Top Ten Gift Ideas for a Younger Brother Who Lives at Home with Your Parents

Do you have a little brother? Does he still live at home with your parents, even though he is well into his twenties and has a well-paying a job? Maybe he is saving money. Maybe he lives in New York or L.A. and can't afford the high rent. Maybe he just can't seem to make the big break, take the big step. Maybe he is cheap and likes free room and board. Whatever the reason, getting them a gift can sometimes be hard. You know they have money that is just sitting there. While you work hard and scrimp and save to make ends meet, they get all of their meals paid for, their laundry done, free soap and shampoo, meals out, cable television, and so on. So it's hard to spend a lot of money on them, especially when you know you probably won't get much from them. They are cheap, remember? So what do you do? Here are a few ideas.

10. Movie. A movie is a good gift. You know they don't have a lot going on in their life; it's not like their social life, especially with women, can be flourishing if their bachelor pad is also your mom's house. So a movie is something to do. It doesn't cost you much. And if you tell him something like "I thought you'd really like this," then it also becomes a thoughtful gift.

9. Music. Get them a compact disc. Everyone, or just about everyone loves music. People like to add to their collections; even bad music fills a spot on the shelf, which makes you look like an even more experienced and avid collector of tunes. A compact disc is also cheap, and you can say the same thing, "I heard this, and automatically thought of you!" And if you're feeling very generous, or don't think one movie or one CD is enough, get two, or one of each.

8. Book(s). While books are not typically exciting gifts, they can carry a lot of weight. Books are highly regarded in society, they are respected and treasured, so when one is given as a gift, it is not only the book itself, it is a personal treasure, something to be placed upon a shelf, to be taken with each time you move, even after it has been read (if it was ever read). It, too, is something to do.

7. New shoes (or equivalent clothes or accessory). Now, let me start by saying that no male, probably at any age, wants to receive shoes as a gift, unless he's in his early teens and it's a pair of high tops. However, most males, and that's not including the new wave of "metrosexuals," don't necessarily want to go looking for new shoes, let alone spend money on them. So they are a decent option for a gift, because he probably needs them. But here's the catch for you: make them as cheap and ugly as possible. He likely won't realize they're ugly and will wear them out. When a girl spots him, she'll think that, even though he doesn't have taste, at least he has a place of his own, because no mother would buy those shoes or let her son go out looking that bad. Before she finds out that he does in fact live at home with his mom, he's probably gotten a date or two out of it, which, then is a great gift, and it might lead to more, in which case he'll be moving out soon after.

6. Gym membership. If he doesn't have one already, this gift accomplishes several things. It gets him out of the house. He might meet people. He will see others enjoying a life of independence. And it will get him in shape. If it is too pricey, then just look for a gym that has a promotional offer of a month or two free, and package that certificate up with a movie or CD, and you have a solid gift.

5. Enroll them in the Beer of the Month Club. Like gift #7, this applies to the male who enjoys a drink every now and then. It's hard to go wrong when you are providing free drinks; that's always a nice gift. But also, the thought of a new beer coming to HIS OWN PLACE, the image of them in his OWN fridge, and the idea of people impressed by his collection of fine ales, stouts and lagers will have him picking up the apartment listings in no time.

4. Fancy corkscrew. This one works on several levels. You want it to be a nice one, that looks good, and that has a bottle opener as well. Most males in their twenties like to drink occasionally, or frequently. And even if they don't, they will, presumably, at some point have company, if and when they get a place of their own. So a corkscrew is a nice thing to have around. Plus, the though of actually using it, of needing it, of having a party or a woman over at a place of their own might actually inspire them to do so. It is a nice gesture all around.

3. Dancing lessons. Now this one might be a bit pricey, and it could be tricky to pull off, but it might turn out to be great. You have to really sell it, make it seem like you really, really want him to have it, so that he feels guilty and actually goes through with the lessons. But once he does, and gains skills and confidence in dancing, when he goes, he will do great with the ladies. And soon he will have enough of them to choose from that he will soon be choosing one to settle down with, in a place of their own.

2. Pick one or combination of: Pots and Pans/Vacuum/Towel set/Etcetera. This one is self-explanatory: your mom has them. The only place they are useful are…

1. Mini-vacation. A) It is a nice gift; everyone loves a vacation. B) More importantly, if he has enough fun, coming home to your parents will be so unpleasant that he'll finally break down and get a place of his own.