It’s that time of year again! Every time you talk to your family and friends, someone is asking for your list of presents. If you are like me, it can be difficult to come up with ideas for gifts, especially with short notice! One way you can use the holiday gift-giving tradition to help advance your financial goals is to specifically ask for gifts that will help you spend less money. To help you with this, I put together a list of 12 gifts that save money that will help you reach your financial goals!
Holiday and birthday times are the perfect opportunity to ask for gifts that will help you make progress with your financial goals. By choosing gifts that save money on your regular expenses, you can then funnel those savings into your financial priorities.
Before you make out this list, take a little time to evaluate your spending. Check-in with your budget or review your most recent credit card statement and see if there are areas of spending that you want to reduce. Maybe eating out, coffee spending, entertainment, car expenses, or utilities?
Once you have identified any of your problem areas or areas you think you can save some money, then check out this list of gifts that save money and start adding them to your Christmas list!
Wifi Programmable thermostat
There are a ton of options to choose from, like the Nest or Google Home. Many will integrate with your Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant too. The price for many of these can easily be several hundred dollars.
I have used a budget version of a Wifi Programmable thermostat for the past three years and have absolutely loved it!
At approximately $75, this is a fraction of the price of a Nest but offers many of the same features. I even have an app that I can use to check or control the temperature. Yes, I do adjust my thermostat from the couch…. Don’t judge! It is amazing!
If you do install one of these into your home, check with your utility company to see if there is a rebate available. I was able to cover almost all of the cost with this rebate. Even if you do not own your own home, you can still install one of these in a rental unit. Just make sure you keep the old thermostat so you can take your fancy Wifi one with you when you move!
Air fryer
The air fryer is the latest and greatest in kitchen appliances. Great for making convenience foods turn out just as good as deep-frying, without the mess and extra calories. Even if you are a novice cook, the air fryer is perfect for you to learn. There are a ton of blogs out there with simple air fryer recipes to get you started.
Keep an eye on the size of the air fryer unit, if you are cooking for one or two most nights, a 3-4 quart model will be plenty for you without sacrificing too much counter space. If you are cooking for a crowd, then look for one that is 6-7 quarts to ensure you can make enough for everyone!
By having the tools to make cooking at home simple, you can keep yourself from falling back on frequent takeout. Eating at home more frequently will help your wallet and waste line both stay in shape!
Coffee maker/espresso machine
I love the coffee shop experience, but the premium cost is hard on my wallet. Finding a coffee option that can be made at home has saved me thousands of dollars over the years.
The most important part of deciding on this is to know yourself and your habits. If you love savoring a hot latte in the morning with perfectly steamed milk, then getting a cold brew coffee pot will not be a sustainable change for you.
Know yourself and your desires, and then find an espresso machine, cold brew pot, or french press that will work for you and your habits.
I have this cold brew pot currently, but if hot coffee was my thing, then I would love to have something like this Breville beauty!
This is the epitome of gifts that save money. This espresso maker may seem expensive, but if you make 1 cup of coffee at home each day, save $3 per cup (probably more!), It will pay for itself in 7 months. Wow!
Space heater
How much do you spend on utilities each month? I bet you would love to reduce that and save some money! If you spend most of your time in one or two areas at home, then a space heater can be your best friend.
Rather than paying to heat your entire apartment or house through something like Central heating, you can instead use the space heater to keep only the room you are using at a comfortable level.
You can keep the heat in the other areas set to a lower level, and reap the utility savings all winter long! This heater is a great choice to keep small or medium-sized rooms at a comfortable level.
Slow cooker
The slow cooker is the ultimate money saver in the kitchen! What is better than coming home from an exhausting day of work to a meal that is cooked and ready for you!
This is the updated version of the one I have and it has worked perfectly for me over the years. I don’t use it every week, but monthly I will make Pulled Pork, Lentils, Chili, Soup, or many other fabulous comfort foods!
Small freezer
Especially if you live alone, having a little more freezer space to build up your stash of freezer meals can be a huge money saver. This small footprint freezer would work in even the smallest of apartments!
Personally, I love having soup in the freezer to help out on rushed evenings. I also use it frequently for storing ingredients that I can’t use up before they go bad. Ingredients like shredded cheese, meat, nuts, frozen fruits, and vegetables all freeze well. By having the extra freezer space, I can buy them when they are on sale or in larger (and cheaper) quantities, saving me money on the purchase! Plus, freezing is a great way to reduce your food waste!
You Need a Budget Subscription
Keep track of your spending in the new year by asking for a gift of the annual subscription for the online budgeting software You Need a Budget. Fans of this program say this is the best budgeting program out there.
By being aware of your spending in different areas, you can better identify the areas where you have a tendency to overspend or spend more than you get in value. This can be a great tool to help you on your path to financial freedom! Sign up here and get it started for 2022!
Sewing machine
Practical and fun! With this gift, you can do double duty. It will allow you to mend, repair, and alter your clothing to keep them usable longer. This will save you money because you will be replacing your clothing less often than before.
