Chances are HIF isn’t the only freebie site you traffic. One obvious difference you’ve probably noticed is that I hardly ever publish deals. I don’t even think I mentioned Black Friday or Cyber Monday this year and I’ve never been big on posting HOT coupons or SUPER deals because…ugh. That’s just not my cup of tea.
Part of the reason I avoid coupons and deals so much is because I don’t want to publish 10 or 20 posts a day. Another reason is I don’t shop that much! I rarely know if something is a great deal, so I don’t like pretending to be an authority on something I’m not. And finally most deal blogs cover (A) female stuff (B) children stuff and (C) coupons. I’m not a woman, I don’t have kids, and here’s my dirty secret – I suck at couponing. I just don’t do it. Like, at all.
It makes sense that so many sites cover those topics though. Most of you reading this are female and most people running deal blogs are as well. But here’s the thing. I’m a dude. Without kids. And that’s something I’m an authority at.
A common refrain from the women in my life is that guys are hard to buy gifts for. Particularly me. I find that crazy, because I’m incredibly thankful and appreciative for anything given to me. But I’m always told I’m hard to shop for because I like everything and I imagine that most guys in their twenties are the same way.
So I decided to put together a list of my favorite things just in case you too are having trouble buying gifts for the guys in your life.
These aren’t deals. Chances are everything is selling for what it normally does, though I did try to provide coupons and matchups where I could find them. More to the point is that every single item below are things that I use in my daily life and absolutely love. They were either given to me or I stumbled across them by accident at some point. They’re things that I would give my own brothers and as such have earned the Goob Stamp of Approval.
Whiskey Rocks for $19.95 15.95? – It’s no secret that a splash of water brings out the flavor in good whiskey, but one thing I hate is when the ice melts and waters it down. Enter whiskey rocks. You store them in the freezer, throw them in your drink, and you suddenly have a cool but not watered down beverage.
Moleskine
for $9.60 – These are hands down the best affordable notebooks I’ve come across. As I’ve mentioned before, I carry a pocket-sized, ruled, softcover notebook with me everywhere I go. They have a hardcover line as well (and actually a whole array of products from sketchpads to Lord of the Rings themed pads), but their basic ruled notepads are the ones I’m in love with. When you have a memory like mine, this is how you make sure never to forget.
uni-ball Jetstream pens
for $8.12 – Some of you may remember these pens from a few years back when they were given away as freebies. Well that’s when I got hooked – they’re fantastic. Though you can probably get them cheaper at your local store. Maybe not. To be honest, I buy them in bulk, but I doubt you’ll want to pay $20 for a box of 12 pens.
Tide To Go
for $8.21 – I’m a klutz and I hate doing laundry. Need I say more? I keep one of these in my messenger bag at all times and I can’t count the number of stains they’ve saved me from.
Baseball for … like $15? – This is one of those things that you need to buy in a store. But having a real baseball next to my computer is such a stress reliever. I can’t tell you the number of times I pick it up throughout the day and walk around my apartment tossing it to myself just to think or clear my head.
Yankee Candle
for $23.99 – I don’t care what any guy says, having a nice candle around is a good thing that we all enjoy. Whether we’re entertaining a lady friend or trying to clear the air after a night of Mexican food. I personally like the Drift Away scent or many of the other wood/water related scents. Try to stay away from any food smells. Those always make me unnecessarily hungry. You get the best bang for your buck with the larger candles since they burn for over 120 hours.
If you decide to make a purchase in-store, here’s a $20 off $45 coupon. You can also get 50% off all small jar candles. You’ll probably end up getting better deals that way.
SwissGear Computer Backpack
for $44.99 34.99? – This backpack can take a beating while protecting your laptop. It’s padded, it’s got decent storage space, tons of little loops and belts if you need them, and what I use when travel. I also have a SwissGear laptop bag, which kind of looks like a messenger bag, but I got that in a Beijing market. Even SwissGear knockoffs hold up well!
Keurig Coffee Brewer for $80 to $145 – There are way too many different versions of Keurig coffee makers, but thanks to the recommendations of my friends on Facebook, I got the B70 pictured above this summer and now float 10 inches off the ground all day long thanks to a constant intake of caffeine. My major reservation about these were the requirement of buying K-cups, but it turns out you can get them for $0.50 on average (as low as $0.25 if on sale) or you can still buy ground coffee since they come with a contraption that lets you make you own k-cups.
The best deals for these seem to be at Kohl’s. I’d honestly suggest getting one with a water tank, otherwise you have to put water in each time you make coffee, thus taking away some of the convenience of the machine.
Thanks to Moms Need to Know for the matchups below.
Keurig Mini for $99.99
Use Coupon Code THANKS2677 for 15% off.
Final Price is $84.99 + $10 Kohl’s Cash making it $74.99
Note: Consider adding anything priced at $0.01 or more to your order. This enables you to use code ORNAMENTS for 20% off.
Keurig B40 Elite for $119.99
Use Coupon Code ORNAMENTS for 20% off.
Final Price is $95.99 + $10 Kohl’s Cash making it $85.99
Note: Consider adding $4.01 more to your order to qualify for $20 in total Kohl’s Cash.
Keurig B60 Special Edition for $149.99
Use Coupon Code ORNAMENTS for 20% off.
Final Price is $119.99 + $20 Kohl’s Cash making it $99.99
Keurig B70 Platinum for $179.99
Use Coupon Code ORNAMENTS for 20% off.
Final Price is $143.99 + $20 Kohl’s Cash making it $123.99
Note: Consider adding $6.01 more to your order to qualify for $30 in total Kohl’s Cash.
Kindle Keyboard
for $119 to $159 – I read voraciously as a child and then fell out of it for a while starting in high school. A few years back I had the opportunity to get a Kindle and my world changed. I’ve read more in the past three years than I had the previously decade. The one pictured above is the older model, which I prefer, however the newer model is cheaper. I actually had my original Kindle stolen this autumn, so I picked up a newer Kindle Paperwhite
, which has built-in lighting. My only gripe is there’s no buttons on it, so in order to turn the page you have to manually tap the screen and it’s not that responsive.
If you go with the newer models, don’t bother with the 3G versions. It’s not worth the extra cost and weight.
Asics Onitsuka Tiger 81 Shoes for $51.99 – I never in a million years thought I’d rave about shoes, but these are the bees knees. They’re extremely lightweight and supposedly made 30 years ago for running, though the only running I do is to the subway station a block away. Zappos has them on sale plus they have a million color combos and free returns. I do want to note that they breathe so well that you don’t want to wear them in rain as they get soaked pretty quick.
Lands’ End No Iron Pinpoint shirts for $40 to $54 – And finally we have dress shirts, yet another product that I never thought I’d care about. It’s no secret that I can work in nothing but my underwear every day and the only person to find out is the mailman. However I like to actually get dressed every morning just so it feels like I’m going to work and I don’t slack off. And Lands’ End shirts are the best. You can pair them with slacks and throw a tie on or wear them out at night with jeans. Plus the no-iron ones never require ironing (just hang them in a steamy bathroom if they get wrinkled) and they never stain thanks to those Tide pens above.
So there ya go. All of the stuff listed above can be found in my apartment and I stand by them as good gifts. Hope that helps a few people this holiday season.
© Hey, It's Free!™ LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published for Hey, It's Free! as 2012 Holiday Gift Ideas for Guys.
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