amo_mea_filiis. Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 I *must* find a gift for my father in the $20 range. He will not throw me any bones at all! Not even a category. I cant afford anything useful. He lives in a small apartment and needs to keep clutter down. He plays guitar, but only has one since moving. He is getting into photography. He has a thing for high end shoes and expensive or name brand clothes and accessories. He usually has gadgets when they come out, but i cant see him enjoying anything from think geek. I got him a camera lens coffee mug for his birthday (he uses as a pencil cup) and this is the only gift i can remember him actually enjoying and using (also got him goodnight ipad, which he thought was really funny). This lens cup was my grand idea...but it's all used up now. :( I dont even want to celebrate this holiday!!! But he got me something that he is sure i will love so i dont want to disappoint him twice; once by not being able to "appear" as happy as i "should" be about this loved gift, and twice by handing him something with no thought involved. I am extremely easy, but he has not seemed to catch on yet. Get me something nightmare before Xmas, or some funky kids bedding, a lego set, an amazon or think geek gift card and I'm seriously happy. So, hive. What in the world do i get him?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plink Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 Does he have the book Understanding Exposure yet? It is THE go-to book for aspiring photographers. I'd also get my favorite lens cloth to go with it. You could probably get a lower-end filter or reflector within your budget too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russiantwins Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 what about a gift certificate to a restaurant or favorite store?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 Food gift! Delicious, useful, and you don't store it for long. Maybe make him a lasagna, freeze in individual portions, and give him a ceramic dish that's just the right size to oven/microwave it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth S Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 Food, or a DVD. I've really (tried to) stop stressing about getting the "perfect" gift. Just get something that shows you thought of him. :) For the parents who have everything, I am making their favorite (special) desserts, in individual portions, for the freezer. Our ds enjoys Shutterbug and Popular Photography magazines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted December 15, 2012 Author Share Posted December 15, 2012 Not sure about the exposure book. I will try and ask him. I cant afford a food gift certificate. He and his wife live in manhattan where i cant even afford a dirty water dog! A meal is a great idea, unfortunately, he taught me all i know and i try to cook for him when he visits. He doesn't complain, but he's never impressed. He would probably enjoy something like the bacon of the month club, but that is way out of range for me. You know what makes this even harder? When i go to those gift wizard sites and put in his age, our relationship, and the holiday, all i get are stupid little golf or fishing things (neither are things he likes), or football stuff, or those "daddy" plaques which i got too many of when i was a kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 I made calendars for my inlaws- Walmart online, $15, and you can put as many pics/special dates/captions as you want. Most people use calendars and at the end of the year they can toss it- no clutter. If you have pics on your computer, you can upload them, finish it in minutes, and it's ready the same day. A desk calendar is $10. Thoughtful, but not expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grovegirl Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 I got this for my hard to buy for BIL. They are mini-tools....you can put them on a key chain. They were $19.99 at Amazon with Amazon Prime. http://www.amazon.com/Swiss-Tech-ST20023-Gift-Multi-Tools/dp/B008XIQ5KA/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 Guitar or camera cleaning kit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 I got this for my hard to buy for BIL. They are mini-tools....you can put them on a key chain. They were $19.99 at Amazon with Amazon Prime. http://www.amazon.co..._pr_product_top These look great! Thanks for the link. Off to order... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 If he likes food things: http://www.surlatable.com/category/cat870420/Gifts-Under-25 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 I like to do magazine subscriptions. People can just read and recycle and not add to the clutter. Go to a large bookstore to browse and buy the current issue to wrap and then send in the card for a year's subscription. There are lots of magazines for all sorts of interests and many are much cheaper now that they are competing with digital media. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 I like to do magazine subscriptions. People can just read and recycle and not add to the clutter. Go to a large bookstore to browse and buy the current issue to wrap and then send in the card for a year's subscription. There are lots of magazines for all sorts of interests and many are much cheaper now that they are competing with digital media. If he enjoys cooking then he's probably really like a Cook's Country subscription. That's a fun cooking magazine to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
besroma Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 How about a Pick Punch? http://www.vat19.com/dvds/pick-punch-make-your-own-guitar-picks.cfm It is a bit more than $20, but perhaps you could find a cheaper one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlmiraGulch Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 Last year my kids had about $20 to spend on my guitar-playing husband. They bought him strings and picks. He loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted December 15, 2012 Author Share Posted December 15, 2012 All great ideas. Keep them coming! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenangelcat Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 Custom guitar picks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 I think in a case like this I would do something like give a family picture or pictures of the kids, along with something homemade like a plate of treats or jar of jam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted December 15, 2012 Share Posted December 15, 2012 How about a Pick Punch? http://www.vat19.com...uitar-picks.cfm It is a bit more than $20, but perhaps you could find a cheaper one. This is what I was going to suggest. I saw one the other day somewhere else. If I can remember where, I'll check and see if it's cheaper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted December 16, 2012 Author Share Posted December 16, 2012 I asked him if he had a lot of photography books and he didn't answer. Then he sends me a link to a $30 book on amazon. :( A $30 book and $25 to Starbucks is NOT possible. I want to give dd a nice gift card to Kmart for under clothes. I don't get welfare bonuses in December. I balance a few hundred in my checkbook monthly. He knows this. I can't point it out. They live in manhattan and only one of them works and makes 6 figures. Nothing i give them is needed. They can and do buy what they want when they want it. I finally pay all bills on time with a decent amount left over, and he expects $55 of this month's income, thats just over 13%. And this is a few hours after i talked to him about needing a new battery and terminals in my car. I do not even celebrate the darn holiday with my kids! Their minimal gifts are for winter solstice and because the stuff is needed. Seriously, they got a pair of pajamas, a bunch of books (library book sale; i spent $2.12), some underwear, socks, cheap skull shot glass (ds doesn't know what they're for, he just likes the little cup), and chopsticks. That's it! The Salvation Army does not have snow pants so they'll have to wear last year's. Dd can wear my boots and I'll figure something out for ds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted December 16, 2012 Author Share Posted December 16, 2012 I'm just going to make a multi-themed stocking: golf, football, zombies, fishing, angry birds, NASCAR, and Star Wars, and stuff it with coal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree Frog Posted December 16, 2012 Share Posted December 16, 2012 How about a Pick Punch? http://www.vat19.com...uitar-picks.cfm It is a bit more than $20, but perhaps you could find a cheaper one. I was going to suggest this, too. If you go the the manufacturer's website (pickpunch.com, maybe? It shows the manu's name on the picture on the vat19 link), I think it was only $20. I remember it was less than Amazon's price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted December 16, 2012 Author Share Posted December 16, 2012 This is the most amazing board i have ever been a part of! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
annandatje Posted December 16, 2012 Share Posted December 16, 2012 A food treat is consumable and leaves no clutter. Homemade would be even better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted December 16, 2012 Share Posted December 16, 2012 Does amazon have the book used? I agree it's inconsiderate if he knows your situation. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSong Posted December 16, 2012 Share Posted December 16, 2012 Guitar strings, or a tuner that clamps onto the neck of the guitar, if he doesn't already have one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted December 16, 2012 Share Posted December 16, 2012 Guitar strings, or a tuner that clamps onto the neck of the guitar, if he doesn't already have one. I was thinking of a Snark or other small clip on guitar tuner as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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