Christmas 2012 Gift Ideas (Many Frugal) for Your Partner, Husband, or Wife

by Mira

Fun, cute, quirky, cool, unique, inexpensive, thoughtful, and custom, personalized present ideas for your partner for Christmas. Updating in progress Nov. 2020

If you're wondering what to get your man or woman for Christmas, here are some stocking stuffer ideas. I love product design and creative, original, artistic ideas, so you'll find here quality gifts that your partner will appreciate. You will also find ideas for gifts to other people, creative ideas that will appeal to them even if they have everything. Ultimately, I hope you can also find something that appeals to you. Get yourself something new for Christmas!

I have tailored most of my gifts to people's interests, to their professions and hobbies, so read on for best gifts to give to artistic people, to writers, to men and women interested in design or various sports, to people with a sense of humor or men and women with expensive taste, who will appreciate brand gifts or other great quality gifts, and so on.

You may have given your loved one perfume or cologne, silk scarves, jewelry and chocolate, a tie or sweater in the past. You may have given your long-term partner or spouse the same type of gift year after year. It may be time to change that present and surprise your girlfriend or boyfriend, let them know they’re special enough for you to put some thinking into finding a different gift for them. After all, your experience as a couple changes, too, with time, so what better way to acknowledge that than to offer a gift that reflects (good) things you’ve grown through and enjoyed together? You may have discovered great movies together, or great books, gone to music concerts together, traveled to lands near and far. Now is the time to celebrate all that, or build even more common ground.

So here are my top gift suggestions for this Christmas, some top selling and trendy, and others more quirky and unusual, and a lot of them bargains this season. Give your partner and yourself the gift of art, music, literature, and quirky items such as fun cuff links or a handbag caddy / purse hanger for those nights out at a restaurant or bar.

Pricier Things for Your Partner

Other than perfume, jewelry, chocolate; cologne, ties, or sweaters

The usual suspects mentioned above are all wonderful, provided you change the brands a bit over the years (or, then again, not, if you prefer to stick to certain brands). Others here on Wizzley and elsewhere have written about them, and done a great job of it. I’d like to focus on electronics and custom-made Zazzle products instead.

To go back to the title of this section, “pricey” means different things to different people. If you can afford $520 and your boyfriend / husband or girlfriend / wife loves photography and has been using cameras in the semi-professional range, then you can surprise him or her with the Canon PowerShot SX70, which shoots 4K video and has an optical zoom of 65X. If $500+ is too much, I recommend a similar camera from Panasonic, the Panasonic Lumix  FZ80, which is also 4K and has an optical zoom of 60X. Colors vary though a little between the brands, so take that into consideration as well. I own both Canon and Panasonic Lumix cameras, and I personally prefer the Canon brand. This latter camera, though, is great value for the money: only $297.99 as of my writing this and its megapixel count is comparable to the Canon camera one (18.1MP to 20.3MP). Pick your choice! One of these cameras can be the perfect gift if your budget is between $300 and $500-$520.

Panasonic Lumix FZ80 60X Optical Zoom 4K Video

Only $419.69

Canon Powershot SX70 20.3MP 65X Optical Zoom 4K Video

#commissionsearned
$589.95  $628.99

Western Digital My Passport Portable External Hard Drive, 5TB

#commissionsearned
$119.99  $92.05
Portable Hard Drive

With the advent of photo cameras that take larger and larger photos and HD videos, your hard drive is probably filled within an inch of its life. Don’t wait until you run out of space on your hard drive. Get a Western Digital external portable hard drive now. Better yet, get two of them! One for you, and one for your partner. A 5TB (that’s 2 terrabytes, or 2,000GB / gigabytes) My Passport Western Digital USB 3.0 portable hard drive sells for about $100, which is super great value for the storage size.

Tablets for $150 or $250

If your significant other likes to read, watch movies, and play light computer games but you can't afford to spend more than $100 or $150 then you may consider getting him or her the Fire HD 10 tablet, which has a 10.1” Full HD LCD screen, 2 cameras, front and back, with HD video, 2GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of storage.

Or if you can spend $250 and you want a tablet that offers a much better experience watching movies and playing computer games, you can opt for the Lenovo Tab M10 Plus tablet, which comes with a great 10.3" Full HD screen, 8MP rear and 5MP front cameras, 4GM of RAM and a Octa-Core processor of up to 2.3 GHz main frequency, and 128GB storage.

