas; my long time favorite has been the journal. I usually give away journals at the beginning of the year or birthdays, to take that day as an opportunity to change your life and start all over again. :)

Productivity Blog Says:

October 12th, 2007, 13:31 pm

I tend to send an e-card as a small gift and to show my appreciation :)

Jerry Says:

October 12th, 2007, 13:43 pm

“Also a removable hard drive full of mp3’s is a great gift for most anyone…”

You know, a little used 20 gig laptop hard disk and a $10 USB adapter case from eBay, filled with mp3’s, WOULD make a really nice gift and it wouldn’t be that expensive.

And the RIAA can kiss my buttocks.

need help bad Says:

October 13th, 2007, 0:40 am

What a great blog, I learn so much every day! I have a suggestion for a future Happiness entry: how to let go of anger. I am making myself angry right now ruminating over a past relationship and his nightmare mother who made my life hell (grr!). I would love to learn any tips or tricks you and your readers have on how to let go of this anger once and for all so that I can move on with my life.

Tammy Says:

October 13th, 2007, 18:35 pm

I’m a teacher and I never have time to do the creative things for my own kid’s teachers or other deserving individuals (educational assistants, parent volunteers). However, for their male teachers I have bought a nice tie suited to their area of interest (eg. sports, computer design, The Three Stooges, etc.) or season (eg. Christmas). Decorative gifts are nice which can be used at home or work (wreath, welcome sign). A gift certificate for manicure is a welcome gift as is a gift card for a book store or coffee shop. I love the stationary idea. What about making lovely beaded bracelets, very simple and easy to do?

Angel Says:

October 14th, 2007, 5:53 am

Regarding the other comments about taking a teacher out for a lunch or dinner, I’ve observed that it may be more popular in some cultures than in others. It definitely seems to happen less in Western societies.

My mother taught in Hong Kong for two decades and over there, meal invitations were not only welcome but were also a very common form of showing appreciation, whether it be to a teacher or somebody else. (She taught secondary school students, though; obviously, primary school children would pose a different scenario. However, even then, I’ve known of parents of students making the invitation on their child’s behalf.) There was a different set of norms regarding behaviour during those meals, so the ‘teacher’ role was relaxed, though never completely gone. It was definitely quite commonplace and acceptable.

In Australia, where I have taught myself, nice dinners were more for inter-colleague shows of appreciation. I have been invited out to dinner by some students, but all of them have been Asian. Similarly, when my mother taught older (Asian) students at a Chinese language school run in Australia, they invited her out to dinner several times. I therefore suspect it may be a cultural difference more than anything else.

Solid Squid Says:

October 14th, 2007, 14:31 pm

You mention getting someone a journal as one of the options, so what about making a journal to give them yourself? It can be surprisingly easy, is usually much cheaper than going out and buying one and can be prsonalized as much as you like (maybe combine the picture frame idea, only with the cover of the journal)

Geri Says:

October 15th, 2007, 5:11 am

i usually buy some candles from IKEA as a gift to someone~
it’s frugal and delicate,and my friends love them:)

michaeld Says:

October 15th, 2007, 5:34 am

If you don’t have a lot of money then the best way to give a good gift is either to find out what the other person needs or else to give your time.

For example an elderly person may not be able to get out to the shops or walk their dog so do this for them.

Do something that takes time - you could do a family tree for them.

Do some repairs around their house.

Your time may not cost you much but it can be worth so much to the other person.

The cheapest and sometimes best gift is a simple phone call to say thankyou. If you don’t have much money then the other person will probably know that and a phone call will mean much more than a tacky cheap gift.

Max Says:

October 15th, 2007, 18:31 pm

This is an amazing list! Thank you for putting it together.

Our giftguru spent sometime selecting actual items for the list. This should make things easier for everybody!

Here’s the list on Wishpot: http://www.wishpot.com/public/users/list.aspx?uid=163&list=36561

Zen Says:

October 16th, 2007, 23:10 pm

The best gift I’ve given to my mom so far is a photo album with photos of me, my bro and my sis (her kids) on it. I precompiled all the best photo from 2005, 2006 and 2007 into that one album.

Me and my bro is in OZ, while my sis is getting married (and leaving the house). Mom gets lonely every now and then so I thought the photo album is a nice lil idea.

