By Jaimi Erickson
Contributing Writer
A holiday tip I’ve learned: If we are going to lug bags of gifts long-distance or ship them to family, let’s make the time and expense worthwhile for our gift recipients. With prices on the rise and fixed household budgets, the goal this year is to give unique, useful and affordable gifts. This list will help you find useful gifts your family and friends will love.
7 Unique, Useful, and Affordable Gifts
1. Dinner Gift Cards
Being on the hamster wheel of meal planning and prep leads to burnout. Yes, families need to eat. And, yes, it can get a little monotonous. Help a friend out by buying them dinner — and a night off from cooking. We don’t all live close enough to our best military spouse friends to take them out to a meal, but a gift card to their favorite local restaurant or takeout place is a great substitute.
2. Multi-Purpose Travel Bags
Security and convenience are the top concerns as we travel across the country. Whether for vacation or the next PCS move, multi-purpose travel bags keep everything within reach and are very fashionable. They can be worn as a cross-body bag or over the shoulder. Your friend or family member will enjoy holiday travel that is safe and stylish.
3. Personalized Jewelry
Personalized jewelry is a touching gift to receive and give, especially for moms or grandmas. With so many unique styles to choose from, you can customize this gift for the special people on your list.
4. Handy Gadgets
Husbands always seem to appreciate new gadgets. A portable light was a hit for my husband since he always likes tools that make projects easier. I bought the rechargeable stand light to help him when he is working on household projects. It is one of the best gifts because it is so versatile. The light was a huge help when we were without power for 10 days after a hurricane hit.
5. Experience Gifts
Gift certificates to fun parks, arcades or bowling alleys are a hit with adults and older kids. My teens really enjoy time alone with my husband and me. Give the gift of taking your teen out shopping or bowling and then to lunch. Special activities that build parent-child relationships mean a lot to teens.
6. Home Décor
My teen daughter loves to decorate her room. Gift cards to places such as Home Goods or Marshalls are useful. At that age, teenagers love to shop for their own décor, so a gift card lets you stay on budget but gives the child more freedom to choose what they love.
7. Backpack Lunchbox Gift Sets
Children can always use a new backpack. Backpacks built to withstand wear are worth the money. Perfect for family holiday travel, the backpack lunchbox sets help kids keep their important items close whether flying or driving. Useful gifts like these are wonderful for gifting to long-distance family members because the bags are built to last and the value makes an impact.
No Need to Break the Bank
There is no need to break your budget for the holidays. Focus on finding thoughtful, affordable and useful gifts that make your friends and family feel loved. That’s what the spirit of the season’s about, after all.
About Jaimi Erickson
Jaimi is a mom of 4, military wife, and writer. She blogs about motherhood, kids activities and homemaking tips at The Stay-at-Home Mom Survival Guide. Connect with her on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.
