What do YOU Buy for the Guy(s) In Your Life?!
Why is it that guys are so difficult to shop for?! Coming up with creative and masculine gifts that aren’t too expensive is always a difficult task for me (and based on the emails that I have received, for many of you as well)… especially when the new electronic gadget that every guy wants is just a little too pricey!
Alright, so how can all of you help? Well, do you have any brilliant ideas for last minute men’s gift ideas? I know most of us would be very appreciative of hearing any idea at all! I think it’s also fair to say that quite a few of us struggle in this area of gift-giving!
…And even better, if you’re reading this right now and you’re a guy, then please tell us what you’d like for Christmas… seriously! We want to know! 🙂
I am so excited to give my husband his presents this year…I got him the Keurig coffee maker Friday at Staples, and then I used my swagbucks rewards to buy amazon gift cards and got a box of the k-cups to go with it. I also just got back from Rite Aid where I bought him an IPod docking system. It was on sale for 29.99 (down from $49.99). I had a $17 refund check and $8 UP rewards, so I only had to pay about $5, and I will also get $10 back through the rebates! Yay!
Is the sale on the docking station in their ad? Could you describe it for me. I would like to get one.
Oh gosh, I just wrapped it up. I am not sure if it’s in their ad, but it was behind the counter at my store and it looked like it was the only kind they had. It was a Craig’s I believe, white, with a remote. It has an alarm clock and said it’s a universal docking station, so I believe you can not only hook up an IPod, but MP3 players as well. It rang up for $29.99-original price shows as $49.99-and there was a yellow tag on the shelf that said you would get $10 back. I had to ask an employee if they had any, I was walking all over and couldn’t find them…no wonder since they’re behind the counter. Hope that helps some… 🙂
Thanks. I think I may have to do some running this evening.
We said we weren’t getting each other anything this year because we’re remodeling our house. Then I got the brilliant idea to buy myself a new camera with some of my Christmas money and told him he bought it for me. Then I found a gun safe I knew he wanted for a good price on Amazon, so I got that for him. He thinks he’s getting nothing, should be a fun surprise.
My husband is pretty easy to shop for. He loves tools, needed a new wallet. and loves Newman’s Own special blend organic K-cups for the keurig. He and his co-workers even chipped in and have a keurig in the office.
We’re taking our kids to Disney for the first time in January so my husband bought me rechargeable batteries for the camera and I bought him a memory card. So basically we’re just using our money for the trip this year.
my favorite gift i have for him is a custom deck of cards. I used 52 different photos from our honeymoon (not ones of us, but of places we visited in greece, egypt, turkey) for each card. it actually turned out neater than i expected. the deck was only $5 from a promo on artscow.com
also a t-shirt with mr. messy on it and the mr. messy book (a joke between us since he is so cluttered and unorganized), a nice LED flashlight i got free from Kohl’s after sale and $10 mailer card, leather wallet (his is literally falling apart), and free stocking stuffers like razors and candy.
Did you go on a Mediterranean cruise? I went on one and we went to all those places too
May I ask when you ordered your artscow? I placed an order Nov. 11th and have yet to receive it. Customer service emailed me that it was shipped Nov. 25th, still haven’t gotten it. 🙁
The shipping there takes FOREVER. It comes from Hong Kong or something. Our post office won’t drop international things at the house of a person is not here to sign for it either. I got a card and had to bring it into the post office to sign for it.
I also ordered on Nov. 11th and was told that it shipped out already and would take 8-12 business days to arrive–it’s Dec. 20th!! I was told the shipping is slow, but that is insane. Let’s hope it gets here in time for Christmas–next year.
I found a spa that had half price gift certificates through a radio station. I bought my mother in law one. When I checked again for more gifts, I noticed that they had discounted them even further…down to $12.50 for a $50 certificate. He loves sports massages, so I bought three. He can add $20 each time and pay for it completely.
I got my DH a pug which he named Sugar (because she gives him so much of it) last Christmas. This Christmas “Sugar” got her Daddy a hat with a flashlight in the brim for walking her after dark ($12.95 at Tractor Supply) a new toy bone $5.97, and a mousepad with her pic on it that says “Hurry home to me” from Vista Print (free except for shipping $5.99) He will love the mousepad at work, and it will remind him that we are waiting on him at home! I got him some new suede/leather (with lambskin lining) LLBean house shoes with a gift certificate we received. We wanted to keep it simple this year and decided to get things that are inexpensive but meaningful to our lifestyle. I hope he likes it!
