Ten Gifts Under $10 for Mom and Dad

You're a kid on a mission. You have a few dollars saved up from your allowance, a paper route or from shovelling The Smith's driveway but it's not a lot and you want to get Mom or Dad something nice for their birthday. What's a kid to do? Pocket your hard-earned cash and head for the dollar store. You might be surprised by the attractive gifts you can piece together for ten dollars or less. See if one of these ideas is right for your Mom or Dad.

In The Garden - You have many options for containers to put this gift in, from plastic pots to attractively decorated galvanized metal pots. A small painted metal pail would make a great container as well. To make your gift extra special, why not choose a simple clay pot and decorate it yourself? Then add a pair of gardening gloves, a metal trowel, a pair of pruning shears and a metal garden spike. Add three packages of flower or vegetable seeds for a dollar and you have still spent only $6.00.

Flower Power - Pick the pot(s) of your choice. You can get brightly painted clay pots at two for a dollar. Other small pots are three for a dollar. Package a bag of potting soil (2 small bags for $1.00) and three packages of flower seeds for a dollar, along with your pots, in an attractive gift bag for a total cost of $4.00.

Chef's Special - New kitchen tools might be just what the cook in your family desires. Start with a metal utensil holder and line it with a colourful tea towel. Now pick out the kitchen utensils of your choice. It's up to you how many pieces you want to include but a large spoon, spatula, spaghetti server and ladle, all in the same style of course, would be good choices to start with. Including a gift bag, this present will only set you back $6.00 and is sure to be appreciated by the resident chef.

Dressed to Grill - Outfit the barbecuer in your family with some new equipment. Include a grill cleaning brush, a barbecue apron, a non-stick vegetable grill, a hamburger grill, a long handled spatula and a set of two skewers (all with rubber handles). Toss in a pair of plastic condiment holders and your gift will still only cost $6.00.

Car Crazy - For those who like nothing better but to ensure that they have a clean machine, here is a practical gift. Fill a large bucket with a car wash mitt or big sponge, a couple of packages of pre-treated interior cleaning wipes, a tire brush and a dash duster. The latter is a gadget with a dust mop-like attachment on one end and metal bristles on the other, for cleaning crevices and other hard to reach places. Depending on how many car care products you can find this gift will cost you about $6.00.

Gone Fishing - Many dollar stores have small plastic toolboxes in the hardware section. Why not turn it into a tackle box for the fisherman in your family? Pack it with any combination of packaged lures, leaders, hooks, flies, sinkers, floats, and lures along with some chips (2 small bags for a dollar) or some other small treat so the sportsman has something to nibble on while he's waiting for the fish to nibble! You might also want to include a fishing kit, which includes a stringer, a scaler, a hook remover and a bait knife. If you include everything mentioned, this present will cost $10.00.

Roadside Assist - Either Mom or Dad would appreciate having one of these in their car, just in case. Start with the small plastic toolbox and add a set of screwdrivers, a measuring tape, a utility knife, regular pliers, two different sizes of needle nose pliers, a pair of locking pliers and a tire gauge. This gift costs $9.00.

This Bubble's For You - Here's an old standby but still a great gift for the hard-working mom. Pick out a nice candle, add some bubble bath or shower gel, scented soap, bath cubes and a soft washcloth. Then throw in a small silver frame and her favourite chocolate bar for good measure. Put it all in an attractive box or bag for a total cost of $7.00

Glued To Go - Scrapbooking is phenomenally popular these days and, whether your mom or dad is already deep into the hobby or might like to try it, this will make an enjoyable gift. A square scrapbook folder would make a great place to contain the rest of your gift. Add to that some scrapbook paper (some stores sell whole themed kits for $1.00, other's sell the paper at two sheets for a dollar), a pair of scrapbook scissors (the kind that cut in a pattern), and two packages of stickers to coordinate with the paper. If you don't have any wrapping paper at home, pick up some of that, too. This unique gift will only set you back, $6.00 including the gift-wrap.

Tea Time - Somehow, a cup of tea or coffee is always a bit nicer when served in a cup and saucer. While most dollar stores seem to stock mostly mugs, you can occasionally find one with cup and saucer sets. They generally sell for $2.00 per set. Then head to the grocery store and pick out a small package of quality herbal or regular tea for about $4.00. If you do opt for giving a mug, pick out a set of glass coasters to go with it and the tea. I'm sure either gift would be appreciated and you'll only be spending about $6.00.

You will want to adjust the contents of each gift according to your budget and your parent's own special likes and dislikes because, after all, no one knows your mom and dad quite like you do.