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Post by anxiousmom on Dec 1, 2015 21:16:33 GMT
So, this is kind of embarrassing, so try to be gentle with me.  If you were to trying to come up with up with really, really inexpensive gifts for teenage boys, what would your creative and fertile brains come up with? And by inexpensive, I mean free if possible.  My Christmas budget this year is pretty lean, but I have good kids who will pretend whatever I get them will be just the most perfect thing ever. But as I try to come up with inexpensive (read cheap) I am having a bit of time coming up with something. I figure that I might not be alone in this-teenagers are really hard to buy for to begin with, but when funds are practically non-existant, it is exponentially more difficult-and I thought that maybe by me asking the question, we can come up with answers for not just me but others who might be as embarrassed to ask the question as I am. Soooo...any ideas?? Help a poor (literally) mom out. |
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craftykitten
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,304
Jun 26, 2014 7:39:32 GMT
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Post by craftykitten on Dec 1, 2015 21:19:41 GMT
Some 'vouchers' - like, one pass on cleaning your room, one pass on doing XYZ chore, an afternoon with no rules, etc?
I will keep thinking!
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 2, 2024 9:00:01 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2015 21:26:09 GMT
Tshirts,
Walmart has Coleman's coffee mugs for $8 or so. Back in the camping section. They are huge and durable.
Swiss Army knife. / multi tool
We have a Christian thrift store that gets high quality coats like columbia , north face. I would check a place like that out.
Nerf bow and arrows.
Art pencils and a drawing pad/ book
A DVD
A pack of coffee drinks
A huge jar of nuts
Manderian oranges
A huge box of goldfish.
Cards
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Peal
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,524
Jun 25, 2014 22:45:40 GMT
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Post by Peal on Dec 1, 2015 21:30:43 GMT
Used book store. My kids don't need never been cracked open books.
playing cards with fun designs.
One year I made each of my kids a painting that matched their interests. All it cost was the canvas since I already had the paint. Those paintings are still hanging on their walls.
do you have a fabric stash? Lounge pants are great for teen boys. Or lounge shorts since you are in florida.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 2, 2024 9:00:01 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2015 21:32:12 GMT
Slippers with a hard bottom
Pjs
A robe
Blanket in their favorite movie character
A huge towel
Bacon
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Post by wrongwayfeldman on Dec 1, 2015 21:33:54 GMT
Snacks. Those big movie size boxes of candy that ate $1 at WM. Jumbo barrell of cheese balls. Little Debbie cakes. The kind of junk food you don't usually have on hand so they each have a personal stash.
Card games.
Puzzles you can do together at the table.
Even a $5 gift card to iTunes or Gamestop will get them a little treat.
I love the idea of coupons. Time together, dinner in front of the tv night, getting out of a chore pass, etc.
How old are they and what are their interests? I'll keep thinking.
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Post by supersoda on Dec 1, 2015 21:34:03 GMT
What are their ages and what are they into?
My teen girls are all about pop culture and fandoms, so I've loaded them up on inexpensive graphic T's and lounge pants from Kohl's and Hot Topic. I don't think I've paid more than $15 for anything and a lot of the shirts were less than $10. They also like the Funko Pop Vinyls, which are available for most anything for less than $10. Books, comic books, and graphic novels. I was in Barnes & Noble today and they had Marvel and DC graphic novels buy 2 get one free. They are usually about $15 each.
And anything music related. Often I can find the music they want cheaper as a CD from Amazon than they can download it for, and you usually get a free digital copy. I bought DD way too many cd's for her birthday because I was getting them for $6-7.
What about movie tix? Or check Groupon, Living Social and Goldstar for tickets and experience gifts.
I know it sucks to be broke around the holidays. I hope you can find some great deals.