It also can lead to the start of a new hobby! Sewing may not be the cheapest hobby, but it can be a productive and beautiful pastime. Think of all of the gifts you can make for friends and family, or items you can make for yourself!
AAA membership
An AAA Membership may seem like a weird gift, but it’s not the membership that you are buying. It’s peace of mind for the recipient. Especially if they are single, or have a vehicle that is older, having the comfort of knowing AAA is a free and easy phone call away wherever they are is a priceless gift.
Plus, with the membership, you will receive exclusive AAA discounts on travel, dining, and entertainment! Sign up today and get this great money-saving benefit for a gift or for yourself!
Kitchen tools like pots/pans that make cooking at home easier
One of the most basic ways to save money is to eat at home rather than eat out. I know this is a simple idea, but it’s harder than you think to cut the habit!
Asking for pots, pans, and baking dishes to make cooking at home comfortable and more enjoyable will pay dividends over and over.
A full set like this will give you the basics to get started. Add in a set of silicone utensils and a knife set, and you will be the next Iron Chef!
Eco Egg Laundry soap and Wool dryer balls
How many loads of laundry do you do each week? What if you could save 50 -75 cents on each load? That doesn’t sound like a lot but it adds up if you are washing multiple loads a week. These EcoEgg Laundry balls will take the cost of laundry soap down from 40 cents a load to about 4 cents a load! They last for over 700 loads and result in less environmental impact than buying boxes of laundry soap!
Now, let’s remove some of the synthetic chemicals and cost from drying your laundry. Yes, line drying is the most eco-friendly, but if you choose to use a clothes dryer, replacing your dryer sheets with these wool dryer balls can save you loads of money over their long life!
You get bonus points for saving the environment and money at the same time!
Blender
Save money on your smoothie, milkshake, and juice habit with a blender at home! By purchasing a heavy-duty, reputable brand like Ninja or Vitamix, you can ensure a blender that is powerful enough to easily handle anything you demand of it.
By reducing your smoothie or juice habit from buying one daily, to making one daily, you can easily save $5-$10 a day which can result in monthly savings of $200 or more! What could you do with that much extra money each month? I bet you can think of something!
What caught your eye on this list? Add one of these gifts that save money to your Christmas list and make sure your friends and family know it’s a priority!
Plus, don’t forget to add a few self-care indulgences to your list as well! You know you will thank me for that!
If you have favorite gifts that save money, I would love to hear about it in the comments below or over on our Instagram page!
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I’m interested in the Eco Egg Laundry soap and Wool dryer balls, I didn’t think they can help save you money and is something I want to try 🙂
I had seen the wool dryer balls, but the eco egg soap is a new idea for me! If you order one, I would be interested in knowing what you think!
Thanks for the ideas 🙂
So many great gift ideas! I love our slow cooker — I actually just tossed dinner in there a few minutes ago. I’m waiting until we move next year, and then I’m hoping to convince the boyfriend that we need a Breville. 😉
Haha! Good luck on the convincing for the Breville! I love my slow cooker, having a delicious smelling dinner cooking just makes the house feel warm and cozy!
This is a great and practical list! I want an air fryer myself :).
I have been checking them out and one is on my Christmas List this year! I am super excited for it!
Many unique gift ideas here. Thanks!
Without my coffee maker, I’d definitely spend way too much money on drive thrust, haha! I also just recently got an air fryer and it’s amazing. 🙂 These are all such great ideas!
I know how you feel! It got to the point I was spending more money on coffee than food and I knew I had a problem!
Awesome post with a lot of great ideas! Thank you for sharing!
An airfryer is not only a money saver but also much healthier to cook in!!!
Yes it is! And there are a few things I prefer how they turn out cooked in an air fryer vs an oven. Such a handy tool!
A programmable crockpot is something that I really want and will definitely help save money and time. That and an air fryer. I’m simple lol.
Absolutely! I just have the crock pot and am considering an air fryer too!
A wi-fi thermostat sounds fantastic gift, especially for my nerd engineer husband; I love your ideas.
I made my friends purchase a few of these when I moved out and honestly, there is nothing better! The air fryer, coffee maker, and slow cooker are the best things I have ever owned!
I totally agree! Having good quality tools like those saves me so much money cooking at home! Great ideas!
This is the first list I’ve seen where nearly everything is something I would actually use! The wifi thermostat is what I’m most excited about – but the espresso machine would probably get the most use!
The espresso machine is my dream as well! It is so pretty and I love coffee! I highly recommend the Wifi Thermostat! It is fabulous to be able to turn the heat on from your phone while you are still in bed! Such a luxury!
This is a great list! The Air Fryer is the perfect gift! I love mine! It’s actually saved me tons of money eating out.
I agree! The Air Fryer can be life changing to many people in terms of eating healthy and saving money! Thanks for sharing how well it works for you!
Great gift ideas! I’m adding several of these to my Christmas list!