Gifts For the Frugal v. 2016

An ATM in Awassa, Ethiopia.

It's getting that time of year again. Gift suggestion lists. I've got a penchant for looking at gift recommendations for the budget-minded traveler or just for the budget-minded.

Most of the time, the suggestions are for some level of "budget" that is over my head. Like some of these.

Liberty Bank, Mestia, Svaneti, Georgia

Adventurous Kate has offered one of the best, the meatiest, the most comprehensive gift lists I've seen. She has many items that are less than $25. For people who feel good just reading lists, it delivers many utils of satisfaction.

There's also "What Do You Want For the Holidays? For Frugally-Minded Folks," by Trent Hamm. I like all of his suggestions except for the Fitbit idea. The last thing I want is to be dictated to by a little tyrant strapped on my wrist.

ATM in Yerevan, Armenia.

10 Gifts Under 10 Bucks for the Portable, Budget-Minded Minimalists Who Like to Travel

A budget-minded, portable minimalist's space, dressed by light. Opelousas, Louisiana.

The title sounds so specific that surely it's all about me, right?

In a way, yes. But only in that I'm using myself as a focus group of one. This is because travel gift lists tend toward the extravagant. "Living simply" gift lists tend toward the smug and expensive. And "frugal" and "budget-minded" mean different things to different people, mostly resulting in gifts that are still over my price range.

If I were to create my own list of gifts for the portable, budget-minded minimalists who like to travel, this is what would be on it:

1. Write a letter with a pen and mail it to the recipient. Doesn't have to be lengthy or detailed. Might just be three sentences telling the recipient you were thinking about them, hope they are well, and that they have a wonderful year ahead.  
2. Make a phone call. Express the same three sentiments as above: I was thinking about you, hope you're well, want to wish you a wonderful year ahead. 
3. Cash. It fits everyone, is accepted everywhere (except Norway), and has no expiration date. Quantity unimportant. Five bucks- woohoo! There's a lot one can do with five bucks. 
4. Whistle. For one, whistles are cool. They're small. They're useful for security (or at least a reassurance of security). They may or may not scare bears.
5. Travel alarm. Sure, your recipient has a phone with an alarm clock app on it. But shit happens. The phone, for whatever reason is inaccessible or unusable. You inadvertently set the alarm volume to zero. (Not that I've ever done this. Not even three times.) You can get a perfectly serviceable, eminently packable travel alarm for less than 10 bucks. 
6. Paracord lanyard. If you're crafty, you can make your own and distribute them as gifts. Otherwise, you can buy one. I like the idea of a paracord lanyard because of its utility, strength, and style. Search on "paracord lanyard" and you'll find lots of DIY instructions and also where to buy them readymade. 
7. Drawstring bag (aka "sack bag"). I've come to appreciate my two cheap-ass drawstring bags, which I got free as promotional items from a booth at some event. They're lightweight, take up virtually no space in my car or apartment, and they attract no covetous interest by strangers. I use them on short hikes, at the grocery store as a plastic-bag substitute, and at dance venues, so I can take along a fan, bottle of water, and a few other items. 
8. Small flashlight. Do some review searches for the best-quality small, budget flashlights. Sure, your recipient may have a camera with a flashlight app, but this assumes a charged phone when, where, and for how long she may need it. Besides, like whistles, little flashlights are cool.
9. Duct tape. You can buy a travel-ready roll or you can create one for your recipient. 
10. L-o-n-g clothesline. Cotton or nylon, whatever. Just the rope; no fancy-schmancy hooks or rigs. I say long (i.e. 20 feet) because it will still pack up compactly and offer maxium utility to the recipient: Camping, tying down trunk lid when transporting bulky stuff, hanging laundry in hotel rooms, etc. If necessary, the recipient can cut off a length as needed. I currently use my clothesline as a way to hang artwork on one wall in my apartment. The excess length is coiled neatly (kind of) in a corner.

But I'm not much for creating lists. 

Gifts for the Frugal Traveler?

The New York Times' Frugal Traveler posted this list of items he'd like to get for himself.

Sixteen dollars for a travel toothbrush? Frugal?

Obviously, we have a different idea of what's frugal. The only item I thought was practical for me was the Petzl headlight, rechargeable via USB. Everything else was frivolous. 

Here's my list of what to buy a frugal traveler, i.e. me

1. Cash, always in fashion, welcome everywhere, doesn't take up a lot of space, and self-corrects the space it does consume as time goes on
2. Diminutive, but good quality headphones for my mp3 player; I think I've had it with earbuds
3. Amazon gift card I can use for downloading ebooks and music
4. Good quality ear plugs
5. Crossword puzzles book - maybe at the level of NYT's Monday through Wednesdays (they get progressively more difficult as the week goes on)

Here are some other folks' ideas of great travel gifts:

Frommer's - Gifts under $100. The solar cell phone charger is kind of seductive. But at $50, I don't think I'd get enough use out of it, and the vast majority of places I go to there's an outlet I can use. If I'm in my car and I need to charge my phone, I have a converter I bought many years ago prior to the Alaska road trip. One end goes into the lighter port and the other end is a blocky power strip in which I plug my charger.  

Executive Travel's gift suggestions. Are they kidding? Here's one of their ideas (besides the airplane tie): "triple-milled, handcrafted vegetable-oil-based maritime soap." At $19.

Travel and Leisure - Seven travel-size perfumes to throw into a carry-on? I checked to make sure this was for 2012 and not for 1999. Oh, wait. Maybe they're assuming you'd only take one at a time. Doh.

Budget Traveler's list isn't too bad. If only it hadn't made this silly statement:  True lovers of travel don't want to be weighed down with stuff.

Finally, here's a list to do something with, from International Business Times. Some of the items are too expensive for me, but there are budget-priced versions of same, like a portable drive.  And can you ever have too many packing cubes? I think not. I do think a few choices are too personal, the kind of thing I'd prefer to choose for myself, such as a backpack (but see #1 in my list above).  

Overall, I'm surprised at how few of the list items appeal to me.