FRUGAL AND PRACTICAL GIFT IDEAS
You can hear the audio version of this discussion on my podcast at Lola’s Frugal Life Podcast, on Apple Podcast, and many other platforms!
WHAT IS A FRUGAL AND / OR PRACTICAL GIFT?
Being frugal is being smart with your money and using it in the best way possible. So, to me, frugal gifts are likely to be used by the individual to whom the gift is given. But, there are many gifts that a good amount of people would like and use. Practical gifts to me are ones that I will use and enjoy in my regular daily living. So, today I am going to share some gift ideas that I would consider to be both frugal and practical, for the most part!
SIMMER POT
I was recently looking for ways to use some Cinnamon sticks to use up to make my house smell nice because I’ve never done it before. While I was searching online, I came across an idea to put together a simmer pot for a gift. If you look online you can find different combinations to make a simmer pot. For example, you might gift some cinnamon sticks, vanilla, and cloves, and instructions on how to make the simmer pot. There are many different combinations, I picked one that is less perishable. But one of the ideas included giving a Rosemary plant with a few other things that would be put with the Rosemary to simmer. That was a really cute idea too.
BLANK JOURNAL OR TO-DO LIST NOTEBOOK OR PAD
Even for those who do not tend to like to keep written to-do lists, it’s always nice to have a place to take notes. At one time or another, we all need to reach for a place to write something down. If you want to add a little extra to the gift, you can add some nice pens.
DOOR DASH / GRUB HUB GIFT CARD
If you are giving a gift to someone but are unsure where they like to eat, a door dash / Grub Hub or other food service delivery gift card can be a nice option. It can be a real treat to be able to order food when you have a crazy night. With a food delivery gift card, they have a lot of options to choose from when ordering their meal.
SOCKS
My kids make fun of me because every year when they ask what I want for Christmas, one of the things I always say is socks. I can’t be the only one who loves new pairs of socks. If you think the person you are buying for might be picky about their everyday socks, you could always do something like wool socks for cold weather (depending on where they live!)
SCARF
A new scarf can be a nice gift for those of us that live in a climate with cold winters. Add a hat and a pair of gloves to go with it if you need a more substantial gift.
AUDIBLE GIFT CARD
I’m sure there are other options for gift cards for digital and audiobooks. But, the one of know of is audible. I once received an audible gift card and it was nice because it didn’t get applied to a subscription, that you would later need to cancel. It just gave you a certain number of credits to purchase books with. I usually get all of my books for free through the library app, so it was nice to be able to pick a popular book with the gift card credits that I would have normally had to wait on until it became available through the library.
BOTTLE OF WINE
Bottles of wine are great too because if you give a bottle to a person that does not want to drink it, they can always give it to someone else or bring it to an event. If you want to add to the gift, you can always get a cute wine glass or a set of wine glasses. Or you could go with chocolate or cheese to go with the wine!
BLANK ALL OCCASION CARDS
Who has not had one of those moments where you need to head out to a party and you don’t have a card? Having a box of nice cards that can be used for any occasion is great to have around because you can just grab one and write a note inside. That might be a happy birthday note or congratulations. You can find boxes of these cards with no repeats too, so you don’t have to worry about giving someone the same card twice. Not that you should really have to worry too much about that!
NICE UMBRELLA
The day before I wrote this I was in the office at work getting ready to leave. It was pouring rain. I thought to myself, good thing I have my umbrella in the car! It would have been nice to keep a spare umbrella in my office for days like that when I wasn’t thinking about the fact that it might be pouring when I left work. An extra umbrella in the car is nice too if you get stuck in the rain and have someone with you that does not have one!
CAKE OR COOKIE MIX
If you are in the mood and have time, you can find recipes online and make the mix yourself. Otherwise, plenty of gift shops sell a variety of mixes to give as a gift. If you would like you could include a nice serving dish to go with it.
CHOCOLATE TASTING BOX
Who doesn’t love to taste things?! Even when I don’t love the things that I am tasting, it’s still fun to taste and comment on them! We did a chocolate tasting in Hershey, PA with my family tasting chocolates from around the world and it was so much fun. You can easily create your own sampling box to give as a gift. There are also pre-made sampling boxes you can order online or in a gift shop.
