Picking out a holiday gift for a boyfriend or girlfriend can be a bit difficult, especially if people want to stay within their price range. Not only is there a budget to factor in, but also, avoiding clichés and staying practical are key. To help make the struggle a little less complicated this holiday season, here are some useful gift ideas for him and her:
Great Gifts
1. Tickets
Whether the tickets are for seeing his or her favorite sports team or favorite rock band play, they can be the perfect present for one’s significant other. One can even throw in a sports jersey or T-shirt for his or her partner to wear to the event. Annabelle Vargas, a junior at San Diego State, said that one the best Christmas gifts she ever received were tickets to see her favorite singer: “I am a die-hard Katy Perry fan, and last year my boyfriend got me tickets to see her show. It made me love him even more because he agreed to come along with me…he’s the best boyfriend!”
2. Gift Basket
Can’t think of one, amazing present? Fill a basket with some of his or her favorite things, such as a bottle of alcohol, some shot glasses, snacks, candy, cologne/perfume, etc. College students will always be pleased with free food and alcohol.
3. Headphones
With the traveling season finally here, many students will need to listen to music on their iPods and phones while taking those long road trips with their families. A good pair of ear buds is always useful, and if people really want to splurge, Beats by Dr. Dre is a great purchase for guys or girls. Besides, if they don’t put the headphones to use right away, they will down the line when their other pair breaks.
4. Freebies
Though it’s easy to get caught-up in the Christmas frenzy, it’s important to remember that the best things in life are not always material things. Try cooking a nice, decadent meal and telling them how much they mean to you…and maybe even spread some holiday cheer afterward: “The best gift for me would be sexual gratification,” said David Abernathy, a senior at Sacramento State. “I wouldn’t care about a present as long as my girlfriend gave me that.”
God-Awful Gifts
1. DVD of His or Her Favorite Movie
Just because they raved about the movie in the theater doesn’t necessarily mean they want to watch it over and over again. Plus, when movies are first released (especially those that come out right before Christmas), the price tag tends to be pretty steep.
Buy this instead: For roughly the same cost as a DVD, one can sign up his or her partner for four months of unlimited movies. Netflix offers a streaming-only package, which allows people to instantly watch thousands of movies from their computer (or TV via Wii or PS3) for just $7.99 a month.
2. Credit Card Gift Cards
At first, these may seem like perfect presents. But don’t be fooled – they come with some hidden drawbacks. Did you know there’s often a processing or an activation fee associated with these plastic presents? Plus, they are a little impersonal.
Buy this instead: Stick with a plain old gift card, but make sure it’s for a store or a website they like – iTunes is a safe bet. For girls, a Victoria’s Secret gift card is also appreciated (and boyfriends might be lucky enough to see what they bought), while most guys are happy with a GameStop or Best Buy gift card. Heather Bishop, a sophomore at Cal State Long Beach said, “Though some people think gift cards are impersonal, I would honestly be happy with a gift card to my favorite store so I can go and get some free clothes!”
3. A Gym Membership
Giving one’s partner a gym membership is just another way of saying, “Honey, you’re fat.” And everyone knows that’s a big no-no.
Buy this instead: An iPod dock is a great gift that gets people moving, and a small but powerful set of speakers are essential for anyone who loves music. “Playing music on my laptop gets old after awhile, and it would be awesome if my boyfriend got me some speakers so I could bump my music,” said Kimberly Plinkett, a junior at UC Berkeley.
4. A Beer-Making Kit
This contraption may sound like a fun idea, but once he realizes what a pain it is to brew his own cold one and how much he has to spend on ingredients, he’ll go back to picking up a six-pack from the grocery store.
Buy this instead: An indoor grill, either electric or the more authentic range top version. For whatever reason, guys associate grilling with masculinity, and he’ll be psyched to be able to cook up some manly steaks and burgers on the barbie, even during the winter months. Both Amazon and Best Buy have several for as little as $20.
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