Cheap Unique Gift Ideas - 3 Simple Tips For Coming Up With Cool Gift Ideas

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Having trouble thinking up cheap unique gift ideas or cool Christmas gift ideas or thoughtful wedding gifts? Not to worry! Here are my top tasteful gift giving tips for anyone and everyone.

By being on top of this whole process, you will save time, money and frustration that sometimes goes along with trying to pick out gifts. Let's get organized!

On this page, you'll find a step-by-step system for coming up with unique gift ideas as well as a list of specific ideas for certain types of people. Happy brainstorming!



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How To Come Up With Cheap Unique Gift Ideas

cheap unique gift ideas

1. Keep track of gift ideas throughout the year.

Whenever a family member or friend or whoever the recipient is makes a comment about something they like or want, record it. It's as simple as that!

If you are so inclined or think the item will not be available for purchase later, then buy the gift as soon as possible. Then wrap it right away (and put a sticky note on it as to what it is and who it's for) and/or hide it in your house. Just remember that you've already purchased it and where it is in your home, so that you can find it and give it to your recipient at the right time.

It's also a good idea to keep track of the things YOU want. The next time someone asks you what you want for your birthday or for the holidays, you can effortlessly answer.

You can keep track of what to get others as well as yourself by using:

  • a note taking software like Evernote - This is convenient because you can record gift ideas on your phone or tablet no matter where you are and don't need to actively remember to write it down later.
  • a piece of paper - Just remember to keep this piece of paper in a place that you can easily retrieve it from but hidden from eyes that aren't supposed to see it.

Keeping track of creative gift ideas for Christmas, or what have you, all through the year makes present shopping a snap. It also really surprises your recipient, because you may give them something they forgot they wanted since you recorded it long ago.


2. Know your recipient.

If it's a family member or close friend, you should be able to answer the following questions. If it's a co-worker or someone who is just an acquaintance, then enlist help from someone that knows them better. Either way, cheap unique gift ideas can only come from knowing about your recipient.

Being able to answer any of the following questions will help tremendously:

  • What does your recipient like? This can mean anything - hobbies, favorite sports teams, favorite movies, music, anything your recipient is interested in.
  • Where does your recipient live? Think about geographic location as well as their actual home. Do they have a lot of state pride? Did they just move into a new home? Do they live in a really metropolitan area and use public transportation?
  • What is your recipient's family life like? Is your recipient married? Have kids? Have pets?
  • How old is your recipient? Graduating college and entering the work force? A senior citizen about to retire? A twenty-something about to get married?
  • What does your recipient do for a living? A professional organizer (like me!) who owns her own small business? Someone who dresses in a suit and tie and goes to an office building every day? A person who works from home?

If you are able to answer any of the above questions, then use that information to come up with gift ideas that relate. The more you know about your recipient, the easier it will be to come up with thoughtful Christmas gifts or thoughtful wedding gifts or what have you. See below for examples!


3. How much do you want to spend?

The best Christmas gift idea does NOT have to be expensive at all. In fact, the impact of the gift goes further if you give your recipient something they truly want as opposed to something that costs a lot of money.

If you know how much you want to spend or how much you don't want to spend, then you can narrow down your gift ideas to fit your budget.

If you want to get your recipient something that does cost more than you'd like to dish out, then give them a present that contributes towards the larger gift. For example, if you know your sister would love a new stereo system then perhaps you can get her a Best Buy gift card to be used towards buying it.


Specific Cheap Unique Gift Ideas

Below are specific examples of how to use what you know about your recipient to come up with cheap unique gift ideas.

Graduating College Student

Someone Who Likes To Cook or Grill

  • cookbook or how-to book
  • cooking tools (i.e. grill brush, nice nonstick pan, etc.)
  • apparel (i.e. graphic tees related to cooking or an apron like this)
  • food service (i.e. Omaha Steaks or subscription to a monthly produce delivery)
  • items for entertaining (i.e. serving platter)
  • gift card to a grocery store (i.e. Whole Foods)

Someone Who Has Much Pride In Their Geographic Location


Want more cheap unique gift ideas?! Check out these clutter-free possibilities!



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