FRAMED PHOTO OR PHOTO BOOK
This one is for family, but it’s always nice to give parents or grandparents a nice family photo. If you have a bunch of nice pictures, photo books are really nice too. One year, I made my parents a calendar with a different picture of the kids each month. It was fun to find pictures to match the seasons of each month.
SNACK BOX
A variety box of snacks can be nice to have around the house during the holiday. They can come in all different price ranges and types of snacks.
HAND SOAP
Hand soap is nice because everyone uses it and there are several places it can be used. Maybe someone has a second bathroom that could use a nice hand soap. We always like to get new hand soap in our kitchens and bathrooms to go along with the season.
MUG W/ TEA, COFFEE, OR HOT CHOCOLATE
There are so many cute mugs now for low prices. I know Target always has really cute mugs for $5. The mug alone can be a cute nice gift. But, if you want to add more to it, you can do a variety of teas, coffees, or hot chocolates. If doing hot chocolate, you can also add some mini marshmallows and candy. If giving tea, you could try to maybe find a nice local honey to go along with it.
DISH TOWELS
I always ask my kids for dish towels and they think I’m crazy. But, isn’t it nice to have a fresh brand new dish towel? If you want to add something more to the gift, get some nice new pot holders to go along with them!
TISSUES FOR THE CAR
I just heard about these tissues that come in a cylinder-shaped container so that they fit in the car cup holder. This is such a great idea, and I thought it would be such a practical gift that most people would probably not pick up for themselves!
TILE
A tile is an electronic device that can be attached to your keys or other items so that you can locate them by setting up an app on your phone that can be used to send a signal to the tile which then makes a ringing sound. They even make a tile in the shape of a credit card that can be placed in your wallet. My son used to constantly lose his air pods. So, we got him a tile to attach to his air pod case. Now, he can relocate them quickly. I have one on my keys which I have used many times. I think most people could find a use for this in some way!
SEEDS AND A FLOWER POT
It’s nice to have something to look forward too! Even if you are giving a gift in the winter, the gift can be saved to use later. If you know someone that would enjoy growing flowers in the spring, maybe consider giving some easy-to-grow seeds and a cute flower pot to go along with them.
SILICONE BAKING MATS
I got myself silicone baking mats a few years ago and they are the best thing ever for baking cookies. Basically, everything baked on them just slides off! I had old cookie sheets that looked like they may have been set on fire at one time. Using the silicone baking mat, it made the old cookie sheet perfect to make cookies. I also bought myself a new cookie sheet and have been able to keep it nice by using the silicone baking matt so nothing burns on the cookie sheet. If you want to add to the gift, you could maybe also get a new cookie sheet or some cookie mix.
HOME-BAKED COOKIES, BREAD, PIES, ETC.
Of course home baked goods are always nice gifts. They sell really cute tins at the dollar store to put these items in too, so depending on what you are baking, this can be a really inexpensive gift.
ADULT COLORING BOOKS AND COLORED PENCILS
Adult coloring books can be fun for anyone who just wants to relax or be a little creative. You can give the coloring book with a nice set of colored pencils to make a nice gift.
PUZZLE
A puzzle can make a nice gift and you are not likely to pick out one that someone already has!
ICE CREAM SUNDAE KIT
Provide all the toppings, they just need to add ice cream. Can include cones, candy, hot fudge, caramel, cherries, etc. You can even get some cut ice cream bowls if you would like.
AN APRON
If you know someone who spends a lot of time in the kitchen, an apron can make a really nice gift! I never knew that I would use an apron until I got one for free. Now I can’t imagine not wearing one while I am cooking or doing dishes. I even got a separate one that I wear for cleaning the house. They come in a variety of styles and prints too, so it can be fun to pick out one that fits the personality of the person you are purchasing it for!
PORTABLE CELL PHONE CHARGER
This can be useful to anyone. But, I found it is great for teens that often seem to forget to charge their phone when they go somewhere! This is not a plug-in charger, it’s like a battery that you charge beforehand and then can use to charge your device when you don’t have access to plug into an outlet. It’s great for being at a concert, or maybe spending the day in the city when you can’t charge your phone. Or if you are going on a long hike, or really just spending the day anywhere that you might need to charge your phone without having electricity. Anker is the brand that we have used to purchase for my kids, but there are many different brands you can purchase.
Thanks so much for checking in! If you would like to hear the podcast version of this topic to check out Lola’s Frugal Life Podcast! Also, be sure to check out my other blog posts on this site!
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