1) A pound of good coffee beans. I get this one often and I LOVE it. I like coffee. I like the process of making coffee rather than going out for coffee, which is also fine but not as rewarding to my aspergery brain.
2) Really good sox! Who doesn't like really nice sox? And it saves me spending on sox. I give and get these.
3) Complete cookie mix in a jar. I like to give this when I can get ahold of powdered egg and dry milk powder (the full fat kind) if required.. Powdered egg is gross if you try to fry it but for baking JUST FINE. When I can get that, the cookie mix usually just needs a bit of oil or butter and some water. People love it. Layer it up in a jar so the various ingredients contrast in stripes or wedges. Then fill the remaining space with candies or chocolate chips or whatever wrapped in a bit of plastic wrap. Put the lid on. I make a tag with the recipe, including a list of all ingredients, and tie that on with a bit of ribbon. Old christmas cards make nice tags. Just cut the front off and either cut out the santa/angel/other-featured-element, or use it whole.
4) Homemade jams, jellies, canned goods (if you trust the person who canned them!). GIVE THE JARS BACK with the bands.
5) Dried fruits and mushrooms. I get these and I like it. They are home dried by a relative and are super handy as shelf stable food. The mushrooms work really well in soups and casseroles. If I put them in water for a bit, then blot dry, they can go in omelets.
6) Any other homemade product. I make mustard with no sugar or salt so it is keto/diabetes/glutenfree/lowsodium diet friendly.
7) Undies! In college one of my favorite aunts always sent me nice undies for christmas. As I was chronically broke, my undies would get a bit tatty and I'd just keep wearing them until you didn't know which was the leg hole and which was just a hole. I kind of miss getting undies...(cough cough...jockey's for her hipsters size 6
8) Grocery store gift card! I gave this to a young friend when he was in college and he was GIDDY. It was from a discount grocer so he really made it stretch and was able.
9) Handcrocheted throw from a friend now deceased. She also made me an appliqued blanket from a cheap furniture blanket and felt cut outs with scenes from my life. Awesome!
10) A cartoon alphabet similar to Edward Gorey style I got as a graduation gift YEARS ago and still love. It has a scene for every letter, a rhyming phrase under each picture. Composed and drawn by my broke-ass college friends.
11) Wine glasses with beaded skirts. I was broke...but wanted to give a good gift so I found some affordable but nice wine glasses and beaded tiny skirts on them. I think they might still be in use and it was a good 30 years ago that I made them.
