Help this Hubby Find a "Hip" Holiday Gift
I recently received this email from a reader:
Hi Collin – I’ve been subscribed to your site for the last six months. I want to thank you for all the ideas and time that you put into helping others. My wife and I are on a tight budget this year, and since you are GREAT at finding bargains and coming up with unique gift ideas, I was wondering if you could post some ideas this season that husbands can get their wives and still be budget conscious. Thank you so much.
So this is where you amazing readers come in…. All you men out there, what inexpensive gift ideas do you have up your sleeve for your significant other? And all you women, what would you like to receive while still keeping your budget in check?
I’m sure you all are filled with great ideas! Can’t wait to hear!
I say listen to what she says she needs in the next couple of weeks. For our first anniversary, my husband got me a list of things I said we needed. It wasn’t expensive just the legwork to get them. I had mentioned in passing one night that we needed a clock in the living room and he got a cheap one, but the knowledge that he had been listening was priceless and the best gift ever. Additionally, if you are willing, the gift of service can be the best as well. Tackle a project that she wants done or clean out her car. It isn’t the money that you spend, but how thoughtful you are that counts.
One of my favorite gifts is one that I know I’m getting every year…my husband buys me the Chick-fil-A calendar ($6)…but he wraps it differently every year to “trick” me into not knowing what it is from the packaging! 😉 The calendars are hilarious & have a coupon every month for something free @ Chick-fil-A…extra bonus!
Also, he’s no poet, but he is silly, which I love. He’s written me a couple really funny, yet sweet poems over the years & given them to me in some decorated fashion (burned edges of the paper/ multi-layered construction paper/ etc.)…I just LOVE them & have definitely saved them.
One thing that I really want this year is my broken jewelry fixed. It would be almost like getting a bunch of new jewelry b/c I haven’t been able to wear it in a looooong time, and it would be exciting to have that variety back! Plus, he would have to sneak it out of my jewelry box, which would be such a sweet surprise that he did that.
your husband sounds like a darling! you are right, the gift of listening is priceless….wish my husband would unclog his ears!
If there is a place that your wife loves to eat or shop, try the Plastic Jungle or a similar site and see if you can get a gift card at a discount. Also, a lot of places offer bonuses for buying gift cards this time of year. Pair that with something small, homemade, from the heart! The main thing is to let her know that you KNOW her and LISTEN to her – that’s what we all want!
Go over to silverjewelryclub.com to get free, yes I said FREE jewelry (you just pay 6.99 for shipping on each item) most items are valued at $49.95 or higher. I have ordered from them 4 times so far and they are for real. The quality is excellent and shipping is fast. There is no fee to join or any “catch”. I just got a beautiful perodot necklace for my ten year old for Christmas. Good luck finding the perfect gift!!
You can get her small things that make her feel pampered – pretty lotion, nail polish, bubble bath. Or promise some time for a few hours to herself. My husband wants to buy the featured jewelry at those mall jewelers while I would be happy with something pink and sparkly from WalMart!
My favorite gift that my husband ever got me, was a picture that I had taken on a trip. It was a great picture and we have a wall of pictures that we take when we go places we call it our memory wall and I wanted it as an 8×10 matted and framed, with the help of my mom and his mom he manged to get the picture bigger, matted and framed without me ever missing it! When I opened I knew that he listened and It made me cry at how thoughtful he is. I am hoping that this year he will do the same with another picture.
super sweet, sounds like a gift i would love too….matting and framing is very expensive though:)
Great concern… Matting and framing doesn’t have to be professional to be nice…I matte and frame all my own pictures… most major stores like Walmart as well as the Michaels and JoAnn’s carry the individual mattes and frames. (Use a 40% off coupon from Michaels or JoAnn’s and you won’t pay much at all). The mattes just drop in and as far a picking out a frame… just look around and see what color your wife has most of her decor in… she will love it!
Also, as another gift idea… My husband and I always do love letters. He is not a “words” type of guy… but to me every word he puts on that paper means the world to me… I cherish these letters. Of course, I never turn down a box of chocolates or a necklace or earings from Khol’s… (you can find them for less then $20.00 and they don’t tarnish!)
If she likes jewelry, usually the dept stores run really good sales around the holidays. I got a beautiful pearl set (necklace, bracelets and earrings) for my Mom last year for under $30. It was normally priced at over $100.
The best thing my husband could get for me is something that I have talked about wanting/needing. Makes me think he’s actually listening. 😉 For example, I need to set up a garden. I’ve been talking about it for months. The best gift my husband could give me would be to find some free used wood on Craigslist or whatever and build me some raised bed planters. I don’t think he’ll think that one up on his own, LOL, but it’s a nice thought. Kudos to the hubbies who are pursuing meaningful gift ideas for their wives!!!!!!!!!!
Most wives will give a hint- but I think the things i love the most are things we do together- invest in a memorable occasion- like a special night out or cooking in, tickets to a concert, play or something else she likes and build a great memory. Things do not exist as long as memories.
I love coupon books. Like a voucher for a saturday when he takes the kids (early and lets me sleep in), or a surprise picnis (where he arranges the food and the blanket and the kids babysitter) even if it’s just for a few hours, it lets you know that youare appreciated.
A single flower on the pillow with a sappy card. Volunteering to cook and CLEAN up after. an herb kit for a window garden, there are so many small possibilities for men…
you saved me a post and took the words right out of my mouth. This would be my most wanted gift. However, It would be nice to come home and find out that the shingles that are missing on the roof from a bad thunder storm a couple of years ago had been replaced. I don’t care who does the work just that it gets done.
A coupon book would be wonderful. Or if he decided to buy a nail polish he really liked and set it up so that he could paint my toes that would be a great gift as well. But probably the gift I would really love is similar to a very romantic dinner we had once. He had everything cleared out of the living room and had a really small table set up with nice plates and candles and a table cloth, and a wonderful dinner. We sat and ate with soft music on and the candles lite the room, it was awesome, right down to the little detail of cloth napkins. He planned it and it was perfect.
My absolute FAVORITE gift I received from my husband at Christmas were pictures of my girls. He took them to Sears, unbeknownst to me, and it was relatively cheap but so very special to me!
Here is an idea for anniversary/birthday/Chistmas. I love to put the kids to bed and do a nice dinner. Something you would normally not do (steaks, shrimp, fondue etc.). Have a picnic on the floor. Watch a movie. TALK!!!! You could also help out another friend by sharing babysitting. If my husband got together with another guy and set up time where THEY could watch the others kids so each couple could have a night alone, WOW!!! Think about sharing cost with another person or bartering.