The Best Budget Gifts for the Holidays!*

 A guest post by Philip J Reed, on behalf of Aston Royal.

Don’t let the onslaught of Lexus commercials fool you into thinking more is more this holiday season. You can brighten a loved one’s day with gifts that are thoughtful, unique and affordable. Below are just a few gift ideas that can make the holidays merry and bright, without breaking the bank:

For the Kids

$12

Hexbugs might just look like little robotic cockroaches, but their unique path-finding capabilities and their ability to right themselves if they get flipped over can make them more fun to play with than you might expect.  Their habitats can also be customized and expanded upon endlessly, giving them a greater longevity than you might find with some other toys. Hexbugs also appeals to a child’s imagination.  Just don’t let the dog get too close to them!  Available from Toys R Us. 

$22

Movie tie-in merchandise is sometimes just a cheap cash-in, but every so often something just strikes you as a perfect gift for the lover of that particular film.  This replica of the futuristic hat worn by Marty McFly in the second Back to the Future film is definitely one of those! A great representation of one of the most iconic fashion accessories in modern movie history, this is a fantastic gift for fans of the film of all ages. Available from Entertainment Earth (out of stock but if you place an order it will be delivered when new stock arrives.

For Him

$79

For the book lover in your family, consider investing in a Kindle.  The price has never been lower and even the least expensive models can hold thousands of full-length books. The Kindle can also support subscriptions to digital versions of his favorite magazines.  The sleek convenience of an e-reader can win over even the most skeptical bibliophile but be warned:  once you put this in his hands, you might never get it out again!  Available from Amazon.

 

Various prices

While it may be difficult to shop for clothes for the man in your life, a high quality flannel shirt can be a pretty safe bet.  With a large number of variations on color, pattern and cut you should be able to find at least one shirt that appeals to him and you’ll probably find many more.  Prices vary by size and availability of course, but this can very easily be an inexpensive and fashionable gift to add to any man’s wardrobe.  Available from Stetson. 

For Her

$100, $65

For an affordable and personal gift for the holidays, you might consider a cross pendant or a crafted Star of David pendant.  The pendants pictured above cost $100 and $65 respectively and  many more are available from Aston Royal. With a wide selection of beautiful pieces, you’re sure to find one that she’ll love. It’s a fantastic way to make this particular holiday season last forever.

$50

The holiday season can be stressful, busy and of course, cold.  So what better way to help her unwind than a nice, warm, relaxing foot massage?  Give her the gift of rejuvenation that will last the entire year and beyond.  It’ll be one of the gifts that gets the most mileage, that’s for sure and its toe-touch controls means she won’t have to keep sitting up to make adjustments.  That leaves both hands free for a book…or a mug of hot chocolate.  Available from Bed Bath and Beyond.

Whatever you do this holiday season, take the time to pick out something you know he or she will really love.  It’s the season for giving and you can make it unforgettable with just the right gift.  Happy shopping!

*Sponsored post

Eye Spy a shopportunity!

If you're like me, the only time you like shopping is when there's a sale or discount coupon/code involved. I try my best to never ever pay full retail for ANYTHING...it just isn't my way, lol. I've always been a comparison shopping, review reading, coupon clipping, deal hunting, best bang for the buck kinda girl...the current economic depression has intensified that. Because I love a deal and I love passing them along, I've compiled a list of shopportunities for you, my awesome readers :-)


Don't say I never did anything for you!

First up, we have these gorgeous sequined shorts from Lulu's. They'll be perfect for your upcoming holiday parties...and with a $19.25 discount brought to you by Lucky Magazine, they'll be easier on your wallet.

Click here to buy and when you're ready to check out, enter code "lucky3" when prompted. Valid from November 1, 2011, through January 2, 2012, or while supplies last. Not keen on the shorts? Click here for a gold sequined skirt which is $8.75 less than the shorts. You can't use the discount code on the skirt...but then, you don't need to. As a bonus, Lulu's offers free shipping with a $75 or more purchase (to Continental US only). By the way, you can only use one discount code at a time.







One of the best things about shopping online is that you can comparison shop to get the best bang for your hard earned bucks. Another great thing about online shopping is Ebates.com. Ebates is a virtual mall featuring many of your favorite retailers and cash back shopping. If you aren't already a member (and you should be since it's free and they'll give you $5 just for signing up) you're missing out on today's daily double from Yves Rocher France. YRF has been in the botanical beauty business for 50 years and now you can get a whopping 30% cash back when you shop with them via Ebates. YRF also offers free shipping when you spend $40 or more. Hurry, this offer ends today, November 12, 2011! You'll also appreciate all the goo gobs of coupons, double cash back deals and the fact that you can get your cash back via PayPal. So stop procrastinating and join Ebates already!

Click image to purchase your Whoogas!

With the onset of winter (at least where I dwell) you're gonna want something to keep your feet warm and toasty and Whooga ugg boots will do just that. Love the way they look or hate the way they look, ugg boots are suede and sheepskin heaven for severely anemic folks like me. Although I own a pair of UGG brand ugg boots, I see a pair of Whooga brand ugg boots in my very near future. As shown in a side by side comparison picture on the Whooga website, Whooga brand ugg boots have a thicker sheepskin lining than those other ugg boots and as a bonus, they're less expensive. Want an even bigger bonus? Per the above picture, all Whoogas are 40% off. Need more incentive? Shipping is free, all Whoogas have a 1 year warranty and if there's a problem with your Whoogas, return shipping is free! No, I don't work for Whooga...but I wish I did :-)

Click the pic to shop!

Delia's is probably one of my favorite places to shop (they're on Ebates too) because they cater to women of a certain height (I'm 5'10 with a 36 inch inseam, pow!). Their jeans/pants are cute and inexpensive and they always have some sale or promotion going on. Some of their items are kinda pricey IMO, but I primarily buy jeans/pants from them. At any rate, from now until Monday, November 14, 2011, Delia's is offering free shipping on everything with the code "GETFREE". You should also know that Delia's is running a sale on all coats and boots up to 30% off.






That's it for now my little bargain hunters, I'll be back with more another day. Have you spied with your little eye a deal too good to pass up? Let a sistah know!