Great Graduation Gift Ideas for People on a Budget

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When that special day rolls around, you'll want to hand your graduate just the right gift, even if you are on a budget. Below are more spend-thrifty graduation gift ideas than you can shake a stick at. One is sure to prove a winner for you!

Of course, the term "spend-thrifty" is relevant. Something that may be too high priced for one person might seem very reasonable to another. Therefore, gift ideas are in descending order, according to price range.

Gift Ideas $1,000 and Under

Most grads would faint with gratitude if they opened their graduation gift box and found a laptop inside. More affordable now than ever before, name brand laptops loaded with media capabilities with full and trail versions of software can be found for under $1,000.

Top name brands such as Dell, Hewlett Packard, Toshiba, Compaq, Lenovo (formally IBM), Sony, and more. Models can vary greatly.

When shopping, get a laptop (also known as a notebook) with flexible features; multi-media capabilities, Bluetooth technology, wireless LAN, CD/DVD burner, and Widescreen viewing with a minimum of 1,280 x 800 pixel display are among the basics to look for.

Pay attention to the amount of RAM the laptop has as well as size of hard drive. Rule of thumb: the more advanced the features, the higher the price.

Walmart.com also features great prices on Toshiba, Acer, e-Machine, and Compaq laptops. All under $1,000.

A less traditional, creative gift idea is a "Congratulations! The Sky is the Limit for You Now!" gift. A 2 or 3-day weekend trip to Colorado Springs, Colorado. The trip would include round-trip airfare for two – the graduate plus a friend of choice. The highlight would be a hot air balloon ride over the Rockies, sending the unspoken message "set your sights high;" provided by Wild West Ballooning.

To keep costs as low as possible, make plane reservations only after doing an available flights search on an online budget-priced service provider such as Orbitz.com. You'd be surprised how reasonably-priced the tickets will be.

The hot air balloon ride includes shuttle service to and from the location, continental breakfast, champagne, and a personalized flight certificate. Both round-trip airfare and balloon ride for two would cost less than $700 if you timed the trip just right and searched for the lowest price possible in airfare.

You could add up to $300 cash to the mix for motel accommodations and food – and still come in under your $1,000 budget.

Gift Ideas $500 and Under

One college graduation gift idea that would be welcomed by most any graduate is a terrific mobile phone loaded with all the whistles. Those featuring the versatility of Bluetooth technology (wireless communication with other devices) are especially nice!

Find a design with features your graduate might want. One-touch redial and the capacity to store numbers are pretty much standard; other popular features include voice dialing, Bluetooth wireless technology, the ability to send e-mails and play music, and a built-in camera and camcorder. Designer cases help to personalize the phone and add to its appeal.

Another winner of a gift idea is a hand-held wireless music player device, such as the iPod by Apple, or Zune by Microsoft. Select one with at least 60 GB of storage space and you'll still have enough left over to pick up a quality set of earphones and classy leather carrying case for well under $500!

Gift Ideas Under $200

Another great gift idea sure to be a hit is an engraved, quality wrist watch with an alarm. This would make an especially nice gift for your time-management conscious collage grad.

On the back of the watch you could include a short inspiring message with the graduation date – sure to become one of their most prized keepsakes.

Great buys with 40 – 70% or more off on top-name watches can be found at Overstock.com. Do a "men's watches" or "women's watches" search from the "jewelry and watches" category. Service is quick; shipping and handling on any size order only $2.95.

This same resource is also a great place to find quality leather combination portfolio and laptop cases, or attaché cases at a fraction of the regular retail cost.

Many of these type cases feature roomy multi compartments; enough space for a laptop, printer, with accordion-style compartments for documents and files, and various other compartments for everything from business cards, to sunglasses and cell phones, to keys and passports.

Gift Ideas Around $100

A pair of Fossil sunglasses would make a great graduation gift, one most grads would appreciate; especially if they came with a $50 bill tucked inside the case. Fossil designs eyewear in a variety of savvy styles, offering enhanced eye protection with a great, trendy look!

Or what about a homemade graduation gift idea? Throw a graduation bash! Close friends could be asked to provide delectable appetizers, finger foods, and desserts as their graduation gift. Each tasty dish served buffet style could be accompanied by a congratulations card, signed by the contributor.

Decorate the room with balloons, streamers, and tiny clear white strings of (Christmas tree) lights. "Entertainment" could include a rented karaoke machine. (When it's your turn to sing – select a fun song like "You are the Sunshine of My Life," or write your own words to sing using a familiar tune.

The center piece could be gifts for the graduate from relatives, arranged attractively and decorated with balloons and streamers. Make a memory book commemorating the graduate, including pictures of birth through young adulthood – including pivotal moments and achievements in their life; position the book kitty-cornered on a table to invite viewing.

A guestbook purchased at a gift shop or department store could be on hand for guests to sign with a personal message. During the party, take candid photos of guests with the graduate. The pictures can be added to the guestbook.

Your gift to the graduate is the party, the memory book you've put together, and the guestbook with pictures of the party as a keepsake. Your party contribution can be a large bowl of festive sangria punch, using the following recipe:

• 2 bottles red wine (try Merlot, Cabernet, or Zinfandel)
• 2 lemons, cut into wedges
• 2 oranges, cut into wedges
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 4 tbsp. sugar
• ½ cup of orange juice
• 4 healthy shots of gin
• 2 cups sliced strawberries, or raspberries
• 3/4th can (about 10 oz.) diced pineapples (with juice)
• 4 C ginger ale

The night before the party, pour wine into a punch bowl. Remove seeds from lemon, orange, and lime wedges. Squeeze juice from the wedges into the wine; add fruit wedges to the wine. Add sugar, orange juice, and gin. Stir in strawberries and diced pineapple with juice. Cover and chill overnight. Just before the party, add ginger ale and ice.