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I got my fiancee the first season of Burn Notice and Everybody Loves Raymond. I am also getting him The Dark Knight, and a shirt from Menswarehouse. He really just wanted dvds too, but he did ask for a shirt! :)
How about something having to do with any hobbies or sports?Shirts, collectors stuff, or T shirts from his favorite shows?
If you want to do something thoughtful, you could get something small, and then make a 'coupon' for a romantic dinner and a movie, or if he likes sports, dinner and watching a game with him.
We are tight on money too , so we cut back this year. I got my fiance tickets to a hockey game pre-wedding as his big/fun gift. Then we promised we would do wedding related gifts and we decided what could be bought now and made a list of things we would like. (We'll have to buy them anyways for the wedding, so using these as xmas gifts saves a little money!), So I ended up getting him the tie he wants to wear for our wedding day. I may also get a few gift certificates to restraunts in our wedding locale area since we will be spending a few nights there. Then I went to Black Friday and bought him work clothes, which he desperatley needs at super cheap prices.
Hm, well, this kind of depends on a few circumstances, but my fiance just got a new laptop, and I'm a bit artistically inclined (only a bit!), so I got him this bag http://www.skoobadesign.com/product/skooba-skin-diy-38/ . It's discontinued, so it's only $15, and it's a really good quality bag. (no pockets though) This version comes as a blank canvas, so I get to design and paint it how I want. You could even do something as simple as a printed stencil of a favorite sports team, movie, etc, and use fabric paint (it comes in spray form!) to paint the bag.
I'm giving my fiance an ipod nano for Christmas. Have you thought about a shuffle? They're only $50 and come with free engraving! We've been engaged since September, but I just got my ring yesterday, so I'm getting the word "Yes" engraved on his and letting it double as an engagement present. 
Are you guys doing an ornament exchange at all? My husband and I are and I'm SOOOO excited to see what he got for me. It will be a wonderful way to build up our tree over the years!
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Hi Lattelove.
I normally make my Fi vouchers - everything from doing his ironing to making his favourite dinner ( and a few x rated ones thrown in too ). He loves them.
This xmas he is getting a DVD, some vouchers plus his favourite desert-choco hotto pots ( recipe by Nigella Lawson-they are to die for and really easy to make).
Good luck!
I got my fiance a painting from a local artist of a fly fisherman on one of the beautiful rivers around us. It was $75 (ish) and well worth it!
BONUS: I love it too, so when we do move in together, it is one less thing we will have to negotiate about going in the dumpster.
I have done vouchers as well...Back Massage, Foot Massage, Dinner/Dessert of his choice, a movie night out etc. Good Luck! :)
i totally understand not wanting to get dvds and books. i guess it feels like a gift to someone you love so much should be brimming with a personal touch, or at least feel more "special", right?
that being said, it is always nice to be able to get something you know the recipient will love, and if your guy wants those dvds or books, you know you're on the right track...
how about adding something cheap (read: free) and way personal to the dvd or book? i got my guy a new pair of jeans that i know he's been wanting and a dvd, but the thing i'm most excited about won't cost me anything at all! i am making a cd with the 50 songs that are most important to me and then i'm writing out why. (like a bee has done before -mrs. avocado? i don't remember) i will end the cd with the songs that mean something to the both of us or remind me of him.
that way, we both win. he gets the gift he actually wants (dvd, blah blah blah), and i get to also give him something way personal and meaningful.
good luck and have a great christmas!
This year I'm getting him some cologne I know he will never buy for himself, but loves. Kinda pricey, I think it was 50ish...
BUT, a few years ago I made him a gift, a few actually, lol. I think the most meaningful was a blanket I crochet'd for him. We were doing the long distance thing while I was in college, so I worked on it and put a note with it saying how many stitches, etc I used, and how it was made with love and was a part of me to be with him when I couldn't, but it was also large enough to cover us both when we could be together. We still use it as a comforter on our bed now, living together. I also made him a less useful project once. He is a guitar player, so I bought a bunch of cheap black guitar picks from ebay, and attached little notes to each of them with something i loved about him on it, and out it all in a jar with the tag "pick something i love about you" he loved that too, it is still sitting on his desk.
