Christmas is coming, Y’all

What?  Christmas is here again?!  Anyone else way behind the power curve?  No, just me?  Great.

Gift-giving associated with the holidays can be wonderful, but it can also be quite stressful.  Trying to come up with the perfect gift for everyone is hard enough as it is.  Then add on top the added pressure of trying to stick to your budget.

I’ve come across several inexpensive items over the last several weeks while trying to finish up my own shopping.  I’m sharing some of my favorites with you in hopes of helping you finish off your list as well.

Some will be better suited for particular people in your life with particular hobbies or interest, and some are good for almost anyone on your list!

Thirteen Gift Ideas

Ummm isn’t the title of this post fourteen gift ideas?  You’re a personal finance blogger and can’t count…great.

Hold your horses- here are thirteen gifts, and there’s one more at the end.  That makes fourteen.  I promise I can indeed count properly.

Uncommongoods.com has a huge variety of things you don’t come across every day, in several price points.  I guess the website is appropriately named.  These glass birthstone ornaments ($25) and birthstone wine bottle toppers ($24) add a classy, personal touch, without breaking the bank.

Homemade biscuits are surprisingly easy to whip up on a Saturday morning.  My better half has been known to make a fresh batch for the weekend, and my step-dad makes a mean biscuits and gravy.  While catering to a smaller crowd, if you’ve got the right person on your list a wooden biscuit cutter ($24) could be just the thing you’re looking for.

Now that it gets dark by about 2:30 pm in most places of the country, anyone who braves the cold to keep their grill game up all winter long could definitely use a grill spatula with a built-in light ($25).

Depending on your family and friends’ drinking habits, you could have a pretty big audience who might like this infuse your gin & vodka kit from World Market ($15).  For only $15 this would make a great white elephant or Secret Santa gift as well.  It comes with everything you need, just add your favorite booze.

Appealing to kids and adults alike, a beanie with built-in headset ($20), handsfree calling, built-in microphone, and more, caught my eye.  I had no idea such a thing existed, but then again, how could it not by now?  I imagine seeing these on metro and subway trains all over.

Simple and classic.  This monogrammed snowflake ornament ($13.50) is a great option for a host or hostess gift, office Secret Santa, or the person on your list who already has everything!

Another sweet find is a sticky note roll tape ($9 for set of 4).  I live and die by sticky notes, and sometimes one little square just isn’t enough space!  Mix it up a bit with this silly, although quite useful, stocking stuffer.

What kid doesn’t need a flamingo snow tube?  Not a flamingo fan?  How about a penguin, ice dragon, or polar bear ($22-$34 depending on the character)?  Perhaps the kids who live in Florida or Hawaii don’t need snow tubes but good news for them too!  Why not make it an ocean floaty?

I searched for this ChirpyTop Wine Pourer ($25) specifically after my mom received it as a gift from a friend.  The birdy chirps as you pour your glass of wine.  Sure to bring a smile to any wine drinkers face. It makes me smile every darn time.

A bottle stopper garden kit ($22) from Uncommon Goods will give you fresh herbs all year with minimal work!  Everything needed is included to turn your black thumb into a green one, just add the bottle and water. Your new herb garden requires only a small footprint in your kitchen and some sun.  You don’t even need to remember to water it on a daily basis.

Homemade bath salts are another easy an inexpensive gift option.  Combining Epsom Salt with a few drops of an essential oil, like lavender, in a cute jar and you have yourself a lovely, very low cost, DIY gift sure to please.

Another gift idea I love and can work well for an individual or a family is a themed gift basket.  For example, you could do a movie night theme.  Include popcorn, candy, a few drinks, a movie they’ll love, and anything else you think of for the perfect at-home movie night.  This makes a great gift plus provides quality family time and a great experience all in a nice basket.

Cash Money

Finally, for the person you can’t find a single thing for.  A good old-fashioned roll of money.  Sometimes a gift card or just plain cash really is the best option.  Boring?  Yes.  Un-personal?  You betcha.

BUT.

Have you ever received a gift card to a place you frequently shop, or even better, cash, and complained about it?  I didn’t think so.

If cash is the way you decided to go, you can always opt to dress it up a little bit.  For example, instead of putting a $20 bill in a card, go to the bank and get 20 $1 bills.  Tape the bills together end to end and roll them up.  If you want to get really fancy, put the roll in a tissue box and tape the top tissue to the first bill, or perhaps a toilet paper roll.  You can obviously do this with any denomination of bills to total any amount of gift money.  Maybe throw in a lottery scratcher or two, too, just for fun 🙂

Happy Gifting!

Here’s hoping this little gift guide helped cross a few people off your list or at least sparked some new ideas.

I love the holidays so much but if I don’t have a stroke of genius (which I often do not have), the presents stress me out!  I hope you’re all much farther along in your process than I am.

Do you have a brilliant idea I should add to the list?!

Happiest of all the holidays from the Lyons!