by Kathy Deutsch

Created on: September 09, 2008

Ah, the Christmas season! The time of home-made cookies, festive gatherings, and tree-trimming. And under the tree are gifts, piled high, with something for everyone. In today's economy, that something must be thoughtful, interesting, useful, and within your budget. A Christmas gift under $50 is easy to do. It does take some thought and pre-planning.

If the gift is for a family member or close friend, consider their hobbies. A gift subscription to their favorite magazine is very welcome. I am a tropical fish keeper, and getting a one-year's subscription to "Aquarium Fish" magazine would be wonderful. Better than that, if you call to order the magazine and the person already subscribes, you can add on a year to their existing subscription. Most subscriptions cost under $40 a year. I recommend going to your local magazine store, finding a magazine that looks good and buy it. Pull out the subscription card and send it away with the cost and the person's name/address. Then wrap up the magazine and give it with a note saying, "You have a year of this coming!" If you want to get fancy, get the person a subscription to a European hobby magazine! It will cost about $50 to have a monthly magazine subscription sent from Europe to their home, but the "wow" factor is worth it.

If the person uses pens at all, buy them a great, refillable writing instrument. There are wonderful places in town where good, comfortable pens are found. The salespeople are very helpful in helping you find the best gift pen for the best price. Hill City, South Dakota has an awesome shop-The Scribe's Hut-where they can counsel you over the phone if you can't come in. Pendemonium is in Fort Madison, Iowa. It is another cozy shop where you can find the best pen (or pencil) for a gift. Pendemonium also has a website. Just google "pen" and you will be amazed at the places with potential gifts!

It sounds funny, but a nice, small pocket knife can be a memorable and useful gift. A really nice Case knife is under $50. They come in so many styles and shapes, with beautiful cases. Some can even be engraved. I carry a small pocketknife, a gift from my husband, and I use it daily.

If the person is absolutely baffling to buy for, my go-to gift is FOOD! Some people really do not want to collect things, and food is perfect for them. I buy a local favorite and gift it, confident that it will get eaten be gone, not accumulating dust on a shelf. I once gave locally smoked bacon as a gift to a couple we knew- and they loved it. Do not go out and buy one of those pre-packaged gift packs of nuts and jams. You can show your originality by purchasing Vermont maple syrup, South Dakota buffalo jerky, Missouri ham (my personal recommendation is Burger's Smokehouse), or Indiana Amish popcorn. Some places will even gift-wrap and send it for you. The Internet is the best source if you can't get to a local place that sells specialties.

There are many gifts you can give that cost well under $50 and will be appreciated. Consider the person's likes, and match them with a gift they can use.

Learn more about this author, Kathy Deutsch.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.