Holiday Gift Guide for the Practical, Frugal, (or Cheap) Person

We all know that really cheap person, and if you ask my friends, I'm the cheapest person they know. I prefer to say that I am practical or frugal, but whatever you want to call me, I am hard to find a present for. While I like just about anything that I can use, I can't help but think of my friends wasting their money on certain items. If you bought me a bath towel, I would love it and use it. If you buy me a 96 color eye shadow set, I am going to wonder what on earth possessed you to waste your money on such an item. So how exactly do you shop for that cheap person?

It seems funny that people can be so cheap that they are worried about other people spending too much of their hard earned money. However, this is definitely the case with me. I love getting necessities. Bath towels, blankets, and even underwear, are all acceptable gifts. Something doesn't necessarily need to be a necessity for me to like it, but I also don't like to see people I know wasting their money. I don't have an mp3 player, so if someone were to get me one, I would love it. It doesn't need to be an iPod, and preferably, it is something less expensive with more features. But when someone got me my third card reader for my digital camera, it seemed like a waste. Sure, it was only $20... but I have three of them now! Yes, they are all slightly different. But come on! Who needs three card readers? Not even me. And I take thousands of photos.

So how do you know what this practical person you know needs? Take a look at their house next time you are visiting. Are the towels looking old? Do they only have one blanket? If they're easy to shop for as far as clothes go, see what size they wear. If you can find out what they're saving up for, that might make a good present idea. I'll give an example of three things you could figure out that I need just by visiting:

1. If you look at my bed, you'll notice that I only have one blanket. This blanket is not even long enough to cover my feet, and it's getting cold (or at least, by Southern California standards). If I received a nice velvety blanket as a present, I would love it and have it for years and years (until it died, twice).

2. You'll probably also notice that I always walk around barefoot, and that part of the house has tile floors. A pair of slippers would be nice, but I probably won't get them myself until they go to the clearance rack.

3. If you asked me what I'm saving up for, I'd tell you that I am looking at 1GB mp3 players for playing audio books. If you can't afford an mp3 player and would feel weird getting a blanket or slippers, this gives you another idea. If I want something to listen to audiobooks with and I'm saving up for it, I will have it eventually. So you can buy me the audio books that I'll want to listen to on it.

Now, just because someone doesn't have something doesn't mean that they want it or need it. I only have four colors of eye shadow. But I don't want or need that 96 color set. If you knew me, you'd know I only use eye shadow twice a year at the most (contrary to what make-up companies would like you to believe, my eye shadows have lasted for 5 years and are still perfectly fine). I also didn't have a skateboard before, and someone who didn't know just how uncoordinated I am stupidly bought me one. After breaking my arm while trying to rollerblade, I decided not to risk trying out the skateboard.

Knowing your cheap but lovable friend is the key to picking the right gift. Afterall, no gift guide is going to be able to help you if you don't know anything about the people you are buying gifts for. But hopefully this gift guide has pointed you in the right direction to looking like a fellow frugal shopper.