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Post by melanell on Dec 1, 2015 21:39:02 GMT
Do you do stockings? I find kids love stockings no matter how old they are. You can wrap up a dozen un-realted cheap things and toss them in a stocking and it's considered fun anyway.  I like to look for free or nearly free deals at CVS, Rite-Aid, etc. for stockings. Check out clearance ares, etc. You never know what you might find. Plus, think secondhand. Whether it's a consignment shoppe, thrift store, library book sale, or ebay. Sometimes you can even find things that haven't been actually used previously...just owned previously, and the savings is substantial. |
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Trixie Bender
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It's all fun and games until someone doesn't pick up on the sarcasm
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Jun 26, 2014 11:31:57 GMT
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Post by Trixie Bender on Dec 1, 2015 21:39:25 GMT
Perfect!  |
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pridemom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,843 
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Post by pridemom on Dec 1, 2015 21:40:19 GMT
I bought $5 power packs for charging electronics at Walmart.
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Post by anxiousmom on Dec 1, 2015 21:40:20 GMT
Thanks for not making me feel more horrible than I already do...  They are 17 and the older isn't technically a teenager any more (20) but as far as gifts go, the same age bracket at his brother. And by the way? @megmc? The bacon would be the single most coveted gift EVER-I don't eat pork and they only get bacon at their dad's. |
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Post by pmm on Dec 1, 2015 21:44:04 GMT
I sympathize with you on buying for teenagers. Now that mine are 20 and 24 it isn't any easier. Both of them have more money in savings than I do.
My budget has been small in the past and it sure does put a damper on the season. When I was in your position, I figured up how much I could spend on each of them and then bought them a gift that I thought they would like in my budget. This way they had something under the tree to open. If you can't find anything in your budget for them that they would enjoy how about a gift card to the movies or some other activity that they enjoy. You may be able to stretch your budget further by finding a groupon for the activity.
I like the idea of a coupon book as someone else mentioned. I would also make them their favorite treat for in their stocking.
I applaud you for your creativeness!
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Post by pmm on Dec 1, 2015 21:47:25 GMT
The bacon would be the single most coveted gift EVER-I don't eat pork and they only get bacon at their dad's. You could make a coupon for bacon and whatever they want to go with it for a meal! |
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Post by pealikecrazy on Dec 1, 2015 21:47:56 GMT
EAR BUDS!
(my son is forever losing his!)
or...
I love the coupon thing! "Mom will do all of your laundry for a whole week!" ...or, however long you can stand. lol.
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anaterra
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,858
Location: Texas
Jun 29, 2014 3:04:02 GMT
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Post by anaterra on Dec 1, 2015 21:51:21 GMT
My adult children get a towel, pkg of socks,pj pants, razor kit thing (they are usually a Christmas sale gift thing at walmart)... and then lots of random in stocking (scratch offs, lures, carmex, gift cards, make-up stuff... )
they don't get "real" gifts from us anymore... :-( but they have multiplied so we do what we can... its our own version of want/need/wear/read... except its need/need/wear/wear... lol
We have $50 for each grandchild... so we are not the extravagant grandparents... they also get towels sock n pjs.. but bubble bath bombs instead of razors
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Post by Flibbertigibbet on Dec 1, 2015 21:59:21 GMT
What about getting them one of their favorite movies from when they were a kid on DVD? We have tons of used stores that sell them for a few bucks. If it was a favorite from childhood it would be special to them and they wouldn't care if it was cheap or not. Other inexpensive options are gloves with the fingertips for using phones. They are about $12.
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Post by pealikecrazy on Dec 1, 2015 22:01:08 GMT
Ohhh....a coupon book for each Month of the Year. Like...Jan 2016 - breakfast in bed - whatever you prefer.
Feb 2016 - Movies with me on any Saturday. March 2016 - yada...yada... (go to a baseball game? special local area event?)
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Post by gritzi on Dec 1, 2015 22:04:05 GMT
Bacon, donuts, homemade cookies & fudge
$1 ear buds from the Dollar Tree
Lottery Ticket(s)
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Post by gmcwife1 on Dec 1, 2015 22:05:51 GMT
Well darn, I was going to tell you what my nephew wants but you don't need them in Florida  Ok, team stocking cap and NFL socks, which are both inexpensive as a single item. I will ask my dd's boyfriend for some ideas though I love the coupons, maybe their choice of mom cooked breakfast or dinner. So only foods they want I know my kids would LOVE that and it's not because I'm a good cook, but they would love to have only foods they liked or wanted!! |
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Post by elaine on Dec 1, 2015 22:06:22 GMT
If you have a Five and Below store near you, they have a ton of cute inexpensive stuff, including stuff with your local professional teams' logos on it, electronics accessories, and stocking stuffers. You can also go the local Dollar Tree and see what you can find there - they sometimes have things that would also make good stocking stuffers, including snack food items.
eta: my boys LOVE getting Slim Jims in their stockings each year - it is a tradition.
