Hi all, and happy Black Friday. In honor of America's own SHOPPING HOLIDAY, I'm presenting you with the last post in The Holiday Gift Giving Guide Series. Today I'll tackle and excellent topic for all of you on a budget or trying to fill a stocking.
Under $10/Stocking Stuffers
In Sudoku, in case you haven't heard, you get a 9×9 grid and in each row or column, you have to have all numbers, 1 thru 9, no repetitions. You get a few numbers to start and you have to figure out the rest. Tricky, but not too tricky, and lots of fun. These, and other excellent puzzle books (logic and jumbles are household faves) are available EVERYWHERE for under $10, even starting at $2. Pick them up in the magazine section at Walmart or your grocery store.
In our family, some of the best stocking stuffers have been what I call “little necessities.” Pens and pencils are a good example of these, as well as post-it notes. Equally popular are a package of 100 hair elastics. One year, I got my dad the woodsman, a travel-size roll of Charmin. He has also been the recipient of travel hand-cleansing gel.
Card games are also another excellent under $10/stocking stuffer item. They provide lots of hours of fun, and you can get them cheap for just about every taste. These days, Uno (classic version is around $5 at your major discount dept. stores) comes in every flavor under the sun. I even saw aTexas Rangers (baseball team, not law-enforcement agency) set on Target's website. The specialized ones that come in tins are over $10, around $13. But some still go for $8. And the new Uno H20, made of plastic, so you can get them wet, is $8 as well. Phase 10, Old Maid, Go Fish, etc. are all other family faves.
Giftcards for cheap things are another good stocking stuffer idea. For $5, you can get a couple of frappucinos or 5 songs from iTunes. Movie gift certificates are another great way to give some fun for $10 or under.
Never forget DVDs! They are cheaper than ever and I know we've all seen the endcaps at target with DVDs from $5.50 to $8.50 and the bins at Wal-Mart for 2 for $5 (most of those movies are awful, but you never know). Amazon, too has DVD deals. Their bargin bin items carry a price of $6.97. Still, not too bad.
A little gourmet gift is another good and gone for anyone hard to shop for. You can pick up a box of their favorite tea, a jar of jam, coffee, pasta, salsa, you name it. Home baked items are always a big hit, too.
The well-stocked kitchen is always in need of little gadgets and utensils. Most everyone who cooks even occasionally can use a new whisk or spatula, and some would appreciate a garlic press or melon-baller.
So your giftee doesn't like to cook? Fine. But who doesn't have some type of book that they love to read?? Bodice-rippers, good spy novels, westerns? These all make excellent stocking stuffers, and if your giftee is the sort who wouldn't mind a gently used copy, you can get much more for your $$ at a used book store.
Photo gifts have always been a big hit in our family. From the dollar store to Target to Bed Bath and Beyond, little frames or albums are cost-effective vehicles to give photos in. Another big hit were photos in marble magnets.
Hope these have given you some ideas. Matt may return with his own gift guide. You just never know. 