Lenovo Tab M10 Plus Tablet (10.3" Full HD 128GB 4GB RAM)

#commissionsearned
Only $197.5

Kindle Fire HD 10 Tablet (10.1'' Full HD, 32 or 64 GB, 2GB RAM)

#commissionsearned
Only $46.86

Active Noise-Canceling Headphones

While tablets are great for travels, sometimes you just want a bit of peace and quiet when you're on a plane. If your partner is often on business trips, you may consider getting him or her a set of noise-cancelling headphones.

The Cowin E7 active noise-canceling headphones are popular with buyers on Amazon.They are great quality yet budget-prices. At the time of my writing this they get an average of 4.4 stars on Amazon out of 53K+ reviews. While there are better products out there, including the Cowin E7 Pro, at under $50 these seem to be the best value for the money. They are also light and quite comfortable. And did I say they also come in great colors?

Cowin E7 Active Noise-Canceling Headphones

#commissionsearned
$49.99  $64.99

The technology in active noise-cancelling headphones is simple: the headset has a mike which listens to ambient sound and then electronics in the headphones generate outgoing soundwaves which cancel out the incoming ones. You can use these headphones to block sound or to better listen to your sound of choice. These Cowin headphones are highly praised by reviewers on Amazon (as I've mentioned), a sound technician and lover of classical music among them.

Nov. 2020 Update To Be Continued

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Have You Heard of Audio Light Bulbs?

They're the latest rage. They are light bulbs that also double as wireless speakers. It's a fun and easy way to stream music in your house. Just replace your regular light bulb with an audio bulb, and you will get both light and music. Just fit them into a light socket and plug the wireless transmitter into your audio source (iPod, iPad or other tablet, iPhone or other smartphone, laptop computer, desktop computer -- the plug fits into the earphone jack). The Wolverine BRT002 Light Bulb Wireless Speaker System available on Amazon for a little over $100 includes two speakers which transmit to a distance of up to 40 feet.

For Art Lovers

If your partner or spouse loves art and likes to buy prints for your home, you may surprise him or her with original art or prints. One of my favorite artists, who sells her prints for up to $300 and her original works for up to $500, is Georgiana Chitac. See for yourself. I'm showcasing an image below, which you can buy on Saatchi Online here. The work is titled Scattered and involves a whole lot of socks. :) To see more of her works, go to her blog here.

Scattered
Scattered
by Georgiana Chitac
Give Your Partner Footwear or a Watch

Some people collect (and wear) shoes, other people collect (and wear) watches. There's then the third category of people, who don't have a whole lot of shoes or a whole lot of watches, but are glad to receive either as a gift.

If you're buying shoes and boots online, I recommend you go for a comfortable shoe, since these are the easiest to get right. And with Clarks you can't go wrong in terms of either comfort and style, so if you'd like to buy footwear for your partner or spouse you may want to look at Clarks Women's Chris Sydney Boot, in burgundy leather, or black, sporting a style that's in fashion this season.

You can try leather shoes for your male partner too (and brands like Ecco have nicely designed comfy shoes) but I think guys are always happier with an extra pair of sports shoes (sneakers, running shoes, and so on).

As for watches, Invicta has a really nice design out there for a men's dress watch, that even includes two straps, black and brown, to match your outfit. Invicta is a Swiss timepiece maker dedicated to bringing great design on the market at great, affordable prices. As of November 15, 2012, the Invicta Men's 12849 Lupah watch shown below is number 9 on the list of bestselling watches at Amazon.com.

In the women's watches category, I like a particular design from Swiss Legend, from their South Beach Diamond Collection, the 20032D-01. It's silver-tone and diamond-accented and with a silicone strap. It's sporty and yet elegant. With the right outfit and accessories, it can even be worn as a dress watch. As of November 19, 2012, it sells for $69.99 on Amazon -- perfect if your gift budget for her is around $80, and a great addition to a set of presents for your girlfriend / wife is your budget is larger.

For a limited time this December this Invicta watch sells for $49.99
Invicta Men's 12848 Specialty Black Dial Watch with Orang...
Elegant Leather Laptop Tote / Carryall from Solo
SOLO Vintage 15.4" Laptop Carry All
A Classy Ladies' Laptop Tote

Surprise your girlfriend / wife with an elegant leather laptop tote / carryall from Solo. It fits a 15-inch laptop (it has a padded laptop section) as well as other items, and is made of real, quality leather. Color is espresso, which is to say a rich, dark brown.