She cried when I gave her the album together with my sis and bro. I reckon that gift is well worth the money spent on!

Ann M. Says:

October 17th, 2007, 0:14 am

My mom is a teacher, and I agree with the previous teachers who said to avoid food and candles and mugs. This is just her personal opinion, but I know my mom likes gift cards to Dunkin Donuts (coffee chain) or bookstores like Borders/Barnes and Nobles best. It is true about teachers spending lots of their own money on supplies. Depending on the teacher, houseplants or flowers can also be nice, but that is a judgment call.

Regarding food items-she usually gets brownie mixes, bread mixes, nice jams etc….and then I usually get them because I’m a poor student!

Additionally, I have worked in an academic department for the past 2 years or so, and from what I have seen, one of the best gifts that a student can give is keeping in touch and sending a simple thank you note from that first job or something similar. This also holds true for my mom who is a preschool teacher-she loves it when kids send letters or stop by.

Mary Says:

October 17th, 2007, 13:02 pm

Try giving bookmarks… for those who like to read. Depending on your budget, add a giftcard for a bookstore, or a thank you or other appropriate handwritten note. (If you’re really strapped for cash, you can make a bookmark yourself from all kinds of materials.) Personally I like things that go away, but I also like small momentos, particularly when they’re useful.

April Says:

October 17th, 2007, 13:17 pm

A magazine subscription can be cheap… or last year’s stack of National Geographic.

mark rowe Says:

October 21st, 2007, 7:59 am

For more ideas see GiftGen.co.uk.
It’s a UK site, so select 3 pounds for 5 dollar gift ideas.
Here’s a direct list link for a 3 pounds, 41-55 year old, intellectual of either gender..
http://www.giftgen.co.uk/results.php?prc=2&age=13&chr1=0&chr2=0&chr3=12&gen=3

Jenny Says:

October 21st, 2007, 21:38 pm

Cool gift ideas. I’ve actually given some of those to my family. ;) And sometimes they liked them.

summer Says:

October 28th, 2007, 9:13 am

i got a homemade hot cocoa mix with marshmallow from a friend a few christmas ago. it sure helps me thru my nights at work during those cold winter mornings.
i will try to give some homemade gifts that are just simple and practical to use this holiday season.

Sam Page Says:

November 1st, 2007, 21:07 pm

I love these ideas. Last Christmas Bronson and I made all of my clients and our friends homemade Limoncello, bottled in simple bottles we purchased at the Container Store. We used the pocket change we’d saved up all year to buy the supplies, so it didn’t “cost anything” out of pocket. Everyone LOVED it, and commented for months afterward how nice it was to receive such a personal gift.

Sam Page
http://www.PeaceLoveLunges.com

Abdul Rahman Says:

November 4th, 2007, 3:54 am

#11

# A burned CD with all the person’s favorite songs.

That’s illegal you know, at least in 99% part of the world. ;)

etavitom Says:

November 8th, 2007, 13:30 pm

i like giving unique candles because everyone needs/wants them and they last for a very long time…. thanks for another great posting!

edson Says:

November 9th, 2007, 9:02 am

31-send to e-mail a music video clip that someone likes!!
32-give a aquatic pet (aquariums fishs!!)

invader Says:

December 29th, 2007, 1:46 am

Shaving kit or make up? I don’t know about that. I’m a guy and can’t speak for the makeup, but a shaving kit, no thanks, no matter who it’s from. Personal grooming and makeup should be done on a personal behalf. A lot of people would be offended if you suggested that they groom or use makeup

AgryUzr Says:

January 23rd, 2008, 16:00 pm

Some good items on the list. How about a useless chromotherapy set? :-)

B.T. Says:

February 15th, 2008, 3:40 am

The gifts that I’ve always enjoyed: Apple Cider from Apple Hill, California and Soap Subscriptions from http://www.MagicSenses.com I kind of have to stay away from the brownies… When I used to teach, my favorites were the Greeting cards that my students would draw for me… For years I collected them, I just could not throw them away…

Peter Pesce Says:

March 12th, 2008, 19:14 pm

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Floroskop Says:

March 18th, 2008, 6:03 am

Hello!
I think this try.