If you have difficulty trying to decide what to get the special man in your life, don’t worry. I got you! I’ll be listing down some of my favorite inexpensive gift ideas for men (based on some stuff that I myself would want to get, heh!).
Affordable Doesn’t Have to Mean Cheap!
Before I give you my list of top cheap gifts for men, I need to tackle the word “cheap” first. When I use the word “cheap” what I really mean is affordable and inexpensive. The word cheap might have a negative connotation to some people. Cheap could mean anything from lacking in quality, tacky, useless, or something bought without much thought.
Now, just because a gift is affordable, it doesn’t mean it’s cheap. There are a lot of products out there – many of which I’ll be listing down in this article – that don’t cost a lot of money but are still pretty awesome. They make pretty awesome gifts for the man in your life while saving you money.
The key to giving affordable gifts without being cheap is to remember two things: focus on quality and focus on what you think the recipient will want.
When focusing on quality, that sometimes means you’ll have to sacrifice quantity. For example, a sampler of top-quality whiskey could cost less than a large bottle of mediocre whiskey. In that case, the recipient would probably appreciate the former more.
Focusing on what the recipient would want is just that – try to find them a gift that you know they’ve been wanting, but have never gotten around to getting for themselves. You don’t have to get the exact thing if what they want doesn’t fit your budget. For example, if they want a pricey set of tools, you could get them a few tools to get them started. You could also get them something they didn’t know they wanted all along. But this is a risky endeavor, since you need to know the recipient really well. I’ll leave that up to you.
So without further ado, here’s my list of top inexpensive gifts for men. I’ll be grouping these items into two categories: fun and practical, although you can expect a lot of overlap between the two!
Fun Gifts for Men that Cost $30 or Less
Hot Sauces
The recipient doesn’t have to be a chilihead to appreciate hot sauce – there are great sauces out there for everyone! Try to stay away from supermarket brands and go for smaller makers, like Blair’s Death Sauce.
Bacon Salt
It’s salt. But smoked and given a delicious bacon flavor. ‘Nuff said. A good option is Caravel Smoked Bacon Sea Salt.
Spices for Grilling
If your intended recipient is into cooking and grilling, a set of spices is one of the best inexpensive gift ideas for men. I was initially not really into grilling, but I did receive a High Plains Spice Company gift set from my wife as a hint that I should start learning (and I did, and have learned to love it!).
A Spotify or Netflix Subscription
Okay, this is pretty basic, as far as gift ideas go. But trust me, I have yet to meet someone who wouldn’t appreciate a free month of Spotify or Netflix. It’s one of the best cheap gifts for men who have everything!
Caffeinated Shaving Cream
Most guys I know think of shaving as a chore. But when you give them a unique shaving product like Pacific Shaving Co.’s caffeinated shaving cream, suddenly, the act of shaving becomes a fun activity. This gift is a winner!
Funko Pops
Funko Pops are a modern pop culture phenomenon. There are Funko Pops made for almost all popular shows, movies, and video games. Even if your recipient isn’t into toys, I’m sure they’ll appreciate a Funko Pop character from their favorite movie.
Lego
Lego isn’t the first thing people think about when you mention affordable gifts. But there are lots of affordable Lego sets available, making Lego one of the best cheap gifts for men.
Practical Gifts for Men that Cost $30 or Less
Rugged Travel Organizer
If your recipient is anything like me, he will have destroyed numerous travel organizers. Give him a much-needed upgrade – the Maxpedition Fatty organizer is extremely durable, and would probably outlast all of us!
High-Powered Flashlight
Flashlights are like pens: you can never have too many of them. But people rarely invest in powerful flashlights. Introduce him to the world of high-quality lights by getting him the Fenix E05 flashlight.
Lens Attachment for Smartphones
Smartphone photography has really taken off lately. But as good as your smartphone camera is, its lens still has limitations. Luckily, third-party companies are making lens attachments to give smartphone cameras a boost. TheEluxem Phone Camera Lens Kit is a great option since it has multiple lenses.
USB Hub
This is another sleeper hit. A USB hub might seem basic, but everybody could use a few extra USB ports. These are definitely one of the best small gifts ideas for men. TheAmazonBasics 7 USB hub is both affordable and awesome.
Minimalist Wallet
Nobody likes a bulky wallet… unfortunately, I’ve seen too many guys stuffing two-inch-thick wallets that are literally bursting at the seams into their back pockets. It’s unflattering, my dudes. A slim wallet is an answer to fat and ugly back pockets – I suggest you get the Clifton Heritage leather bifold wallet.
A Multi-Tool
Even if your recipient isn’t a committed handyman, a multi-tool would make a great gift – after all, who hasn’t needed a knife or a pair of pliers while outdoors? The Gerber Suspension multi-tool is affordable but contains all the basic tools your recipient might need.
Nalgene Bottle
Nalgene bottles are practically indestructible. I still have my bottle from high school! That said, you can’t have too many Nalgene bottles. These make for pretty great gifts, whether the recipient is a kid or a grown-up.
Ultrasonic Cleaner
Chances are, an ultrasonic cleaner wouldn’t be on your recipient’s wishlist. But believe me, once you give them one, their life will be forever changed. An ultrasonic cleaner is a device that deep-cleans a wide variety of items, like watches, jewelry, and tools, using ultrasonic waves. There are cheap models available, like the UKOKE ultrasonic cleaner.
Blue Light-Blocking Glasses
Who would have thought staring into a bright screen could be bad for our eyesight? (Sarcasm intended.) Luckily, blue-light-blocking glasses lessen the damage using computers and phones do to our eyes. They lessen the glare produced by computer screens, as well as eyestrain. Zenni blue-light-blocking glasses are affordable and available in a variety of awesome designs.