It's a perfect gift for any professional woman who has to dress elegantly for the office and also needs to tote her laptop around. But this is a great handbag at a great price regardless of its laptop-holding functionality.

Handles are large enough for the bag to fit nicely under your lady's arm.

At $59.84, it's a bargain. (Down from $99.99.)

 

Frugal Gifts for Your Partner

Great Christmas Gifts for Curvy Ladies
Roamans Tweed Skirt Suit for Under $40

A fabulous Roamans tweed skirt suit for plus size women sells for only $38.99 – down from $129.99. It’s a great design for office wear for curvy women. The cut is simple and elegant but by no means boring. I love the lapels and the folded cuffs of the jacket, as well as the design of the skirt. The skirt has an elastic waist and partial lining. And the fabric itself is wonderful in terms of pattern and color. Now is the time to renew your office wardrobe, or to buy this skirt suit for the office Christmas party if you’d rather wear a suit there than a dress. Comes in sizes 14 Plus – 34 Plus.

Elegant Roamans Skirt Suit for Under $30

Another item I really like for Roamans that comes with a great discount this holiday season is a skirt suit where the jacket comes with a lace border print. You may want to wear this 2-piece set to the company Christmas party. At only $26.99 instead of the list price of $89.99, it’s a steal. This used to come for all sizes between 14 Plus and 34 Plus, but is now out of stock for most of them. You can only find it now for sizes 14 Plus, 18 Plus, and 32 Plus. I guess women out there are seizing the opportunity to be truly elegant this holiday season for less than $30 – unbelievable! I wish there were similar designs and prices for lowers sizes as well, but I see these deals at great office wear or elegant skirt suits only from Roamans, which, as you know, designs for plus-size women. And they do a great job!

Mementoes of Your 2012 Vacation

If you visited London this year for the Olympics, and spent so much money that after buying souvenirs for your loved ones at home you decided to forgo getting that London T-shirt for yourself and your partner, then Christmas may be the time to surprise him or her with a memento – a coffee mug, a T-shirt, a mousepad, a refrigerator magnet, a messenger bag, a tote bag, etc. -- of your wonderful trip abroad. 

I Love London T-Shirt
Your Partner Appreciates a Bit of Humor

Everyone has a different sense of humor, so search on Zazzle for a Christmas-themed coffee mug that you know your partner will like. Mugs are always great frugal gifts, and small enough to work into a series of fun stocking stuffers for both men and women.

More Funny Mugs: Tard the Grumpy Cat Coffee Mugs

Tard (Tardar Sauce, from Tartar Sauce) the Grumpy Cat is the latest Web sensation. Photos of this kitten traveled all around the Web thanks to YouTube, Reddit, and other social media channels. Then the owner started making custom products with their loved, albeit grumpy, cat. So if you like this meme, you can get mugs, totes, magnets, and even playing cards on Zazzle with "the Original Grumpy Cat."

My two favorite Tard the Grumpy Cat mugs are below:

"I had fun once. It was awful."

"NOPE"

There's also a mug with just the photo of this celebrity kitty.

Original Grumpy Cat NOPE mug
Original Grumpy Cat Mug -- I had fun once. It was awful.

Spreadshirt has put out a Grumpy Cat Hates Christmas men's T-shirt. It shows a drawing of a Grumpy Cat with the Santa hat on. The Grumpy Cat T-shirt comes in several different colors.

Gildan has made a women's T-shirt with a stenciled drawing of a Grumpy Cat. It looks pretty good.

If you're a fan of the Grumpy Cat, you might also like this mousepad, which you can customize by adding your own text. I think it would make a fun gift to a Grumpy Cat impersonator or cat lover :). Designing it is easy: if you click the link, you will land on Zazzle, where in a matter of minutes you can enter your own text and check out. Now, coming up with the text might be a bit tricky . . . But if you are in a hurry and can't think of anything, you can simply delete the text that's there and keep just the photo of Tard.

Original Grumpy Cat Mousepad -- Make It Your Own

The Tard the Grumpy Cat Christmas cards are here at last!! They were posted on Zazzle on December 7, 2012. One of them says "Merry Christmas," and the second reads "Bah Humbug." See below.

