The Easiest Way to Find the Perfect Gift for Someone
Buying the perfect gift on a budget is always tricky, but here’s a trick that can help you narrow down the possibilities: You start by taking your budget and then cutting it back. Stay here with me.
Start by dividing your budget by four. So, if you have $ 100 to spend, you’ll be looking for $ 25 items that your donor would actually use. They don’t have to be trendy or gift items; in fact, it’s better if they don’t. What do they currently have in their lives that is probably worth about the same? Bonus points if it is something that eventually breaks or is used up.
Now do a little research to find the best version of this item you can buy for your actual budget. To be clear, we are not going to make something expensive to look expensive like you will find in a lot of overpriced “gift sets” at this time of year. We need a thing that really will last a long time or really good quality. For example: if one of us could use a flashlight, flashlights community (which, apparently, there is ) would recommend Olight for 100 dollars .
Here are a few other options to get you started, which I’ll list with an approximate price range for your actual budget. Yes, it is expensive for its category; You can easily find socks or pens at the dollar store. But these are versions that will last a long time and will be more enjoyable to use.
- Socks : Darn Tough ($ 25) – These are wool and have a lifetime warranty.
- Personal care products : Seki Edge nail trimmers ($ 10) and Tweezerman tweezers ($ 25).
- Pens : Lamy Safari ($ 30), which comes in fountain, ballpoint and rollerball options, or Parker Sonnet (from $ 100).
- Laptops : Leuchtturm1917 ($ 25)
- Headphones : Bose Quietcomfort ($ 200)
Some other options with more variable price ranges might include:
- Good quality water bottle
- Battery for charging your phone large enough to be recharged multiple times
- Quality art supplies if you know your person will use them (Prismacolor makes great colored pencils, but Caran d’Ache is arguably even better)
- Nice toaster oven (with convection and air frying) like the one I raved about in our kitchen gadgets slideshow .
For the recipient’s hobbies, either ask them ahead of time or (if it should be a surprise) seek advice from someone who knows the recipient’s style and who knows their hobbies. For example, I love to paint with watercolors, but the gifts of paint and brushes often miss the mark. One day I made a specific request: I need a size 8 Core Sable brush in a travel case. This suction cup cost $ 50 – yes, for one small brush – but it’s still strong and rightfully the best brush I’ve ever used. This is the gift we are going for here.