Gifts for someone who has to significantly cut living expenses.

December 21, 2011 3:50 PM

Gifts for someone who has to significantly cut living expenses.

A good friend of mine is switching jobs to pursue something that she always wanted to do. She's happy about the job change, but she's taking a big pay cut to do it - she's going from about $190k/year to $50k/year. She lives in Boston, which is not cheap. She's in slight freak-out mode as to how she can best handle the adjustment, and is obviously going to be making big changes.

My friend's birthday is in early January, and I'd love to get her some gifts to basically make the changes easier. For example, she's getting rid of cable, so I am getting her a year membership to Netflix to replace that. Another thing I'm considering is getting her a slow-cooker, since that's an easy way to make inexpensive meals. Can you recommend any other similar gifts? The basic idea is to get her things that'll help her cut down on expenses, by giving her some cheaper alternative (like Netflix instant viewing instead of monthly cable bills), by stocking her kitchen and apartment with things to make cooking easier, and so on. To the extent it helps narrow down the suggestions, I'm thinking of $300-500 as the total budget to spend on stuff for her. Thanks!

posted by Pontius Pilate to Grab Bag (30 answers total)

An (indoor) laundry line - no using the dryer!
A food dehydrator
A canning set
Canned food
Self-reliance books, urban homesteading books
Wheat grinder with a good supply of wheat
To go along with the slow cooker - a good simple cookbook for recipes for the slow cooker
A really cozy blanket - to cut down on heat bills
posted by Sassyfras at 3:59 PM on December 21, 2011

Also look into food co-ops in her area.

Is she in a home or an apartment? If a home - perhaps a small chest freezer and stock it with frozen food!
posted by Sassyfras at 4:02 PM on December 21, 2011

Cooking stuff is always great! Going from 190k to 50k, most of the lifestyle adjustments aren't really in minor monthly bills like cable, but the larger discretionary expenses up that add up - mostly entertainment. I mean, you can live a very comfortable life with 50k, even in a place like Boston, but you don't get to eat out every night, or go out drinking a lot!

Slow cookers are awesome, as are rice cookers.

A subscription to a CSA program, or some other fresh food delivery service?
posted by sawdustbear at 4:02 PM on December 21, 2011 [4 favorites]

Does she have space for a chest freezer? That allows you to buy food in bulk which is generally cheaper.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 4:08 PM on December 21, 2011

Oops, didn't see Sassyfras beat me to it.

Maybe a Costco membership to go with it?
posted by rabbitrabbit at 4:09 PM on December 21, 2011

even in Boston, 50k isn't exactly ramen-and-threadbare-clothes money. If her living situation is figured out, the biggest cuts when going from 190k to 50k are going to be luxury and entertainment expenses that are more or less easy to cut out (eating and drinking out, luxury versions of everyday things, etc.). Gift certificates for her favorite restaurant, maybe a subscription to something like Birchbox, stuff like that might be nice to help her bridge the gap.
posted by peachfuzz at 4:11 PM on December 21, 2011 [3 favorites]

A grocery store gift card would be nice, especially if it's for a store that has other stuff besides groceries.

And maybe some little luxuries so that she doesn't feel deprived? Fancy lotion or perfume, gourmet cooking ingredients she likes but can't afford any more, that sort of thing.
posted by WorkingMyWayHome at 4:13 PM on December 21, 2011

50K isn't quite "must dry my clothes on a line and start canning" territory unless that's something she's particularly inclined towards. She'll mostly be cutting back on luxuries. If you know what luxuries she really likes, perhaps invest in a gift card or something towards those?
posted by Anonymous at 4:16 PM on December 21, 2011

If she frequents a coffeeshop, a gift card would be great. A $100 gift card for Starbucks equals two lattes a week for 3 months. If she's got a serious coffee habit like I do, that would be one of the first budget cuts and I know that I would really miss it. Another option is get her an entry-level espresso machine such as this one (check CoffeeGeek for recommendations), so she can make cappuccinos at home. Or even just some really nice coffee beans (Stumptown, etc) if she already has the equipment.
posted by cabingirl at 4:23 PM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

50K isn't quite "must dry my clothes on a line and start canning" territory unless that's something she's particularly inclined towards.