Mine's getting a fancy set of bartending stuff (a new corkscrew and cocktail shakers and wine bottle stoppers and such), some cologne (Banana Republic's Slate - smells sooo good!), a couple shirts, and Sleeping Beauty on Bluray DVD (we're starting a Disney classics collection). That's it so far. :)
Just try to find something meaningful, and he'll love it! Good luck!
Mr. Doctor is getting a subscription to National Geographic this year and a membership to Microbrews of the Month club. I'm really excited that his gift will surprise him all year.
I'm also doing the cologne thing as well as some vouchers- he actually asked for the vouchers! Magazine subscriptions are also a great gift.
Latte love, I think I am going to burn a CD for Mr. Peep with possible first dance songs. We have been struggling on this one. I have been listing to Pandora at work, and I write each song I like that could work. Maybe you could burn him a few CDs?? We also went shopping one afternoon and found a bunch of stuff he liked. So I am giving him a bunch of clothes too.
FI is getting new sneaks, a couple of books, and a subscription to www.filmmovement.com-- a site that sends you a new indie movie on DVD every month (to keep).
My fiance and I went the practical route for the first time this year, because wedding planning and getting his house ready for us to live in together have strapped our finances! Since my fiance just got the Internet over Thanksgiving, we took advantage of Black Friday deals to get ourselves a computer for Christmas. We each paid half. Not very romantic, but we'll have to get one eventually, and we'll get a lot of use out of it before the wedding!
Going for something affordable or practical while you are planning a wedding is a smart idea. Don't forget you'll be getting wedding rings soon, too! I do like Peep Toe's suggestion of a mixed CD of potential first dance songs.
I *was* going to get my guy a custom sculpted figurine of his dog from a seller on Etsy, but I can't manage to get pictures of his dog from him - so I came up with a backup plan. He will now be getting a few things for the office he's opening soon. (Not generic office supplies, but decor items).
In general, when I try to come up with gifts for him, I just consider his hobbies - softball, cars, his dog, and anything lawyer-related. For example, if I could find a baseball jersey from his favorite player when he was a kid, that would be a PERFECT gift. Also, tickets to things we can do together are always good. (Baseball, Nascar, day cruises, etc).
Maybe something similar? ;)
I have to echo the ornament comment. Each year we get ornaments for each other. This year I got him one with 2 snowmen and wrote our names, engaged and the date we got engaged.
You can get clear glass balls cheap from crafts stores, get a couple $1 tubes of paint and put special moments on them that lead up to your engagment. When my FMIL moved across country we did this with locations special to her. For example we picked up small stones from the church she was married in and wrote the location on the ornament. Hope that helps, Carla ;)
How about a two sides frame. In one slot you can put a pic of the two or you and in the other side you can put the words to a sonbe or quote froma movie or book that has some special meaning to the two of you. Or you can by lots of little gifts and have a scavenger hunt around your place, ending of course with a special kiss under the miseltoe.
I'm going to get him a membership at the climbing gym with a card for 5 or 10 day pass. He loves to climb but can't do it when it's a rainy day.
Other things: a framed picture from our wedding. I'm editing a picture taken to be square and focused on our shoes while we were dancing. It'll be in a simple black square frame.
A black belt (he alwyas complains he only has a brown one) and maybe a CD case because he is running out of room in the ones he already has.
I won't go over $100.
Mr. Wiglet and I aren't exchanging gifts this year. Money is too tight, and he and I would both rather put what we've got into the wedding, instead of presents for each other.
However, the other night, he could tell that I was sort of sad that this is our reality, so he said "Why don't we give each other promises? Not vague stuff, like 'I'll love you forever,' but stuff like 'I promise that we'll go to the south of France in the next three years' or 'I promise that I'll shave my legs once a week for the next month for you.'" (That's right: I don't shave my legs. My hair is blonde and invisible, but he still loves it when they're smooth.)
Anyway, I thought that his idea was the sweetest thing.
Also, and this doesn't really apply to most people: for my parents this year, I'm planning a huge surprise vacation in January. Luxury hotel/food/activities. The only hitch is that I'm broke, so they're going to have to foot the bill (they can afford it). I'm basically being a first-class travel agent for them. This might work for a couple with separate finances - plan a fun day with the guys for your well-to-do fiance!