Merry Christmas Grumpy Cat Greeting Cards
Bah Humbug Grumpy Cat Greeting Cards
Women Like Scarves

You've seen your lady buy all those scarves. No doubt she would love another one. The ones trendy these season are called "infinity scarves." They go in a loop, hence the name. You can buy her a designer scarf or you can choose a budget designer-inspired infinity scarf on Amazon. One of my favorite infinity scarves is from Ecoscape. Note that the one to the right comes in other colors as well. Ecoscape has some nice clothes, scarves and bags on Amazon.

So that's one idea for a trendy and frugal Christmas gift under $20. I have some more!

 

Don’t Forget Books and the Idea of a Set of Presents!

If your boyfriend / husband or girlfriend / wife likes to read, then the right book may be a perfect frugal Christmas gift for them. Especially when it’s part of a number of presents which you carefully selected (and wrapped separately)! Keep in mind that many people appreciate getting a series of presents. It’s all about the surprise of discovering one after another under the tree, and knowing that the other person took the time to think about various things their loved one might enjoy. If you go down this route of getting your partner a set of presents, then a book is a great choice to include among your frugal gifts. It doesn’t have to be Christmas-themed.

You may choose to get your partner or spouse one of the year’s bestsellers, or a book by an author you know he or she likes (but then it might be difficult to find out which books exactly by that author your significant other has read). If you’ve discovered an author together this year, then this is a good occasion to show your partner that you two are seeing eye to eye in a growing number of matters, not limited only to practical ones.

 

You may also use this opportunity to get your partner interested in the kind of books you like, since now he or she will have her own copy of something. If you like science fiction, for instance, and have read Dune a long time ago from the library, you may want to buy a copy for your partner this Christmas. It beats borrowing a copy from the library, since this book will be his or hers, always there until he or she will find the time and interest for it. And they will! It will be a great chance to build more common ground.

 

Present Ideas for Writers

If your spouse is a writer, working on a novel and various short stories, you might consider getting him or her a short-story anthology. The Best American Short Stories 2012 is out, edited by Tom Perrota (author of Little Children) and Heidi Pitlor. The stories in this selection have appeared in American and Canadian literary journals between January 2011 and January 2012. Tom Perrota spoke of the criteria he used to make up the anthology in the following terms (as noted by one Amazon reviewer): "I like stories written in plain, artful language about ordinary people. I'm wary of narrative experiments and excessive stylistic virtuosity, suspicious of writing that feels exclusive or elitist, targeted to readers with graduate degrees rather than the general public, whatever that means."

Is that the kind of fiction your partner likes? This short story collection should be interesting to him or her either way, since these stories "written in plain, artful language" (to my mind, the trick is to achieve both at the same time) "about ordinary people" seem to be the ones favored by editors, at least where short stories are concerned.

The Best American Short Stories 2012 (Kindle Edition)
The Best American Short Stories 2012 (Best American R)
Only $9.99
The Best American Short Stories 2012 (Paperback)
The Best American Short Stories 2012 (Best American Serie...
$7.3  $3.32
Don't Forget There's Also a Great Annual British Anthology of Short Stories

The Best British Short Stories 2012 anthology, edited by Nicholas Royle, doesn't seem to be popular on the American Amazon site, but the book is available there, and will make a nice complement to the American short story anthology. I own the 2011 British anthology, also edited by Nicholas Royle, and have enjoyed it quite a bit.

The Best British Short Stories 2012 (Kindle Edition)
The Best British Short Stories 2012
The Best British Short Stories 2012 (Paperback)
Best British Short Stories 2012
$16.95  $12.95
Custom Mugs for Writers

There's a whole range of great custom mugs for writers on Zazzle. I'm showing only one of my favorite ones, with the statement "To write or not to write: Is that a trick question?" It's a great play on Hamlet's "To be or not to be," but what I like most is the tag-like question "Is that a trick question?" Indeed, most people who write for a living or as a hobby do this because they have found a vocation. They are compelled to write. True, you may not always write out of inspiration when you have to churn out a copy for work, but writing, true writing, is a passion, one that takes hold of you -- and so it is that "Is that a trick question?" becomes a rhetorical question, one that needs no answer. So offer this mug as a gift to that special one in your life who is committed to his or her writing!

To Write or Not to Write: Is That a Trick Question?
If Your Spouse is More into Art than into Books

But then again, your wife or girlfriend might not be as much into reading about art as into making her art. I know, I'm not making things easy for you. But then again, you're the one who knows your partner best. If she is good at painting watercolors and owns an iPhone 5, chances are she will appreciate an iPhone 5 case showing a box of watercolor paints. This would make a great gift for a fun and outgoing girlfriend, as well as for an artistic boyfriend of course.

