They say it is the thought that counts when referring to gift giving but givers still obsess over how much they pay for what they buy.
There is a huge mark-up when you go to a fancy upscale store. A good alternative would be to check out the thrift shops. Not all the merchandise at a thrift shop is used and if an individual has qualms about buying used products as gifts -- as most do, it is still a bountiful bastion of ideas.
The owner of SensibleGiftIdeas.com talks about a trip to a thrift shop in which he found a two layered mug with water in the inside layer. It was meant to be placed in the freezer so that the water becomes ice and cools the beer that one drinks on the outer layer. Such an item was unknown to the shopper and he immediately went out to the gift shops in search of a new one.
