Practical Gifts Get Top Marks from Graduates
May 14, 2009
For those of us who aren’t trading in textbooks for beach towels, the end of school means buying graduation gifts. Whether shopping for a high school senior or someone packing up college life and heading for the real world, you’re not sure what they would like. What was cool yesterday is not today, and trying to buy the hottest item isn’t the safest route.
One question to ask yourself when you’re standing in the store is: Will he/she actually use this? To avoid having your gift tossed into the back of the closet, pick something practical and you can’t go wrong.
Here are some gift ideas sure to please even the pickiest of grads:
Oil change — High school grads will be headed to the beach while college grads fly from job interview to job interview. Either way, keeping their car in shape is probably not on their mind, making this gift surprising but much appreciated. A standard oil change can run as low as $20.
Beach Bag — Fill a beach tote with sunscreen, an inflatable beach ball, a reusable water bottle and a beach towel. With all the essentials in hand, your grad will be elated and ready to run right to the coast. These items will run you about $40.
Dorm Stuff — For the grad headed to life in the dorms, it’s the little things that count. Something that can make coffee, toast a bagel, and heat up bacon would simplify their life as well as their dorm room. Check out this crazy gadget that can do all that from Target.com for only $40.
Apartment Stuff — For the college grad who isn’t moving back in with the parents, pots and pans, a bookshelf or even a gift basket full of cleaning supplies are practical, helpful and surely will be frequently used. The Flaerke bookcase from IKEA.com only costs $20.
Tool kit — Any time moving is involved, especially when it involves living alone, a tool kit is a necessity. Your gift will come in handier than your grad could ever imagine. Many are available for under $40, but this cute, all-pink tool kit from Wal-Mart costs less than $15. www.walmart.com
Alarm clock — Something that won’t change from high school to college to the working world is that you will always have to get up earlier than you would like. A fun, or wildly efficient alarm clock is a gift that your grad will use every day. Make it a little more interesting by investing in this pricier $50 alarm clock from Target.com that rolls away from the bed when the alarm goes off, making sure your grad gets out of bed.
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