Your partner or spouse might like this colorful Case-Mate Vibe iPhone 5 case even if she or he works with other media as a visual artist, be that oil paints, textile design, or photography -- although if your partner is a photographer, he or she might appreciate more an iPhone case with the image of a camera lens.

 

iPhone SE/5/5S Case

Old Cameras
Ad Zazzle

Case-Mate Vibe iPhone 5 Case

Box of Watercolor Paints
Ad Zazzle

If she likes whimsical designs and also, perhaps, the eighties, then she may be pleasantly surprised by a retro iPhone case, for instance a design with a cassette tape displaying the message "mix tape memories from back in the day." There are many such designs on Zazzle -- click the image to the right to get to the site and choose one you like. If you prefer the image of a more battered cassette tape or a Case-Mate case for an iPhone 4 instead of an iPhone 5, click on the image and browse on Zazzle for an image that's more like what you have in mind.

iPhone 5 cases make great stocking stuffers as they're fun and artistic -- adding to the fun of playing with the iPhone 5 itself.

Case-Mate Barely There iPhone 5 Case

Red Retro Cassette Tape
Ad Zazzle
If Your Husband Is Interested in Design

He may appreciate an offbeat pair of cuff links. Men who have a sense of style devote a whole lot of attention to their cuff links, since the latter are some of the few accessories most men wear. So they try to make the most of them, and have fun with them. That's why I think that the Speedometer & Fuel Gauge Silver Cufflinks by Cuff-Daddy will make a nice gift and surprise for your partner or spouse! They're not very expensive, cool, and small. They will make fun stocking stuffers for the special man in your life this Christmas!

Speaking of Design

Your boyfriend / husband might need this Q Card Case for iPhone 4 / 4S by CM4, or their Q Card Case for iPhone 5. It integrates a rubber case (with a screen guard) and a fabric pocket, to hold not only his iPhone but also an ID and one or two other cards as well as some cash. This sleek iPhone/wallet Q case has rave reviews on Amazon from customers who have found away to forget about carrying around a bulky wallet in their back pocket. It sells for $39.99, so if your budget is $50 or under, this is a great item you can buy your partner.

The Q Case for iPhone 5
CM4 iPhone Wallet Q Card Case for Apple iPhone 5 - Black Onyx - Q5-BLACK

The Q Card Case for iPhone 5 by CM4 fits 3 credit cards plus cash in a premium, protective soft-touch and fabric case. An exclusive patent pending soft-touch rubber and premium ...

View on Amazon

Surprise Him with a Personalized T-Shirt This Christmas

Declare your love for him with a tee shirt! You can use an "I [heart] Your Text" design on Zazzle, and change the words "your Text" in there with his name. You could wear it in the house to show your affection for your boyfriend / husband. You could start by wearing it on Christmas Day, as you unwrap presents. It will surely make his day. Of course, you could also use this design to write something like "I [heart] Christmas" or anything else you wish. You can write something that only you and your partner know about. If your partner is a writer, you can even leave it as is, for a joke.

I [Heart] Your Text

T-Shirt

If Your Partner Has Kids

If your partner has children, it's a great idea to get something for them as well. Here are some clothing items that come with bargain prices this Christmas.

Elegant Dresses for Young Girls

Pick a festive yet elegant dress for your little girl this holiday season, like this dress from Youngland for a toddler and girls of up to 6 years old. This one sells between $24 and $26.

Or go for a stylishly cute Calvin Klein set with a long-sleeve top in white with butterfly designs, a purple indigo jacket with ruffles, and a pair of gray jeans. It sells in sizes 2-6X. It's $37.99, down from $79.50. It's one of the bestsellers in the kids' clothing department this holiday season.

Bargain Clothing for Boys

Kenneth Cole has several bestselling clothing sets for boys consisting of 3 items: a checkered long-sleeve shirt, jeans and a puffy vest. One of my favorites has a yellow vest, black pants, and a shirt with checkered black, gray, and white, with yellow stripes. It sells a few dollars lower than during Black Friday Week, at $41.75, down from $79.50. Sizes go from 4 years old to 7 years old.

I also found a charcoal Calvin Klein jacket that I really like. It's 40% wool and 60% polyester and it looks really nice: quite classy as far as wool jackets go. It sells in sizes 4, 5, 6, and 7, and it's a steal deal at $37.50, down from $125. This one sold at $49.99 during Black Friday Week.

