You’re freaking out about money, and the upcoming holiday season isn’t helping. We feel your pain. Forget the lavish gifts — we found plenty of cool stuff (in two price ranges) that’s easy on the wallet.
Quick tip: Impress with your creativity by shopping Web sites such as etsy.com (one-of-a-kind handmade items, including jewelry) and perpetualkid.com (playful gadgets), where you can be cheap without looking like a cheapskate.
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FOR HIM
“The MAD Magazine Poster Book”
$24.95 for a set of 15 posters at chroniclebooks.com
For the MAD magazine fanatic, posters created from 50 years of archives. Sized for standard frame
Pocket size Guitar Hero
$17.95 at brookstone.com
A portable version of Guitar Hero. There is a God.
Mounted rhino head, in cardboard
$24.99 at perpetualkid.com
A hilarious alternative to the animal head trophy, for the PETA member who has everything.
FOR HER
Vintage watch face jewelry
$15-$30 at etsy.com
For the girl who never cared about time, anyway. We liked a bracelet from Grouse and Badger for $22. In a similar vein, check out the jewelry made from vintage subway tokens, like this bracelet from Kroylty for $22.
Acrylic diamond rings
$10 each at elsewares.com
Shaped like the real thing, but made from sleek acrylic. They are stackable, and come in ruby, clear and black.
Tattoo-inspired jewelry
$11-$22 at etsy.com
For the girl not ready to commit to a real tattoo, jewelry that evokes the same thing. We liked this Koi tattoo necklace made by Swallow Kisses for $22, or the blue “diamond” ring from Wicked Minky for $11, word search “tattoo jewelry.”
Vintage earrings
$20 at traceellements.com
Howlite squares are wrapped like a present in burnished filigree, a romantic surprise from a Victorian-era time capsule.
FOR EITHER
Wine bottle platters
$18 at uncommongoods.com
For the wine-and-cheese crowd, made from recycled glass and made to look like a wine bottle sliced in half, lengthwise. Choose from Chardonnay or Bordeaux styles.
Chill misting fan
$20 at brookstone.com
A mister with a built-in fan — for the exercise freak who spends hours on the treadmill.
El art
$25 at etsy.com
Like something out of a comic book, Chicago artist Hiroshi Ariyama puts the Brown Line center stage. Also, check out his orange view of the Sears Tower. His screenprints are made with stencils created from his own photography.
Travel pillow with speakers
$8.99 at geeks.com
For the road warrior who needs a good travel pillow, speakers play music (or podcasts) through the memory foam that cradles the neck and head.
Retro handset for your cell phone
$24.95 at x-tremegeek.com
Turns a cell phone call into an old school experience. Pair it with an old-fashioned telephone ring tone and it’s like 1975 all over again.
Egglings
$9.50 each at elsewares.com
Mini-planters shaped like eggs. For the person stuck inside all day, yearning for a little green. Crack it open, add water and the seed packet, and a tiny plant will grow. Comes with its own terra cotta coaster.
Chicago trivia cards
$9.95 for a set of 40 at myfavoritecity.com
One side lists an address, date and a map — the other side reveals what happened there and the event’s historical context. For your friends scattered around the city, include a trivia card for their neighborhood to personalize your gift.
Heated socks
$24.95 at problemsolvers.com
Winter is damn cold in Chicago. ‘Nuff said. Also, heated gloves for $34.95.
Solar lanterns
$19.95 at problemsolvers.com
For the back yard or deck, the water-resistant nylon orb uses solar-powered LED bulbs that charge during daylight hours.
Power Outage Emergency Kit
$24.99 at target.com
For the fatalist with a house stocked with cordless phones. Includes a basic landline phone that doesn’t need electricity, AM/FM crank radio and LED flashlight.
Super fast wine chiller
$22.99 at geeks.com
For the absent-minded host who puts wine in the freezer for the quick cool-down — and always forgets it. Chills a bottle of wine (or any beverage) in less than 10 minutes.
Prices and availability are subject to change.