Agreed. I think I would be pretty depressed if I got gifts that implied that I needed to start line-drying all my clothes, milling my own wheat, and canning my own food. Flour and canned food are pretty cheap in the scheme of things. Things to make cooking easier and more fun sound great. Small kitchen appliances and gadgets such as a food processor, blender, rice cooker, good garlic press, and spices are great.
posted by grouse at 4:34 PM on December 21, 2011 [7 favorites]

A library card, if she doesn't already have one. I've saved hundreds by borrowing DVDs, books and magazines. We actually thought of getting netflix, but only after we had worked our way through the DVDs in the library - still not done!
posted by mukade at 4:47 PM on December 21, 2011 [3 favorites]

I think I would be pretty depressed if I got gifts that implied that I needed to start line-drying all my clothes, milling my own wheat, and canning my own food.

sorry . . . this stuff excites me. I think it's kinda fun.

I'll stand by my suggestion of a good cookbook to go with that slow cooker.
posted by Sassyfras at 4:48 PM on December 21, 2011

I agree with the others on 50k not necessarily being reduced to urban forraging territory. Presumably, she saved a chunk of change so she could make this leap. She's probably freaked out by the prospect of failure as much as reduced income. I guess I'd go in another direction: celebratory! Two bottles of wine. One for now to enjoy together and one for later - whenever she needs it or has a milestone. And then another gift that has something to do with her new direction. I don't know what that might be but maybe there's something you can come up with there.
posted by amanda at 4:51 PM on December 21, 2011 [2 favorites]

Find out what salons, masseuse, trainer she uses, and get gift cards for those services. Find out her favorite frangrance, and get the perfume. She can afford eau de toilette on 50K.

Theater, ballet, opera, or concert tickets would be good if you know her interests.

I agree with others that what you are looking for are luxury/indulgence items and services.
posted by jgirl at 5:09 PM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

If she likes the arts or sports, how about a season ticket to something? That way she always has some enjoyable leisure thing to look forward to.

With $300-$500, I think you have enough to do both— a pressure cooker or slow cooker and cookbook, to make it easier for her to reduce her everyday expenses; and a luxury of some kind. I'd go for a pressure cooker over a slow cooker, personally, as it's easier to use in situations where I might otherwise eat out (it's late, I'm hungry, etc).
posted by hattifattener at 6:11 PM on December 21, 2011

Contra what others have said, it's worth asking yourself (or your friend, if you're comfortable asking) whether this pay cut does put her into home canning & line drying territory. If that $190K lifestyle came with large student loans and/or credit card debt, the amount she has left to live on may be substantially less than $50K.

* [FOOD/BEVERAGE] of the month club
* Year of membership to a museum, sports club, etc.
* Year of maid and/or service? If she's learning something new, she might appreciate a little more free time to study up on her new duties at night.
posted by cupcakeninja at 6:15 PM on December 21, 2011

If she likes expensive coffee (bought at a coffee shop): grinder and french press, starter bag of beans for the freezer.

Also: cheese of the month club!
posted by availablelight at 6:53 PM on December 21, 2011

Response by poster: Thanks everyone - I already see some terrific ideas here! I'm chiming in because cupcakeninja's excellent comment makes me realize that I unfortunately did leave out a pertinent piece of info. While I agree that $50k/year is not a pauper's salary, my friend has student loan payments, so her effective take-home salary is lower than $50k/year. I don't have the exact idea how much lower exactly, but having to make those payments was part of the freak-out (and is also why she is trying to cut costs even on expenses like cable), which makes me think the loan payments are not insubstantial. Apologies for not including that at the outset.
posted by Pontius Pilate at 7:01 PM on December 21, 2011

It may not be relevant, depending on her commute, but a bicycle?
posted by kjs4 at 7:11 PM on December 21, 2011

