Some men are extremely delighted to receive a smartphone charger as a gift, while others seem to not want or need anything. Buying gifts for men, beyond the classic bottle of refined alcohol of taste is very difficult sometimes. If you are on a budget, things can get even more complicated.
Usually, men go for things that are practical or speak to their unique personality, tastes, and hobbies. If you have to buy a gift for a man and the classic Rolex is out of the question, do not fret: we have compiled a list of thirteen cheap gifts for men that are generally crowd pleasers and are a surefire way to make them smile and jolly.
1. Cute Tie
A nice tie will not cost you a fortune, but it will make your father, brother, boyfriend, or best friend happy, especially if he wears ties on a regular basis. If he wears funky ties, being the lighthearted and whimsical type of young man, you will certainly offer him a nice surprise.
There are dozens of fancy ties for office outfits and funky ties for the cool guys out there making statements with their fashion choices. It is all up to you to pick one that will really make him smile and want to wear the gift right away.
If you want to step up your game, you can choose a hand-painted tie, a bowtie in a funky design, or a set of tie-and-pocket-handkerchief for the elegant man with a penchant for classic fashion.
2. Fun Socks
If you are familiar with some of the newest corporate trends, you will realize that offering socks to all people – funky socks that is – is a surefire way to make somebody smile and be happy. There is no such thing as too many socks, so a man with a sense of humor will definitely appreciate some high-quality cotton socks with a funny design and print.
Funky, colorful socks are a person’s way of expressing their personality, fight the establishment in a subtle manner, and feel young and rebellious at heart discretely (especially in a corporate or regimented environment). If your man has a sense of humor and is a rebel at heart (while loving comfy socks), you cannot go wrong with this.
3. Games, Card Games and Board Games
If your boyfriend, friend, or brother is a geek at heart, games and board games make a fun and thoughtful gift. It shows these guys how much you care about their inner spirit and their hobbies. Even your father will be pleased by an exquisite set of playing cards or a chess set if he is skilled in such practices.
The best part of such gifts is that they are shareable. You can organize even a small game evening event with friends and family to test the new board game for instance. Puzzles, Lego sets, word games, strategy games, and online games, card trading games – they all work, depending on his tastes and preferences. If you are on a tight budget, you can look online for board game templates, download them and print them as well.
Some men are not even playing in the big league of gamers and geeks and will still enjoy a fun game to add to their collection of “entertainment accessories” for Saturday night home gatherings.
4. Books
Still in the realm of intelligent entertainment, let us focus on books for a moment. Some men read science-fiction and fantasy, others are channeling their inner Philip Marlowe by reading crime novels, while others are into graphic novels, and some read only specialty books dedicated to their profession.
Depending on the person, you are buying gifts for, you can buy a wide variety of books to meet and even exceed his expectations.
Books will never go out of fashion, even if many people prefer to use eBooks these days. This is not a problem either. If your friend or husbands like to read on an electronic device, you can still offer him a handful of electronic books to suit his needs, tastes, and hobbies.
Of course, you could add a sporty drawstring backpack to the gift so that he could carry his favorite books to work, to the gym, or while traveling.
5. Camo Drawstring Backpack
Young men live dynamic, agitated lives. They are almost always on the run and they need to have everything at hand when they need stuff. College students, young urban professionals, freelancers – they all sport these days various backpacks, messenger bags, and laptop bags.
If you want to offer a dear man in your life a stylish accessory that does not affect your budget significantly, you can go for a digital camo drawstring backpack. It is masculine, practical, goes with any age, outfit, and personal style and it will always remind the receiver you gave his needs and wishes a deep thought.
6. Business Card Holder Case
In the digital age, one may think that business card holders became obsolete. On the contrary, business cards are as fancy as ever, especially because now we have the technology of turning them into veritable works of art of personal/corporate branding.
Modern business card holder cases come in various materials and designs, featuring wood, leather, metal, and other blends. Moreover, some of them are gorgeous and slick, able to hold the giver’s business cards and the cards he receives from others.
Having a cardholder case is still a sign of class, high professional conduct, and impeccable taste. If your man falls into these categories, he will appreciate a refined case with a monogram for instance, or inscribed with their favorite quote about success.
7. Magazine Subscriptions
The beauty of such gift is that you have full freedom of choosing what subscription to buy for a man in your life depending on that man’s preferences, tastes, hobbies, and even profession.
Some are interested in sports, others in science, while others in medicine or tech news. Subscriptions are available for both printed magazines and online outlets, so the world is yours if you have some money to spend in order to make a man happy for a birthday or holiday.