Went to Frontgate when Collin here on Hip2Save posted the deal about spend $100 – get $100. Ordered him the Spa Terry Robe he has been asking for. Turned around and used the $100 Gift Certificate to buy him Bose headphones ($99.50 plus free shipping) So for $99.50 I scored two gifts he will love! (Oh and I did buy a Groupon for two nights at a Bed and Breakfast and he will get that wrapped with the Spa Robe since each of the rooms at the B & B have hot tubs!)
This is the kind of gift that I would love myself!
With all the money I’ve saved this year…. I went ahead and splurged and got him $500 Louis Vuitton shoes… EEEK i know but he will love them, LOL.
I was able to score my hubby a $200 gift certificate to a local fly fishing shop for $75! I got it on a local auction site. He will be so surprised.
where did you even look for this? My hubby would LOVE this for next year,,,or his birthday! Great find!
This year we set a limit on what to buy each other. All I can say is Amazon was my best friend this year. I bought him a new Pole Ralph Lauren watch that came in a beautiful case and everything found on Amazon for $21. He loves the Avatar Movie so I found it for $20 on blueray. Several fun little electronic gadgets. I found a mouse for his laptop that you strap to your finger, the coolest little think ever!!! I had to try it out and make sure that it worked. hehe it was only $2!!! Great little find. I also went to a few sales and picked up some tools he needed. And of course he is getting the undershirt, underwear, and sock combo that all men seem to get. He loves this one beef jerky that is made with crawfish boil and since we live in louisiana and we LOVE crawfish I ordered him a few backs!! Found it was way cheaper to order directly from the little company then from one of the local stores. I was also able to snag one of the free rings that was featured last week!!! Got it in and it was better then I expected. I then found him a few shirts and pants on sale, along with 2 new pair of shoes I found Clearance back a few months ago at Stage for $12 a piece!!! Got a black and brown pair!!! Still not having reached our $200 limit on each other, I bought him some of his favorite cologne, which I also found at 65% off!!! It was a great year and my total for far on everything is somewhere around $125!!! Still have a few stocking stuffers let to pick up, but other then that I am stick a fork in me DONE!!!!!! 🙂
I’m not doing much for the hubs this year, and vice versa, because we are buying van (woohoo!!!). My dad was the hard one though, I had NO idea what to do for him. For his birthday, I looked at the Oprah gift finder and found the ChuckIt ball thrower for him and his dog and he uses it every day! I was at a loss, because I wanted to give him something he will use and then the Lowe’s Gift-a-Thon had the 90% off Dremel tool up for grabs and I got one! It was perfect, a great little tool that he can tinker around with, since he loves doing that kind of stuff!
I’ve always found it very easy to shop for the men in my life, guys usually like to keep it simple so just think about what they like and you can usually find a good gift. For example, my Dad likes coffee so I’m getting him a travel mug, a pack of gourmet coffee and some Christmas cookies I baked. I got my brother a new hat and scarf because he needed them, but I can generally find a CD with a song I know he likes or a movie we liked as kids to a DVD/Blue Ray on sites like Amazon. For my Boyfriend I splurged a bit and got a nice watch I know he’ll like.
If your shopping for someone who already has everything it can also be nice to get a gift certificate for an experience rather than more “stuff.” Is he a music lover? How about a gift certificate for guitar lessons. Is he more of an outdoors man? How about a certificate with a hunting or fishing guide in your area. Is he into sports? Get a gift certificate for a ski rental or a session at an indoor batting cage or golf range. There are lots of possibilities for creative and fun gifts!
I got my hubby:
Lost Season 6
Camo snuggie (as a joke)
portable TV
2 dress shirts
a laptop (which he has NOOOO clue about and is going to freak!!!)
wireless printer (came free w/ laptop)
I used my swagbucks to buy most of these items from Amazon for FREE!
Triple Slow Cooker
Toaster Oven
Hedge Trimmer
Varsity Snuggie – from bed bath & beyond for about $4 with coupon and sale
Bud Light Glasses – from our trip to the brewery this summer
Taste of Home Magazine Subscription – $3.99 for year from Tanga.
My husband really loves being in the kitchen and cooking, can you tell?
“Triple” Slow Cooker? How is this different from the traditional slow cookers? Sounds interesting!
It has three seperate cookers on one long base.
What is a mens best friend? His dog so I am getting my husband a really cool coller for his rottweiler, so when they go on there walk he could show off his dog.