My fiance told me a little while ago that he really wanted the criterion special edition of "Steve Zissou's 'A Life Aquatic'", one of his favourite movies. Far be it from me to *just* get him a DVD so I'm knitting the red touque (or "beanie" for all you non-Canadians) that is prominently featured in the movie. We're both cinephiles so movies are always a popular gift idea, but it's also nice to throw in a personal touch right??
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I know you said "no books", but for my fiancé I am getting him the Postsecret series and making some of my own "secrets" and putting them into the books so he can find them as he reads them. Some are going to be emotional and others funny, but I think it makes a pretty good gift for both of us.
I also got him this classic game called <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic">Regatta since we are both sailors. It's pretty interesting, so hopefully he will like it.
We're not exchanging gifts, either. We both decided we'd rather save for the honeymoon. :)
I just wrote on my blog about the great gifts that redenvelope has for under $50...you might want to browse their website.
You guys have some great ideas. I think planning a fun date is always a good gift because then you have a lasting memory. In the past to save money I've made picture frames, modge podge a gumball machine full of M&Ms (for our initials) and made a calendar.
Now that I started the calendar a few years ago he wants one every year! You can go to kinkos, snapfish etc. The best quality I have found is off of an Apple iLife if you have a Mac.
Also, the first year we were dating I did the Postsecrets book with my own secrets on handmade postcards. It was really special and he still talks about it as one of his favorite gifts.
I got my sweetie a dutch oven pot that he's been coveting (a la Le Creuset) and a favorite childhood board game that he and I share. I think it will be a great gift because it facilitates wonderful, cheap date nights while we're broke bride-and-grooms to be! :)
Good luck!
We are on a $50 budget this year, too...and it's killing me! I am much less creative than I ever imagined.
Here's what I've got so far: an engraved money clip/card holder from Things Remembered. I'm usually not a huge fan of that place, but my FI has wanted a card holder for ages. Also, a hat from this special/funky L.A. t-shirt store that he loves.
I also love the idea of the microbrews of the month club (mentioned by doctorgirl), but sadly, the budget doesn't allow for it. With those 2 items I'm up at about $45! Yikes, the rest will have to be homemade goodies and possibly a fun ornament!
I don't know if this will be helpful, but I plan to get my fiance a wallet - his is literally falling apart. Is there something he uses a lot that is in bad need of a replacement?
For guys that love music, check out Paste magazine (http://www.pastemagazine.com/). They send you a magazine with up and coming new artists every month, usually ones who haven't even signed a record contract, and inside the magazine is also a sampler CD with about 20 songs on it. I got it for my guy on a whim this summer and he LOVES it. I think subscriptions are about $20.
Usually we plan a trip as our holiday present to each other-- this year our work schedules are more busy so we're doing gifts instead. I got him a badger brush shaving kit and am also getting one of his favorite guitars tuned up at the shop (he knows about that gift, though).
Thank you for all your wonderful advice!
The coupons for dates, massages, etc would be nice...but we are doing the long distance thing (chicago to san diego) til the wedding, and we are only seeing eachother 3 more times before the big day! But i will keep that in mind for our first married Christmas when we are really broke!
Music is also a no-no, as Fi and I have almost completely opposite tastes in music. We have tried to compromise or even to pick out tomsething for eachother and it has been a disaster. BUT, i might be able to do this for possible first dance songs, so thank you Mrs Avocado!! That's the perfect spin.
Here is what I am thinking after reading all your great ideas!
Total: $51.98.
Woo hoo!!
Thanks again, bees!!
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Hey Latte, an FYI that if engraving turns out to be expensive, it is fairly easy to DIY! All you need is some of this:
http://www.armourproducts.com/cat--Armour+Etch--Armour+Etch.html
and a stencil. I made etched glasses for everyone on my list a few Christmases ago... and it was very reasonable.
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Hi bees!
I am in a bind. It is a mere 11 days from Christmas and I have NO idea what to get FH!
Money is tight because I'm saving most pennies for the wedding, but I want to get him something meaningful around $50 (that are not books/dvds...which is all he ever asks for!) i have a little bit of time because we are exchanging gifts when I go out to see him over new years.
Do you have any good ideas for inexpensive, thoughtful Christmas gifts for your husband or husband-to-be? Care to share them with me and the hive? (I hope this will help others and not just me!)
(or any guys our there who have good ideas?) thanks!