More Frugal Gifts for Your Partner

Does Your Partner Like Sports?

If your boyfriend / husband or girlfriend / wife likes sports, you can get him or her a fun Christmas-themes or winter-themed custom mug. At the time of my writing this article, there are 6.227 "fun Christmas mugs" on Zazzle. I'm showing below a Basketball Snowman Coffee Mug but there are designs for volleyball and soccer snowmen as well. They're rather cute, all of them, and they sell for $17.95, which means they will fit a $20 budget if your Christmas will be frugal this year. Take your pick. These basketball snowman mugs will make great gifts for your kids or teenagers as well, if they play basketball or are basketball fans.

Basketball Snowman Christmas Coffee Mugs
Mud, Sweat and Tears by Bear Grylls
Mud, Sweat and Tears
$16.0  $1.3
A Good Book for Your Man, and For Yourself

If your boyfriend or husband is an adrenaline-rush seeker or likes stories about men and women who are after extreme outdoor adventures, he will appreciate Bear Grylls' autobiography (published this year), which is a bestseller on Amazon. His story is quite extraordinary. He trained physically with some of the best and then broke his back in three places in a parachuting accident. Doctors weren't even sure he would get to walk again, and yet eighteen months later he climbed Mount Everest at the age of 23. I'm sure you've seen him on TV, but if you haven't, this is one man you have to meet. Gift this book to your boyfriend / husband and then read it yourself.

Will Code for Food Travel / Commuter Mug
If Your Partner is a Self-Professed Geek

If your significant other is a computer geek who tap-taps away on the keyboard trying to make ends meet, all the while enjoying his or her job as a computer programmer, he or she might enjoy a funny "Will Code for Food" travel / commuter mug! This is one travel mug to celebrate your boyfriend's or girlfriend's passion for computers. The mug is $22.20, so it won't break your budget if you've set aside more than $30 for Christmas gifts for your partner. It's a very useful item that comes with a fun statement. Your boyfriend / girlfriend / spouse will appreciate the thought and gesture!

It's a great way to say I may not have much, but I love what I'm doing, and I'm getting there! And if your partner has gotten there to where he or she makes more money with computer programming, they will still appreciate the humor as they think back to a time when the statement "Will Code for Food" was true. This is also a great gift for a geek friend who slaves away at the computer or is now owner of his or her own IT company.

For the Coffee Lovers Out There

A nice stocking stuffer, in tune with the season, is pumpkin spice coffee. This medium dark roast from The Bean Coffee Company is flavorful and low-acid. It's an organic grind that comes in packs of two 16-ounce bags at $21.58. It's not the cheapest coffee out there but the holidays are special and so is your partner! You can both enjoy this 100% arabica coffee with hints of nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. Enjoy this organic coffee alongside pumpkin pie at the end of your Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. It will be nice to have this flavored coffee handy this holiday season: a perfect way to start the day and to end a rich dinner.

Only $28.75
. . . And for the Tea Lovers

If your partner is not a caffeine junkie and does, in fact, prefer decaf tea, then South African rooibos tea is a great choice. This is a herbal tea and therefore caffeine-free. It is high in antioxidants, so if your partner is not particularly fond of green and black teas because they contain caffeine, he or she may like this tea as an alternative drink to boost their immune system. Rooibos tea also has soothing properties, and therefore makes for a perfect bedtime tea. Which is not to say it puts you to sleep. It's a great tea to enjoy throughout the day.

Besides its health benefits, roiboos is simply rich and flavorful, with a full-bodied aroma that will delight anyone's taste buds. You can drink it hot or iced, straight or with milk. I have mine with milk and honey. Few drinks can match that great, smooth taste.

Davidson's organic rooibos tea, at $12.71 for 100 tea bags, is a great buy for the price and quality. (Note that the prices on Amazon may change a little from day to day this holiday season, so don't expect them to match to the cent the prices I give you in this article.)

Handbag Caddy / Purse Hanger for Her

Have you heard of handbag caddies, also known as purse hangers? They consist of a disk that rests on the table or bar counter and a hook which supports your handbag / purse. Solves the problem of where to put your purse when sitting at a bar counter or restaurant table. It's also quite fancy, so you will have solved that problem in style for your lady partner.