I got the hubs an electric screw driver ,wawa gift card,puzzle,hammer,sweat pants,new undearwear,old spice gift set,
A wide 25″ flat screen HD monitor from Hewlett Packard for only $214. He has a home office so this will be perfect. He will love it!!!
My dad was easy this year. He and mom are doing the retire, buy a motor home, and let’s drive for a while thing. They are avid movie people anyways, but can mostly only watch DVDs on the road. I found a lot of deals on new releases and not as new releases very affordable. I was able to get five new dvds for their collection for under twenty dollars. Put together some snack treats for the road and they are ready to go!
I got my hubby concert tickets to see Styx at the local casino. The casino also sent me an offer for a free night in their hotel. So we’ll see a concert and enjoy a night with no kids!!
His b’day is 4 days after Christmas so i got him a GPS from Amazon. Collin posted a great deal on it the other day. I jumped for joy when I saw the price. Cheap cheap!
I picked up one of the Tom Tom Navigation Systems at Target.com when they were featured a month or so ago. I found a great deal on a watch at Kohl’s online too. The big gift that was his special request is a pair of cool snow shoes, poles, and gators that I got at Costco.com with free shipping. Throw in a few pieces of clothing, some new socks, and some stocking stuffers and my guy is all set for Christmas.
I got my boyfriend a dartboard this year. They were on sale at Target last week. He loved throwing in college and this will help beat the winter boredum since we don’t have a TV. I am super excited to play Santa this year! I know he will love it!
Also got 6 Clif bars from the BOGO RecycleBank Qs for his stocking and two Banana Republic dress shirts from Tanger Outlet with the half off GC offer they had.
REI also had a Black Friday event where the first 150 got a $20 GC so 3 pairs of Smartwool socks too for nearly free!
My husband scuba dives. I got several t-shirts with clever scuba phrases printed on the back. He also bought a new wet suit and scuba equipment earlier in the year.
My success comes with pin pointing hobbies and buying gifts revolving around that theme.
I got my husband the Simpsons DVD game (Mattel.com deal), Big Band theory Season 1 DVD (Amazon), and a briefcase bag with his initials on it (Lands End 40% off). I still want to get him a few more things at Kohls. shirt, sweater, maybe a tie.
For the guys other than my husband :
Dad- nice Eddie Bauer sweater
Father-in-law – Costco pack of magnum flashlights
Step-father – digital cooking thermometer, extended size socks (size 15!)
Father-in-law 2 – Picaboo photo book from trip to Europe this fall
Grandfather-in-law – ceramic coffee mug with pics of the grandkids
Great-grandfather-in-law – Picaboo photo book from trip to Europe this fall
I got my hubby and powermat to charge his iphone and blackberry. Now he can keep his charger in his suitcase (as he travels alot) and won’t have to worry with them at home!
DH wanted us & our girls to see the Rockettes. So, when groupon had them 1/2 off I snagged those puppies. But I wish he were easy to buy for. He has so many tools, knives, flashlights, multitools, books, games etc that I’m ready to throw them out the window. And he would cut me a look if I got him a massage, clothes, shoes, etc.
Maybe I should get him something he wouldn’t like but I would 😉
I don’t know any man that would complain about that!
I am so excited about giving my husband his gifts this year! I did really amazing on the budget too! For his big gifts I got him a new Sony digital camera and mini fridge for his office, both of which I got free by playing games on clubbing.com! I also got him a blown glass sculpture from Home Goods for $14.99 which he is going to love. He loves blown glass. His stocking will be filled with freebies of candy and nuts, a couple of lottery tickets, a multitool that I got free at Office Depot, and an Itunes gift card I got free with my Max Perks rewards! I got all of this for less than $20 for him this year! It’s going to feel like I spent a fortune but I hardly spent a thing! Thanks Collin for the great Christmas we’re going to have!
Holy Cow – that’s a super great haul for that amount of $$! Great job!
Would love to hear more about clubbing.com …. sounds like a great way to snag some free stuff! Thanks!!
I have been playing games on clubbing.com for about 3 years now and have won some really nice prizes. It is totally free and is run by MSN. Basically you sign up using your email. Don’t worry about getting junk mail, they have never sent me any! I play fun games and for every game you play you earn tickets that you can cash in for prizes. They even ship your prizes for free. It does take a while for your prize to arrive 8-12 weeks but hey it’s free so you can’t complain about that! I love playing the word games and of course cashing in for the prizes. I am able to get a lot of great gifts this way. When you play games, it boosts their search engine (Bing) so that is how they justify giving you free prizes. Give it a try! I have loved it. You can set up multiple email accounts for the same household but can only earn one of each prize per household. There are tons of prizes to choose from.