Affordable Doesn’t Have to Mean Cheap!
Before I give you my list of top cheap gifts for men, I need to tackle the word “cheap” first. When I use the word “cheap” what I really mean is affordable and inexpensive. The word cheap might have a negative connotation to some people. Cheap could mean anything from lacking in quality, tacky, useless, or something bought without much thought.
Now, just because a gift is affordable, it doesn’t mean it’s cheap. There are a lot of products out there – many of which I’ll be listing down in this article – that don’t cost a lot of money but are still pretty awesome. They make pretty awesome gifts for the man in your life while saving you money.
The key to giving affordable gifts without being cheap is to remember two things: focus on quality and focus on what you think the recipient will want.
When focusing on quality, that sometimes means you’ll have to sacrifice quantity. For example, a sampler of top-quality whiskey could cost less than a large bottle of mediocre whiskey. In that case, the recipient would probably appreciate the former more.
Focusing on what the recipient would want is just that – try to find them a gift that you know they’ve been wanting, but have never gotten around to getting for themselves. You don’t have to get the exact thing if what they want doesn’t fit your budget. For example, if they want a pricey set of tools, you could get them a few tools to get them started. You could also get them something they didn’t know they wanted all along. But this is a risky endeavor, since you need to know the recipient really well. I’ll leave that up to you.
So without further ado, here’s my list of top inexpensive gifts for men. I’ll be grouping these items into two categories: fun and practical, although you can expect a lot of overlap between the two!
Fun Gifts for Men that Cost $30 or Less
Hot Sauces
The recipient doesn’t have to be a chilihead to appreciate hot sauce – there are great sauces out there for everyone! Try to stay away from supermarket brands and go for smaller makers, like Blair’s Death Sauce.
Bacon Salt
It’s salt. But smoked and given a delicious bacon flavor. ‘Nuff said. A good option is Caravel Smoked Bacon Sea Salt.
Spices for Grilling
If your intended recipient is into cooking and grilling, a set of spices is one of the best inexpensive gift ideas for men. I was initially not really into grilling, but I did receive a High Plains Spice Company gift set from my wife as a hint that I should start learning (and I did, and have learned to love it!).
A Spotify or Netflix Subscription
Okay, this is pretty basic, as far as gift ideas go. But trust me, I have yet to meet someone who wouldn’t appreciate a free month of Spotify or Netflix. It’s one of the best cheap gifts for men who have everything!
Caffeinated Shaving Cream
Most guys I know think of shaving as a chore. But when you give them a unique shaving product like Pacific Shaving Co.’s caffeinated shaving cream, suddenly, the act of shaving becomes a fun activity. This gift is a winner!
Funko Pops
Funko Pops are a modern pop culture phenomenon. There are Funko Pops made for almost all popular shows, movies, and video games. Even if your recipient isn’t into toys, I’m sure they’ll appreciate a Funko Pop character from their favorite movie.
Lego
Lego isn’t the first thing people think about when you mention affordable gifts. But there are lots of affordable Lego sets available, making Lego one of the best cheap gifts for men.
Practical Gifts for Men that Cost $30 or Less
Rugged Travel Organizer
If your recipient is anything like me, he will have destroyed numerous travel organizers. Give him a much-needed upgrade – the Maxpedition Fatty organizer is extremely durable, and would probably outlast all of us!
High-Powered Flashlight
Flashlights are like pens: you can never have too many of them. But people rarely invest in powerful flashlights. Introduce him to the world of high-quality lights by getting him the Fenix E05 flashlight.
Lens Attachment for Smartphones
Smartphone photography has really taken off lately. But as good as your smartphone camera is, its lens still has limitations. Luckily, third-party companies are making lens attachments to give smartphone cameras a boost. TheEluxem Phone Camera Lens Kit is a great option since it has multiple lenses.
USB Hub
This is another sleeper hit. A USB hub might seem basic, but everybody could use a few extra USB ports. These are definitely one of the best small gifts ideas for men. TheAmazonBasics 7 USB hub is both affordable and awesome.
Minimalist Wallet
Nobody likes a bulky wallet… unfortunately, I’ve seen too many guys stuffing two-inch-thick wallets that are literally bursting at the seams into their back pockets. It’s unflattering, my dudes. A slim wallet is an answer to fat and ugly back pockets – I suggest you get the Clifton Heritage leather bifold wallet.
A Multi-Tool
Even if your recipient isn’t a committed handyman, a multi-tool would make a great gift – after all, who hasn’t needed a knife or a pair of pliers while outdoors? The Gerber Suspension multi-tool is affordable but contains all the basic tools your recipient might need.
Nalgene Bottle
Nalgene bottles are practically indestructible. I still have my bottle from high school! That said, you can’t have too many Nalgene bottles. These make for pretty great gifts, whether the recipient is a kid or a grown-up.
Ultrasonic Cleaner
Chances are, an ultrasonic cleaner wouldn’t be on your recipient’s wishlist. But believe me, once you give them one, their life will be forever changed. An ultrasonic cleaner is a device that deep-cleans a wide variety of items, like watches, jewelry, and tools, using ultrasonic waves. There are cheap models available, like the UKOKE ultrasonic cleaner.
Blue Light-Blocking Glasses
Who would have thought staring into a bright screen could be bad for our eyesight? (Sarcasm intended.) Luckily, blue-light-blocking glasses lessen the damage using computers and phones do to our eyes. They lessen the glare produced by computer screens, as well as eyestrain. Zenni blue-light-blocking glasses are affordable and available in a variety of awesome designs.
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