The rhinestone in the middle comes in several colors. At only $10.99, it's a fun and very useful Christmas gift that won't break your budget. It's also small enough to make for a great stocking stuffer.

If Your Partner is a Dog Lover

If your boyfriend / hubby or girlfriend / wife is a dog lover, then you can get her a stamp to spread that love. There's a custom-made stamp on Zazzle I really like, reading "Peace Love Paws" and showing the peace sign of the flower power era, a heart, and a paw. The statement is, of course, a play on "Peace, Love, and Music" of the phenomenal 1969 Woodstock concert that marked a generation of hippies. If your partner has something of a hippie in him or her, so much the better! They will love this stamp!

A Great Custom Stamp for a Dog Lover
If Your Partner is a Cat Lover

If your partner is a cat person, there are many Christmas-themed stamps on Zazzle that will appeal to him or her. I'm showing only one, with a kitten with a candy headband and a candy cane. Did you know that, according to tradition, the J shape of a candy cane is meant to remind children of Jesus? A bit of Christmas trivia for you.

As for Christmas kittens on stamps, there's an angel kitten, a kitten with a reindeer headband, another kitten standing by the window looking onto a winter nightscape illuminated by a myriad of small stars and the star of Bethlehem or the Christmas Star, that announced the birth of Jesus to the magi, and many other designs featuring kitty cats and Christmas symbols. Click on the stamp to the left and then, once on Zazzle, take your pick!

Christmas Stamp with Cute Kitten
The Gift of Music

To my mind, music CDs and DVDs are some of the best gifts you can give someone. Of course, you need to know their musical preferences. One of my favorite artists is Leonard Cohen.

If you’ve been to a concert together, then celebrate that by buying a live in concert DVD for your partner. You’re buying it for yourself as well; most of all, you’re buying it for you as a couple, to remember the great time you’ve had together at the concert and to make a point to save money and time for similar experiences in the future. If you haven’t seen your partner’s favorite artist in concert yet, get him or her a concert DVD and make sure you buy a ticket next time around.

Also, if your partner likes classical music, there's a book out there you should know about. It's The Book of Musical Anecdotes, by Norman Lebrecht. There are hundreds of bits in it about the greatest composers and performers. It's a book any classical music lover will appreciate. It's also great for literature and psychology lovers. The stories are illuminating not only about the lives, times, and personalities of great musicians of the past, but also about human lives and psychologies in general.

Leonard Cohen, Live in London DVD
Live In London
$13.99  $9.95
The Book of Musical Anecdotes by Norman Lebrecht
Book of Musical Anecdotes
Only $19.19
An External iPhone Battery Charger for the Traveler

Does your partner travel a lot? If he or she does and uses their iPhone a lot, chances are an external battery charger will come in handy. Imagine your partner is on the road the whole day, speaking on the phone, taking photographs, using the Internet. Now, the iPhone battery allows for hours of these activities, but ultimately will give in if you use your iPhone a lot during the day. That's where an external battery charger comes handy. You can charge it at the hotel and then take it with you on the road, to use when needed. The iFlash Power Bank model on Amazon shown below includes a flashlight as well. It works with all sorts of smartphones (including iPhone 5/4/4S/3GS), tablets and ebooks. Check on the site to see if it works with your partner's. It will be a nice frugal gift for him or her!

If You Like to Travel Together

The US has many beautiful national parks and a whole array of scenic drives that beg to be discovered. If you like to save your money at Christmas in order to use it to travel next year and enjoy beautiful landscapes by foot or by car, go for a frugal gift under $20 like one of the guide books shown below, which sell for as low as $10. They would be a fun frugal gift committing you and your partner to spend more time hiking, trekking, and driving through beautiful landscapes in the US and the rest of the world.

These guidebooks, with their inspiring photography and details on the hikes / treks / trips suggested would make great Christmas presents for your family and friends as well if they're outdoorsy.

120 Scenic Drives / Road Trips in America from Readers Digest
The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips
$16.27  $3.98
Guide to U.S. National Parks from National Geographic
National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the United...
$14.04  $9.39
Mari Winsor Beginner's Pilates [Beginner and Intermediate Levels, in Fact]
Mari Winsor Beginner's Pilates
If Your Partner or Spouse Tries to Lose Weight or Tone Their Body

If your significant other is committed to losing weight, DON'T get him or her a weight-loss diet book. Your partner has probably looked at a large variety of diets out there and already made their pick based on personal preference or recommendation from their nutritionist. You also don't want to draw attention to the excess weight but to the fact that your partner is trying to get healthier. To that end, if your boyfriend / hubby or girlfriend / wife goes to a gym or works out at home, watching programs on TV or practicing a routine they have learned, a great frugal gift for them might be a Pilates DVD.