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bellemagic
Junior Member
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Post by bellemagic on Dec 1, 2015 22:10:09 GMT
How about the dollar shave club? Just get it for a month for each of them.
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wellway
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Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Dec 1, 2015 22:11:10 GMT
How about a skills coupon book,
Use this voucher to get help planning and cooking a nice meal for girlfriend
Use this voucher to learn how to sew a hem, or sew on a button
Use this voucher to learn how to use any kitchen machine
Use this voucher to learn how to iron any article of clothing correctly
Use this voucher to learn how to use the cutlery in a formal setting
Use this voucher to learn ........
I bet you have an array of skills that your boys could benefit from knowing.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Dec 1, 2015 22:14:54 GMT
Plus, think secondhand. Whether it's a consignment shoppe, thrift store, library book sale, or ebay. Sometimes you can even find things that haven't been actually used previously...just owned previously, and the savings is substantial.  Also try pawn shops. Most of them are really nice now, not like the stereotype. I would think at this time of year they would have tons of DVDs, CDs, video games, tools, instruments and music stuff and other stuff that boys might like. My cash strapped brother would find some of the best stuff for his kid at much more reasonable prices by going to pawn shops. |
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Post by melanell on Dec 1, 2015 22:15:34 GMT
Do they have any favorite childhood treats, cookies, baked good that you can make for them? I can recall one of my aunts always giving my one cousin a batch of one of her homemade candy because he just loved it so much.
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Post by melanell on Dec 1, 2015 22:17:43 GMT
Also, do you have anything that you could sell on a local Facebook group for a few extra bucks? Even outgrown jeans or such of your younger son. That kind of thing gets snapped up on the boards I frequent. Parents who know that junior need jeans but wants a video game are out there looking for ways to fill the need as inexpensively as possible so that they can save money for the want, kwim?
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bellemagic
Junior Member
Baking Aunties Cookies
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Post by bellemagic on Dec 1, 2015 22:30:23 GMT
The Container Store has a bunch of inexpensive cool gadgets.One of my favorites is the Mini Micofiber Fuzzy Finger Mitt..it is about $2.00
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wellway
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Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
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Post by wellway on Dec 1, 2015 22:30:27 GMT
A plain white mug, bowl and plate, use a sharpie to mark on a design or the words to their favourite song, movie etc and bake in the oven to set.
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bellemagic
Junior Member
Baking Aunties Cookies
Posts: 64
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Post by bellemagic on Dec 1, 2015 22:32:06 GMT
A car vent phone mount. That is about $5.00
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Post by trixiecat on Dec 1, 2015 22:32:36 GMT
Sign up for rewards programs at the stores. I am not sure why, but every month I keep receiving a "free $10" from Eddie Bauer. I take that coupon and buy my husband two pairs of their socks. They are normally $10 a pair, then the have a sale at 25% off, so I get two pairs of socks for $7.50 instead of $20. I also am receiving the same deal from Staples.
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Post by k8smom on Dec 1, 2015 22:33:05 GMT
Check out discount stores like Ross, TJ Maxx, Marshalls. They have a lot of great buys on T-shirts, scarves, baseball hats, wallets, etc in the $5 - $10 range.
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Ok, team stocking cap and NFL socks, which are both inexpensive as a single item. 
Also try pawn shops. Most of them are really nice now, not like the stereotype. I would think at this time of year they would have tons of DVDs, CDs, video games, tools, instruments and music stuff and other stuff that boys might like. My cash strapped brother would find some of the best stuff for his kid at much more reasonable prices by going to pawn shops.
