Archive for the ‘Men’ Category

The older a person gets the harder it often becomes to find the perfect present for them. Coming from an entirely different generation they are often set in their ways and unimpressed by new technology and other innovations. For men in particular vinyl records make a great gift. Simply figure out their favorite band or musician and you will give them the perfect excuse to dig out their old record player. A CD of their favorite jazz or classical music is also great for them to use in the car. If they love to relax at night with a nice glass of wine, music is the perfect addition. Even if their music collection is already fully stocked, a classic novel or history book is a nice substitute. A nice box of cigars will also generally do the trick. If they are a true cigar lover a humidor is a great accessory to keep their collection in tack. 

Whether you are relaxing by the pool, soaking up the summer sun, or keeping warm by the fire in the winter, a good book is the only thing you need. Especially with the growing age of technology books have become more important then ever and will never truly be replaced by any modern technology. Books help you escape from reality without being interrupted by bothersome commercials. They allow you either be swept away in another persons world or feed you new information that you would not have discovered otherwise. When it comes to reading everyone has their guilty pleasure whether it be the seductive romance tales of the past, the page turning suspense stories or the newest novel series. Books are great to give to both men and woman alike. You can give books by a person’s favorite author or I love to give books to my friends and family that I have already read and fallen in love with myself. Then, not only will you know they’ll love it but it becomes a great conversation piece for the next time you all go out. Even if the person you are buying for isn’t an avid reader there are few people who could resist the newest best selling series such as Harry Potter or Twilight. They will not only satisfy your curiosity as far as what all the fuss is about but they make for a fun easy read for adults too. Unique coffee table books make great gifts as well. Just pick up a photography book from their favorite vacation spot or a unique book such as Post Secret, which displays postcards sent in by people from around the world illustrating their deepest secrets. 

Regardless of whether or not they admit it each person has at least one television program that they are hooked on and that is a true guilty pleasure. A great gift to give to someone you are close to is their favorite series on DVD. My personal addiction is Greys Anatomy. While I became hooked on the show a few years ago I had never seen the first few seasons until my friend gave them to me for my birthday. I made my way through the first few DVD’s instantly and even to this day love to pull them out on a rainy day and watch them again. Even though some shows offer episodes online it is often times only the most recent ones that are available or you get stuck waiting for hours for it to download in low quality. This gift is great for both men and woman of all ages and is also perfect to give to an entire family. Don’t forget about some of the older shows too. People will love watching reruns of their favorite programs from when they were growing up or will be excited to share them with their kids. 

No matter how hard you try there are always going to be those few people who are impossible to shop for. Infamous for returning presents or those who never ask for anything for themselves- we all know at least one. Why they may seem somewhat overdone gift certificates are a great solution. If the person you are giving the present to really doesn’t have a need for any more materialistic things, a gift certificate to the movies or a day at the spa is a great way to force them to enjoy some time for themselves. If a spa day is a little out of your budget a card for a manicure and pedicure can always be used. For teenagers an iTunes gift card is perfect and is sure not to last long. If you’re shopping for children and just not sure what toys they already own a card to Build a Bear is a great way to get them involved in their present and allows them to create memories and a stuffed animal that they will love forever. Even if your friend or family member isn’t much of a shopper it is hard to find many who could resist a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts certificate. 

It’s true what they say; the fastest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. When you have exhausted all sports presents, you can never go wrong with grilling accessories. After all what guy doesn’t love grilling? It is easy to find a basic grill and barbeque tool set at any local store and will work perfectly when placed in a basket with various seasonings and a cookbook or even an apron. Another way to personalize the gift even more and combine the things guys love the most is to add a sports team grill cover. My favorite ones have got to be the NFL teams where the cover resembles an actual jersey. For the master grillers who already have everything personalized branding irons are perfect. The irons can be ordered in the guys favorite sports team or even their initials that can add a little extra flair to the meat. Even for the grillers who truly do have everything there is never such a thing as too much food. Right before the party or you give the gift just stop by and pick up some of his favorite meat and make sure to save up room for dinner- yum!