Christmas Ornaments

Another frugal gift that many people will appreciate is a Christmas ornament. Choose a design style that you know your partner will like. He or she may like the vintage angel illustration below. Or, if it’s your baby’s first Christmas, you may choose to celebrate that with a personalized ornament showing a photo of your child and the year on the front and his or her name and the year on the back. It’s a great gift that you can give each other as parents, or one that you can give to other close members of the family.

The list of pricey and frugal gifts for your partner can go on.

You can buy baked goods, but some women might prefer to take the opportunity over the holidays to bake more than usual and offer their own baked goodies to her family and friends. Wine and cheese, on the other hand, is always a good idea if your partner likes wine.

You can buy an Amazon gift card, but then again, your partner will appreciate your Christmas gift more if you put more thought into it, make the choice yourself, and surprise them. Then again, other people like to buy their own gifts. If your partner falls into the latter category, get him or her a gift card but make sure you give them other Christmas gifts as well. This way your partner will learn to appreciate your thoughtfulness more, and open up more to what you offer him or her on other occasions as well.

You can give her body lotions. The Body Shop has a nice selection. My favorite Body Shop fragrance is Shea -- as in shea body butter, shea shower cream, and shea soap. The Body Shop Shea products' scent is so light and yet so fragrant. From my experience, having taken friends into The Body Shop to smell this lotion, it appeals to a broad range of tastes in fragrance. You can also get your lady a Shea Shower Cream. Although it’s hard to go wrong with lotions and shower creams, particularly with very good ones (and these are remarkably good for the price, I think, and are also free of certain harmful chemicals), if your lady has wonderful, fragrant silky skin all the time, and is passionate about her lotions and skin treatments, then leave it to her to get her cosmetics as she knows best.

If most of the ideas above are too expensive, then you can start crafting a scrapbook with photos and possibly penned expressions of your feelings; or you can try to bake something for your lady yourself to surprise her; you can knit a scarf and a hat for him. Or you two can go as a couple and have a picnic somewhere, if it’s not too cold outside – you can put together a picnic basket from what you have in the house, and go to one of the state parks, for instance. Some state parks also have various winter activities. It’s not exactly a Christmas-themed outing, but it’s a great way to enjoy winter!

 

Remember to Get Fun Wrapping Paper

Surprise your partner not only with a nice gift or set of gifts, but also with their presentation! Amazon has a whole range of wrapping paper designs. I'm showing you two of my favorite sets, from Dover Giftwrap.

Have a Great Holiday Season!

I hope this article has given you some ideas for gifts to give your partner this Christmas!

Updated: 11/23/2020, Mira
 
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What present(s) will you get your partner this Christmas?

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Mira on 11/09/2016

I like stained glass windows, too, but have never seen Tiffany stained glass windows! Thank you for your comment :)

DerdriuMarriner on 11/07/2016

Mira, Very nice! The suggestions are all good even though I particularly like from the more economical fare the Roamans sculpted tweed suit (but not in plus sizes) and, from the pricier options, the audio light bulbs.
The angel ornament and the Tiffany stained glass giftwrap paper remind me of Salt Lake City's stunningly beautiful Tiffany windows in the downtown Episcopal church.

Mira on 11/29/2012

Thank you, sp2012! :)

squidooprincess2012 on 11/28/2012

Nothing beats gadgets. They always put a smile on the receiver. Love the selection! :)

Mira on 11/11/2012

Zazzle is really easy to navigate, Katie. I put it off too for a while but there was nothing to it. Sure, once you start making products you will be happy to learn tricks to get your products posted faster, and so on. But for starters, you can just browse the place and easily recommend products in your articles. Even though, I tell you, you can start designing your own products in no time, with photos, graphics, text -- whatever you're comfortable with or have handy.

katiem2 on 11/04/2012

I know what you mean. One of these days I'm going to get moving on my Zazzle store, oh the time!!!

Mira on 11/04/2012

Thank you, Katie! It was fun to put together this page -- and I actually find myself constantly adding to it. :)

katiem2 on 11/04/2012

Great Christmas Gift Ideas! I love your Zazzle line of products. :)K

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