Hope everyone has a great day!

Here are my favorite posts and news articles for the week of December 11, 2006.

• If you purchased one share of Microsoft’s stock when it debuted on March 13, 1986 what would be worth today? The Value of One Share of Microsoft.

• I love great deals. In fact, I bought one of these for Christmas – An Almost Free 1GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive.

• College is expensive. Why not save some cash? 118 Ways to Save Money in College.

• Do you like real estate? Then you may enjoy reading The Best and Worst Real Estate Markets.

• What will the Feds do to interest rates when they meet again? Well this may influence their decision – US Inflation Holds Steady.

Christmas time is here and so are Christmas parties. And what is one of the most popular games to play? Dirty Santa of course!

I love Dirty Santa. It is one of my favorite Christmas games. The dilemma I always run in to is “What gift can I bring that fits in the budget?”

Generally the host of the party sets a Dirty Santa gift limit of $5-$25 (Although I have a friend who’s family sets a limit of $150 which makes for a pretty interesting game.) The lower the limit, the more creative and resourceful you have to be.

I never like ending up with junk from a Dirty Santa game. Thus, I present my Top 10 Dirty Santa Gift Ideas Under $5.

1. $5 to Starbucks – This is so simple. I know many people don’t like giving gift cards, but I think that Starbucks is a different deal. Everyone loves Starbucks. Believe it or not, this is usually one of the hottest items at parties that I attend.
2. Candy/Chocolate – This one is great. For $5 you can buy a lot of candy. This is also a great gift idea if there will be kids playing at the party.
3. A Candle – Candles are great gifts. Who doesn’t love candles?
4. Scarf/Gloves – Stop by any major retailer and you can find racks full of cheap scarfs, hats, and gloves. Try to get something that is unisex though. Or, for a good laugh, get the brightest, pinkest set that you can find. (Works especially well at a party with a lot of guys.)
5. Hand held/travel games – Games are another popular one at Dirty Santa parties. These could be anything from a puzzle book to an electronic poker game.

 

6. A Christmas Ornament – An ornament is great for parties where you have no idea what else to get. If you are totally stuck, this one works perfectly. It’s very general, practically everyone has a Christmas tree, and it’s cheap!
7. Coffee Cup – Another very general gift that works well for office parties or any other place where edible underwear is just inappropriate.
8. A Picture Frame – Grandma loves these. If you need a serious gift and a small budget, this one fits the bill.
9. Cookies – Much better than giving America’s Finest Fruitcake Loaf. Cookies are similar to candy. Adults as well as kids can appreciate them so it works well for all age groups. However, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea at a diabetic party
10. Music – CDs and MP3s fall into this category. You can find all sorts of Christmas music for super cheap at large retailers. You could also give a few free songs from iTunes or another online music service.

So there you have it. The Top 10 Dirty Santa Gift Ideas Under $5. Didn’t find what you were looking for? Try eBay below!