In person cooking classes sound like fun - failing that a subscription to Rouxbe would be good - though she'll probably want to upgrade her cooking tools then too, so maybe some nice pots & pans, etc. (but in person sounds so much more fun & she's more likely to do it.)
posted by MesoFilter at 8:25 PM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

A roommate?
posted by bz at 9:00 PM on December 21, 2011 [2 favorites]

A foodsaver type device might cut down on food waste and allow her to buy bulk foods and turn them into smaller portions.
posted by Yorrick at 9:42 PM on December 21, 2011

I can make amazing meals out of pretty much anything in my rice cooker - and there's very little work involved, so she'll not only save money, but time as well. A rice cooker cookbook would be great too
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 10:14 PM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

Some really good food storage stuff, like Pyrex with lids or Tupperware, and some that is suitable for packing lunches. Good quality food storage stuff seems to cost quite a bit, but is vital for storing leftovers and taking your lunch to work. Cheap stuff just leaks and turns orange from tomatoes.

If she has outdoor space, a bbq/grill (whatever you North American types call it), like a Weber Q or something. She can use it for her own cooking, and also as a source of cheap entertainment ('come round to my place!').

Magazine subscriptions (although these are far cheaper than they are here in Australia.. but are the sort of thing people think of when cutting expenses).

Coffee. The machine, the gift card for the latte at the cafe or the beans at home, whatever it is she needs to keep drinking good coffee.
posted by AnnaRat at 10:43 PM on December 21, 2011

A large wok or straight-sided saute pan? A nice (Henckels-type) knife?

and I'll take that $50K in Boston
posted by skbw at 12:45 AM on December 22, 2011 [2 favorites]

I'm seconding (millionthing) the regular small luxuries thing, or gift certificates to a favourite shop. I've just got into business full-time and am going to have to be v careful with money this year - so I have asked my friends for my birthday and Christmas presents to be gift tokens to Lush (for soaps and shampoos), and TKMaxx (you have TJMaxx) for sports clothes, shoes and handbags, and Amazon (obvious). This will really help me to have little treats through the year and is very much wanted and appreciated.
posted by LyzzyBee at 3:38 AM on December 22, 2011

Really good budgeting software. On $190k you can get away with a lot of very lax budget management, compared to $50k.

I heartily recommend You Need A Budget and its accompanying philosophy.
posted by Happy Dave at 3:55 AM on December 22, 2011 [2 favorites]

I'm living frugally too, the things I value most are:

• Bicycle — good for transport, leisure and exercise. Is her neighborhood bike-able?
• Public transport — is there a yearly pass you could buy her?
• Rice cooker — cheap staple food, but a bit finicky to prepare. With a cooker, you just pour rice and water, no need to watch it. Then you just quickly sauté something, mix with the rice and voilà, a meal.
• Internet — will this new dream job be home based? A fast connection is good for work and entertainment. Is there a yearly plan available in her area?
• Spreadsheet — to keep track of everything. Is she good with numbers and spreadsheets? If not, maybe you could gift her some sessions with a consultant, for peace of mind and the feeling of being in control.
• Musical instrument — a classic for broke times. Entertainment becomes something you do instead of buy. Calms the soul, brings people together and is free. Maybe buy her that instrument she's always wanted to play, and some tutoring sessions? (Bonus: this also helps the tutor, presumably a broke musician in these hard times)
posted by Tom-B at 4:16 AM on December 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

You can get a Roku box for $70 or so, it's far easier than hooking her laptop up to the TV (unless she already does that). It also feels less like a cutback - it's still a box that sits on top of the TV and you use a remote, feels less like a workaround.
posted by mrs. taters at 6:51 AM on December 22, 2011

If she doesn't drive, an auto-renewing T-pass, especially if that cut/plan change means she'll be moving to a cheaper area! it could be given as a "come visit me more often" gift.

or: an amazon prime subscription. free video streaming + free two day shipping + lots of cheap items of all kinds.
posted by ghostbikes at 7:50 AM on December 22, 2011