Cheap Present Ideas for Men 2011

While men are not notoriously obsessive when it comes to presents, it never harms to put a genuine smile on his face. Generalizing is a tricky subject, but there is much, I believe, that men share when it comes to gifts. I may commit the sin of tying too many helium balloons together with my recommendations, but there is one commandment I believe holds true, and it's an important one. Namely, men are not going to read between the lines , so stop worring about it. Instead, focus on something that he can genuinely use and enjoy even if it appears banal and materialistic.

Having laid the foundations of my list, let's get on with it!

There's a geek inside all of us (men), including those that take pride in being troglodytic alpha males. Elegance, utility and a sane level of the exotic are the perfect blend when it comes to electronics. The best kind of electronics? A brand new car. But aside from that, gadgets, and lots of them.

The Boogie board is where the future meets the past and shakes hands firmly. This hi.tech blackboard is incredibly useful in that a man's life and duties are full of errant paper. And this, ladies and (possibly) gents, takes the bark and lead out of your everyday life. 

Here are some of its attributes:

• The board captures any kind of stroke, with or without the included stylus
• The harder you press the bolder the line!
• No software
• Every object that it interacts with creates its own style.
• While I'm including this as an adult toy, one that finds utility everywhere, it's also great for kids!

This is what I like to call a reverse stereotype. While it is generally a truism that men have little fondness for things that apply heat, jumpers, bed warmers etcetera. An ever-present warm tea or coffee is not only an awesome idea, but a vital anti-stress tool.

Simple, cheap and long-term. That's exactly how I like it.

This particular model was chosen because the design is sufficiently manly, and it does not necessitate any special glassware. He can use his favorite mug (if he has one), or standard-issue plastic cups if he so chooses.

Two distinct temperatures make this model also very flexible. The first setting allows you to keep the contents warm, while the second cranks up the temperature for an instant upper.

I have included a second, cheaper option to the right because there are some complaints that the more expensive of the two does not warm as thoroughly as some would wish (but bear in mind that this complaint is valid about almost all products, and those that are exempt from this particular criticism require cables -- it's a desktop warmer for chrissakes, not an oven).

Another valid entry in the birthday presents for men category!

The what? That's right, its a portable snap-on USB drumkit, any questions?

It really is a simply as it sounds. In the words of its producer: "Install the software, plug in the drum pad, and you're ready to rock out." Now, there are 13 words in that sentence, and at least 5 are manly.

The cool features are almost limitless. The drum kit itself can be rolled up, and stored rapidly just about anywhere, so he doesn't get busted by his boss while impressing his colleagues. It is also a fantastic way to incentivize men to play with children (I had to throw that one out there, sorry).

On a serious note, (you'll excuse the pun -- I hope) the drumkit is not compatible, as far as I can tell, with Macintosh computers although it is fully compatible with Windows 7, Vista or XP. If that hasn't already killed your apetite, consider the following:

• Six Playing pads
• Sox drum samples
• 48 rhythm patterns
• Eight special effects
• Eight bass loops
• Adjustable tempo from 40-208 beats per minute!

You can thank me later :)

The Audio Unlimited 900MHz Wireless speakers are in a league of their own. While, as a man myself, I detest the cultural generalization that a man in heaven is a man laying in a pool, surrounded by half-naked women, wielding a beer in one hand and a lamb-chop in the other. I do believe that this product is enough to make me realize that at least a part of that is true.

Not only do these include high-quality sound and high quality accessories such as headphones, they are also packaged with forethought. You can add as many speakers to the same frequency as you like, potentially transforming the local swimming pool into a sack of golf balls. 

You needn't worry about transmission failures and obstructions either as the technology used for these speakers is one "borrowed" from high-tech mobile technology, allowing signals to comfortably pass through dense objects.

Thank you very much for reading this article, I hope you found it useful, or at the very least has provided you with some valuable ideas!

Thanks for stopping by, 

Thoog.