On the same train of thought, while library cards seem a bit outdated, they are always a good choice for the scholar type of man, young college students, or veritable bookworms who love the feeling of reading in a library for a change – or taking books from one.
8. Headphones
Young men will never say no to an extra pair of headphones, especially if they are of good quality and nice design. This is a gift that works best with your music-loving boyfriend, best friend, favorite colleague, brother, or roommate. You can pick earbuds or classic headphones – just make sure they are compatible with his smartphone. It will not be hard for you to learn such information.
Stepping up your game in the headphones and music department can also mean getting the man a music album from his favorite artist or band, a subscription to a music cloud database, and so on. A pair of headphones with microphone works particularly well with gamers and professionals needing to hear and speak well during online conference calls and talks.
9. Cozy Comfy Bathrobe
Men love to feel kings of their castle and some luxurious pampering will do them a world of good. If you want to spoil a husband or a boyfriend, now it is your time to surprise him: a terry cloth or cotton bathrobe will make him feel (and look) like a superstar.
If he likes his comfort and personal time, get him a bathrobe in a sophisticated fabric, such as terry velour. The ones young and fun at heart also appreciate microfiber bathrobes because they are so fluffy they can make anybody feel warm and fuzzy.
You can have some fun with colors – navy blue and charcoal gray being all the rage right now. You can also spice things up with fabrics and prints. Some robes work well with the ones that don’t like the cold, so you need to look for thick, warm, comfy bathrobes. Some loungewear type of robes are simply thin, lightweight, and delightful against the skin.
In other words, you have a very wide area of choices to make. Do not fret, however, as you will learn that high-quality bathrobes are still some of the best cheap gifts for men these days.
10. The Almighty Sports Backpack
This is a gift with a universal appeal. Despite popular opinion, not all men are the sporty, gym-going type. However, a sports microfiber drawstring backpack is an excellent choice for young teenagers to accompany them to school, or for those young men who love to keep their sports outfit close by in the trunk of their car or under their office desk.
In comparison to regular backpacks, drawstring bags are easier to carry and store, they occupy significantly less space, and can serve multiple purposes at once. So they are a great choice for men who work out, have an interest in sports, or are trying to go green and need something to carry groceries with.
11. Touch Screen Leather Gloves
One of the problems in the digital world is that in winter we cannot always use our smartphones or touch devices with regular gloves – especially the knitted kind. If you have an elegant man around you need to buy something, go for a pair of touch screen leather gloves. They will keep him warm and allow him the freedom to use his touch screen devices with no problems.
Leather gloves usually go with mature men, the ones who love to dress elegantly and make an impression. If you want to buy touch screen gloves for a young, sporty fellow, you are in luck. You will find plenty of knitted or sport gloves featuring touch screen capabilities.
12. Caps, Hats, or Beanies
If you want to keep your man comfortable and great looking you always have plenty of accessories to choose from. Caps, hats, or beanies are cheap gifts for men that are certain to put a smile on his face. The “always cold” type will always favor a knitted beanie in a modern design. The cool type (the same channeling his inner Brando) will love the idea of pairing his trench coat with his new fedora. The sporty one always ready for an adventure will not say no to an extra cap.
In other words, there is no way to go wrong with headwear, unless the man in questions would rather die than getting caught in the street wearing something on his head – these are rare cases, however, so we say go for it!
13. Accessories
Speaking of hats and beanies, men wear plenty of accessories these days – and you do not have to spend a fortune getting them something that perfectly matches their style and personality. We are talking about leather bracelets or metal ones, chains, necklaces, belts or belt buckles, sunglasses, and so on.
Such a gift requires you know that man very well – not all enjoy wearing stacked bracelets with their watch – or even a wristwatch for that matter. However, if you do know him well and are sure on what are his tastes in the matter, you can actually make him a nice surprise with such a piece of jewelry or accessory that he will use with joy.
Conclusion
Sometimes, the thought and the intention matter more than the actual gift. Therefore, if you are going for that bottle of wine, make sure you offer it in a fine jute wine bag.
If the gift is for your romantic partner, you will both enjoy it. In case you want more than that, we hope this list of cheap gifts for men works as a starting point of inspiration for your future budget-oriented gifts. Remember, the best gifts are the ones that come from the heart!
Now it is time for you to tell us what other cheap gifts for men, in your experience, are the best ones. What other ideas of budget gifts can you share with us? How did the men in your life react to them?