Christmas Gift Ideas for Bosses Under $50: Cheap but Nice

Figuring out what to get your boss for Christmas without breaking the bank can be tough. Here's a list of cheap Christmas gift ideas for your boss that'll still make a good impression.

Chocolates

One of the simplest Christmas gift ideas for a boss is chocolate. Barring an allergy or a dislike for chocolate, go ahead and get your boss the gift of chocolates. But don't necessarily go for shipped chocolate. By the time you pay the higher shipping costs (because the chocolate has to be kept cool and quick shipped) it's going to cost you more than you'd think. Instead, find a local non-commercial gourmet chocolatier.

Find Out What Their "Thing" Is

Engage the boss in idle chit chat. Ask him (or her) what he did on the weekend. This can be the seed for super Christmas gift ideas. You can find out what the boss likes to do for fun. Once you know that-you can take it from there. Whatever their thing is, you can find a gift related to it.

Go to the Bookstore

You know what the boss' "thing" is and I bet there's a book on it. Books always make for a great Christmas gift ideas. Hardcover is more impressive than soft cover, but if you're getting them multiple things or putting it in a gift basket, soft cover is acceptable.

Golf

Trick balls are always fun to take on the links. If you're boss is a bit of a joker, this is an entertaining Christmas gift idea. Otherwise, get him a hard cover inspirational book on a golfer and perhaps a serious golf accessory.

Surfing

Call your local surf shop, state your budget and see what accessories they might have. Some will have absolutely nothing. In that case move on to the next surf shop on your list or just buy one of the many surf DVDs out there.

Biking

You'll have to find out what she already has, or get your boss something you know she'd never buy for herself. Cheap Christmas gift ideas for your biking boss can include fingerless gloves for riding, a basket to add on the front or back of the bike or an odometer that tracks how many miles the bike has gone.

Baking and Cooking

Williams-Sonoma can be expensive, but if you know they love to bake or cook it's a good place to start. Some items you can only get there, but others you can find in other kitchen specialty stores, or even Target. One of my favorite Christmas gift ideas for the kitchen this season is a noodle trivet that not only serves as a trivet, but can also measure pasta-also the design is pretty fabulous and unique: http://sfmoma.stores.yahoo.net/noooodletrivet.html

Travel

Head to any luggage/travel store and you've got a lock on your cheap Christmas gift ideas for your boss. Actually travel/luggage stores tend to carry all manner of bric-a-brac that does well for corporate gifts, including expensive pens. You can also buy great guides on travel or coffee table books with gorgeous pictures at the bookstore.

The Gift Basket

Gift baskets are a way to show a boss you care without being too personal. Even better, they're a cheap Christmas gift idea for bosses that doesn't seem cheap. Check out these sites for ideas:

http://www.simplyclassicgiftbaskets.com

http://www.bluechopsticks.com

https://www.vansgifts.com/corporate-gift-baskets.html

DIY Gift Basket Stuffed with Alcohol

There are a host of cheap Christmas gift ideas for gift baskets, but I lean toward throwing alcohol into a DIY basket.

Sure, you can buy pre-made gift baskets, but you can also fill up your own. Buy baskets during the year, when you find them for sale at a cheap price. Most of the time craft stores realize you're also going to be buying basket accouterments, so they're often willing to sell baskets at a cheaper cost in order to get you to buy the other items.

Don't be limited to a basket as your container. Even a metal pail or a planter will do. You can buy a bottle of wine or champagne, stick it in a bucket with festive paper, wrap the whole thing in colored cellophane paper topped with a bow and you're good to go. $30-$50 can also buy you a decent scotch (albeit in a small quantity). Find out what his poison is and head to the liquor store.

I'm a fan of the beer basket as a Christmas gift idea. If you know your boss drinks beer and likes it, you can go to a specialty store that sells singles of unusual or foreign brands. Call around to some of your neighborhood wine stores to find out if they stock that sort of thing. As long as it's not readily found at the supermarket, it's a great thing to place in the boss's basket-provided he's not a reformed alcoholic or a teetotaler.

Just a side note-don't get him variety pack of a bunch of those tiny hard liquor bottles. For some reason that's insulting, whereas 6 beers or a single bottle or two bottles wine is not.

Make Cookies or Candy

Buy a holiday tin and fill it with your homemade goodies-volia, instant cheap Christmas gift idea for the boss.

Sites for Cheap Gifts for Bosses

So maybe chit chatting with the boss is out of the question. Maybe you don't know your boss well and his secretary isn't dishing out suggestions (even after you took her to lunch).

In this case the only thing you can do is get something that would fit anyone in the corporate ivory tower.

A couple of sites to get your search started:

http://www.corporatesnobs.com/

http://www.gifts.com/occasions/bosss-day/o17hraic1p

Still stuck as to what to give your boss as a Christmas gift? Try these ideas, which are generic enough to fit most bosses:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/82864/top_ten_gift_ideas_for_your_boss.html?page=3&cat=74

Get it engraved

Nothing says "I got this just for you!" like a monogram. Even though it's often not that expensive to get three initials, this gesture can impress.

http://www.personalizationmall.com/

http://www.thingsremembered.com

It's the Presentation that Counts

Even if your cheap Christmas gift ideas cost you just a few dollars, careful and creative wrapping will cause your gift to stick out in your boss' memory. Check out this article for creative ways to wrap your boss' gift.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/448765/how_to_make_cheap_and_creative_christmas.html?cat=30