For me at least, guys have always been difficult to shop for, especially those who have everything. After years of disappointing or never used gifts I have finally found the solution. As long as you know the guy’s favorite team or sport you can never go wrong with tickets. If you’re unsure about what game would be right a concert is another perfect gift. Just arrange for fake plans for the night to make sure that he’s available. In the past I have also wrapped up a CD of the band or musician with a promise for tickets for whichever show works best with his schedule. This isn’t to say that tickets don’t make great gifts for girls as well. Tickets show the time and thought that was put into the gift and are guaranteed to create memories that will last a lifetime. 

Grace: Valentine’s Day is not just a holiday for women, although it may be difficult to remember.  Actually, in Japan women give men they’re interested in chocolate on February 14th, and then a month later, if the man feels the same, he gives her chocolate back.

However, if you feel like participating in a more traditional Valentine’s Day, a great gift for a guy are these bluetooth stereo headphones.  They cancel ambient sound AND they connect wirelessly, which is always a plus.  I’ve tripped over the chord to my headphones way too many times, so I think anyone would love to receive chordless headphones.  This is a great gift for any guy, regardless if he loves listening to music (although that would be a plus).

Dan: When most people think of giving gifts they think of a materialistic item.  Something that they can hold and use form time to time.  Many people seem to overlook trips or special outings that can act as really memorable gifts that can be savored that moment and in the future.

If you are on a tight budget, there are many cost effective places that you can bring someone to for a gift.  An example would be an art museum, zoo, or aquarium.  Many of these institutions can be highly priced, but usually, if you go at the right time tickets/entry can be really cheap.  If allowed, take photos while you are there.  Hopefully you will have a great time, and to cherish those memories you can give another gift, a photo album or video.  Cough cough, I know I want to go to the National Aquarium in Baltimore sometime, but when/if I go, I would love to have video or pictures of my experience.

Grace: It’s kind of funny that Dan should mention this gift now because for my friend’s birthday yesterday, he was given a book filled with pictures from the past year.  Although the book wasn’t filled with pictures from just one monumental trip or event, it was still a great gift.  My sister also receieved a gift like that and she absolutely LOVES it!  There are picture sites, such as Kodak, that provide the option of making a professional-looking photobook filled with pictures and text of your choice.  This is a very personal and loving gift!

Dan: This season there are many new products coming out for purcahse but so many of them may be out of budget.  This gift idea may sound typical, but it is one that can be USED and truly appreciated.  Many gift certificates are frowned upon because of the store(s) that they can be spent at.  A McDonald’s gift certificate for $50 is amazing, but the health benefits are not.

An iTunes gift certificate, though, is great because the program has evolved into a store that carries more than just music.  You can find movies and even books on tape at the iTunes store now.  There are no applied time limits for the cards so that there is no rush to use them right away.  You can spend as little as $25 and go up to $2500 I beleive.  The card alleviates the stress of continual credit card charging (per song) and really makes music and other mediua purchases in the future more relaxed.  This is the ultimate gift card and a GREAT gift idea!

Grace: I LOVE getting iTunes gift cards as gifts!  I hate buying full CDs because I usually only like a couple of songs, so I find iTunes to be very convenient.  However, it may be convenient for me, but it makes it rather difficult for other people to buy me music as a gift.  That’s where the iTunes gift card comes in.  There’s no more of this guessing and gambling when buying music for someone; they can do it themself, but it still feels like a gift from the heart, which is what is important.

Dan: This holiday season is forecasted to set a record for the lowest amount of retail sales in U.S. history.  Even though, due to a global decrease of demand resulting in lower prices across a wide range of products, people will still be stringent this season.  Therefore, how are you going to balance your wallet and accomplish the same type of holiday season for your family and friends?

Try to seek out quality cost effective gifts.  Also, sometimes the best gifts don’t have to come with a high price tag.  If you know someone who is going to experience these types of anxieties in the coming months, give them a gift that will save them in the long run.  There are three main warehouse retailers whose annual memberships cost around $45 – $80.  Buy someone you know a membership, so that they can go out and take advantage of their two-step revene cost system.  Warehouse retailers obtain a majority of their profit from costless acceptance fees, and then sell their product slightly above marginal cost.  If you can get the membership for free, this is the best place to cost effectively shop for items when you need them.

Grace: A few years ago, my friend got her mom a membership to Costco as a Christmas gift, and her mother was absolutely thrilled.  It has really made shopping much easier for her mother, and she always wanted to become a member but never actually had the time to do it.  It’s always great to think of someone’s future well being when buying a gift, and the gift recepient is sure to feel the same.