It’s true that a man’s stomach is the way to his heart. I will be giving my husband ALL of his favorite snacks and some gum. Plus, I got him a Belkin backpack he wanted (purchased with our Amazon rewards – we use their credit card and it sooo pays off). I also snagged him a couple of things at Gap yesterday with the cooperfree promo.
I got my husband a bunch of local grass-fed beef. Went to our Farmer’s Market and was able to choose an assortment of different cuts. He loves to grill and I think he’ll be really surprised.
I scored a pair of crocs to use as slippers on shoebuy.com. Then I used a $10 off $30 coupon for Cost Plus World Market and bought a nice bottle of beer (with Santa on it!), a nice beer stein, and a bottle opener. So now he can watch football with cozy feet and a good beer in hand!
This year I made my husband 4 pairs of pj pants (I have never done it before and taught myself so that means anyone can do it. I didn’t know how to work my sewing machine but finally figured it out). He is tall and so finding pj pants in his size are rare. I spent less than $20 to make 4 pairs! My kids bought him simple things that I got for free with coupons like lotion, popcorn, gum. They also bought him a desk lamp. Other things i have bought him have been a GPS (there have been so many good deals on those and my husband gets lost without me), watch, shaver, camera, computer, tools, picture mug, and I made him a scrapbook one year. Merry Christmas to you all!
I have not been able to find much for my fiance. He is deployed right now so will possibly be home in January so I have time. I have him a guitar he has been eyeing one for months and would not buy it for himself but I have no clue what else to get.
How about some custom picks or a guitar stand?
Or music for a song that means something to you both?
Does he need an amplifier?
Cafe Press.com might have some cool guitarist t-shirts.
Tell him we said thanks for serving our country over the holidays!
God bless you! It can’t be easy being away from him his time of year either.
So far for my hubby I bought warm water resistant gloves to keep his hands toasty while shoveling snow, pijama pants, socks, chocolate. My hubby is not into sports but if he would be than I would get a membership for golfing or something related. If hes a businessman then I would get something nice from ‘Red Envelope’.
This year my husband picked out his own present. An Xbox360. I usually try to get him something he requested, plus a little something homemade with a memory or picture, etc. I just asked him, “what do men want for presents?” He said, “Men are different. Buy based on their hobbies. Men love gift cards to stores they shop at.” Gift cards are so impersonal right! But, remember, men don’t think like we do. I know my hubby likes to pick out stuff he likes, ESPECIALLY knowing that it’s already paid for!!
Hubby plays softball competively (travels all over to different states, big time lol) So I got him a new bat that he really wanted but has absolutely no clue, call of duty black ops for the wii, box of chocolate turtles, jeans and a shirt. We never spendmoney on ourselves so it was nice to do so 🙂 Oh yeah, and a new my touch 4g phone
Used reloading gear!! Ammo is getting so expensive…..he can now make his own. A years supply of socks, t-shirts, and underwear. It’s a practical year for us.
Just wanted to chime in and say that part of my Christmas present was my website, Frugal Finders, becoming a registered LLC. 😀
I try to think of something really personal each year for my hubby. This year I organized all of our love letters (we dated for a year when we were teenagers broke up and have been married now for 11 years) scanned them in and saved them to a disc which I then worked with a publishing company to print and bind into a hardcover book. I can’t wait to see his face when he opens it up, I even included some of the artwork he did for me when we were teenagers. I also got him some hobby related gifts and of course a package of socks.
That’s a great idea – I might have to put something like that together for my husband. He used to draw ‘cartoons’ of us! Now, where did I put that box…..
My husband is an electronic gadget nut, and once every couple of years we get him something kinda pricey–and not usually for Christmas, although it tends to be a joint anniversary/birthday gift. At Christmas I get him accessories for the gadgets. This year it was an Ipad, so I got him a case for it. He doesn’t tend to buy himself anything else (he uses his spending money to take us out to dinner or buy our son toys), so I use Christmas to get him things that he’s been neglecting–like a new belt or wallet. This year he asked for a watch, so that was easy. And he never buys clothes and he likes my tastes, so I usually get him some clothes and wrap them all up in the same box. For my brothers, I get Amazon gift cards–I figure they can find just about anything they want there.
