UnGifts: Practical Gifts

I hope you are getting the idea of UnGifting now after answering some UnGift questions and sharing some priceless UnGifts with you yesterday!  Just a few ideas on practical UnGifts for you today.  Not all of these are free, like most of the things on yesterday’s list, but these gifts will likely not be regifted or be a waste of your money!  In past years we have used gift giving at Christmas to give things that we would be buying anyway and things we have to replenish often.  In other words, nothing extra has to come out of the regular budget.  Our kids were no less excited to get a new toothbrush in their stocking than than were to get one from the grocery store!  Something about the magic of Christmas – it makes everything special!  So here’s my list of practical UnGifts:

We fill our kids stockings with these things!

• toothbrushes
• band aids
• ponytail holders / hair clips
• art supplies
• bubbles
• sidewalk chalk
• stickers
• batteries
• socks
• underwear
• undershirts
• deodorant
• shaving cream
• razors
• lip gloss / chap stick
• sippy cups
• quarters – for laundry at college
• stamps
• gift cards for gasoline
• kitchen utensils – grapefruit spoons (our girls are getting their own this year!), measuring cups, can opener, etc.

More practical Ungift ideas!

• Stationary.  Our 9 year old LOVES to write notes and letters to her pen pal and friends.  We always get her a package of notecards and envelopes for Christmas.
• Books. I mentioned yesterday we are UnGifting some of the books off our bookshelf to our older kids this year.  I also find them for pennies in our library’s used bookstore.
• Home Cooked Meals frozen into individual servings.  I also mentioned this yesterday as a great UnGift for a college kid or a single person,who doesn’t often get a home cooked meal – priceless and practical!
• Laundry Soap and Cleaning Products.  For pennies you can mix a homemade laundry soap for a sister or friend and for just a few dollars you can give them the UnGift of natural, non-toxic cleaning products that will save their family SO much money!
• Water Pitcher/Purifier.  This is another gift idea that will save the recipient so much money, if they are used to buying bottled water.  Great for college kids, too!  Our’s just might be getting one of these this year !
• Homemade Canned Foods – Salsas, Jams, Jellies, Pickles, etc.  I have recently learned how easy and inexpensive it is to can your own foods like these.  I get my jars off of Freecycle! For Free!  We UnGifted tons of family and friends with homemade salsa last year!
• Do you have newlyweds or kids just starting out on their own that could use furniture or kitchenwares? I know  we always have an extra mixing bowl, extra coffee cups and maybe even furniture not being used we can pass along.  This year we are UnGifting an extra mattress we have to our oldest heading off to his own apartment soon.
• Car Maintenance.  Make your teen coupons to wash their car a few times and have their oil changed (assuming they typically pay for this).
• Household Chores.  Do you have a new mother on your gift list? Or any mother for that matter?  UnGift her with coupons for finishing up her pile of laundry (hoping I get this!), mopping her floors one week, or running errands for her.

I hope these get you started, with some Practical UnGift ideas for the people on your list this year!

Do you have any more to add to my list?

Don’t miss tomorrow’s Fun UnGift ideas and a Giveaway!!!