I got my husband a make-your-own beer kit and he is going to love it. I found it online for $90 but had a groupon so I got it for $40! I am going to get him a case of beer in addition to it so he gets to drink all that beer so he can use those bottles to bottle his homemade beer. Perfect man gift? I think it might be. 🙂
I bought the hubby a poker chip set. He’s going to LOVE it!!!
Mine has almost everything he needs so I scored on Tanga and got him Maxim, ESPN and Golf magazines … all for under $10 total!
My guy is pretty easy. He’s not really into “stuff,” so I usually get us an outing of some kind. This year, Groupon was definitely my friend in that department. I got 4 Groupons, so my and my dude, plus my sis and her husband can all do a day trip together. Totally fun! 🙂 Plus I use hotel points from my credit card to book our hotels, which makes them free. 🙂 Awesomeness.
I got my husband a solar flashlight and emergency radio/cell charger. We learned some hard lessons during last year’s Snowmaggedon…we were without electricity for 7 days. He’ll love having the flashlight and radio, plus we don’t have to worry about having batteries on hand 🙂
Since we have very tight budget, my husband doesn’t want to anything but I wanted to give something. I will buy some his favorite snacks, 1or 2 books where I can find at bargain area of bookstore, his favorite perfume and put in a basket we already have. Also I already gave to him a new sport coat. We don’t have bright gifts as much as others but we are glad to spend this holiday season with food, shelter and family. Happy holiday!! 🙂
Good food, a warm home and family? Seems to me you have the brightest and most important gifts of all! Happy Holidays to you and your family. 🙂
Men never grow up. I always have to have a toy or game among his gifts. A radio controlled car or racetrack, a dart board, or an inexpensive but very fun RC Helicopter are some of the things I have gotten him all under $30. Of course he loves tools, music and fishing gear, but everyone needs a toy on Christmas morning as well.
Every few years I get my husband a new DVD series and follow-up with succeeding seasons each Christmas until he wants something new. His favorites so far have been The Sopranos, Band of Brothers, Battle Star Galactica and this year The Pacific.
What do you you get your husband on a very tight budget?? I don’t work because I am a stay at home mom and I recently broke my foot. I hate asking him for money and since his company didn’t give bonuses this year we are short for Christmas. I did buy small tool accesories for his stocking that my mom picked up but I am at a lose this year. What did I do? Please someone help!
Here are a few almost free ideas, I hope it helps:
Make him his favorite cookies or cake with the kids
Cook him his favorite meal
Write him a romantic letter (I do this every year)
Give him a quiet 30 minute massage (My husband loves this)
Movie night at home with or without the kids
Knit or Crochet him a beanie
I scrapbooked a small 4×6 – 12 page photo album for my husband with pictures of us from various trips.
The first year my husband and I were married we were broke, so we made ornaments for our tree together as christmas gifts. Here I am 16 years later and they are my favorite ornaments to hang on the tree.
I know this won’t help you in time for this years Christmas, but you should sign up on swagbucks. You can earn gift cards for searching the web like you normally do. I redeem my swagbucks for Amazon gift cards, and this past year I redeemed $140 worth to Amazon. So needless to say, I did a lot of my shopping on Amazon this year. It helped me out a lot. If you sign up and use my link, I’d be very grateful. Go to: https://www.swagbucks.com/refer/CuteLindsey86
Also, I think it’s a nice present to make homemade treats. You could make him his favorite pie, cookies, etc.
I made my husband one of those fleece tie blankets. You can buy the fleece at Wal-mart and there are directions on the internet. It’s so easy and no sew. It only take an hour or two. Plus, you can do it sitting down. It’s his favorite blanket and you can personalize it with the fleece designs (there’s camo, various sports team, plaids, etc.). Better designs can be found at JoAnn’s and may even be cheaper with a coupon. I used two and a half yards of fabric for a six foot person. Great for cool winters or when you’re sick.
Hope this helps!
I made my man one of these a few years ago too. I found fleece with the logo of his favorite sports team. Also altered the directions to make it extra long, so we can both snuggle under it together. He pulled it out again last nice and we both cuddled underneath it. 🙂
I think magazines are the way to go! I got my brother and my hubby the ESPN deal posted earlier today, and I usually get my hubby Playboy :). He loves it, and for real ladies, it not that dirty, and as much as I hate to say it, the articles ARE really good!! 🙂 Plus, your hubby will think it is totally sexy that you are secure and confident enough to give him a gift like that, but, maybe thats just me 🙂
You are the best wife ever! 😉 LOL
Agreed, from a guy’s point of view! 😀