Gifts for Coworkers: Cheap Ideas for Awesome Presents for Work Friends

My creative gift ideas for co-workers are good for birthdays, Boss's Day, employee appreciation holidays, Christmas, Hanukkah, and any other special occasion that crops up where you have to scramble to find something for a woman or man you work with that you don't know all that well.

I struggled for years to find the best gifts for coworkers, colleagues, work associates and bosses - offerings that wouldn't break my budget but also wouldn't get shoved into a desk drawer, never to be seen again. I wanted people to find my gifts funny or useful.

Benefit from my years of experience giving goodies to people I worked with and forget those boring mugs, mousepads, and little crystal bowls. When the occasion demands it, get your male and female coworkers creative presents that they will actually like, take home, enjoy, or use...all without having to spend your bank account dry.

One thing unites all coworkers: stress. No job is without its stressful times, and in these days of cutbacks and job uncertainty, tension can overwhelm an otherwise calm work environment.

A funny gift is the best stressbuster gift of all time. No need to find a gimmicky joke present. For anybody who's spent any time at all in nature, try Hey Ranger! True Tales of Humor and Misadventure from America's National Parks by Jim Burnett. Or for a female coworker, try a funny book like The Woman's Daily Irony Supplement by Judy Gruen.

I'm not generaly a fan of decorative gifts like scented candles, wreaths, ornaments or generic figurines for coworkers. Because religions and tastes vary so much, these tend to turn into stuff-in-drawer-and-forget gifts.

During the winter holidays, even if you're not sure whether your coworker celebrates Hanukkah, Christmas or another holiday, the best gift is a warms-you-up food item like homemade ginger cookies (use whole wheat for the obsessively health conscious), caramel corn, or apple cider spice.

Of course, in my world, food presents get remembered years later. But if food doesn't seem permanent enough to your boss or coworkers, try a book. For a coworker who likes to cook, consider a book of soup recipes, like The Big Book of Soups and Stews by Maryana Vollstedt. For a non-foodie person, a pair of comfortable fuzzy socks fits the bill, or if you're in a place that never does get cold at Christmas, or the coworker is a brainy one, try a book of clever Ogden Nash poetry.

But back to food: I've worked in many offices and learned one truth: while chocolate is an ideal food gift for many men and women, it's not always the ultimate or perfect choice. These days, everyone is on a health kick, and people can be pretty picky about the chocolates they'll eat - with nuts, no nuts, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, sugar free....Nuts and other allergenic foods are also not a safe bet if you Just. Don't. Know. So if you have any doubt, go with one of these healthy or unusual treats:

• A package of gourmet dried figs dressed up in a bow. Dried dates work, too, but figs have a prettier presentation.
• A bottle of dark, whipped or exotic honey, or 100% pure maple syrup, available at most health food stores.
• Homemade soft pretzels. Try this incredible pretzel recipe by The Food Network's Alton Brown. They really are wonderful; just be sure to cut back on the salt by about half.

For a male or female boss who has everything he or she needs, the solution is simple: personalize it. Almost anything can be personalized in these days of digital technology and companies like Cafepress and Zazzle - t-shirts, golf balls, water bottles, dishware. For the most inexpensive but substantive gift, go with a personalized mug - yes, I know I said mugs were boring, but putting a name, saying or photo on it cancels out the boring part.

A birthday, the Christmas or Hanukkah holidays, Boss's day, employee recognition events, retirement, and any other work event at which it's appropriate to give gifts to bosses and coworkers mean hunting around for gifts that don't break the bank but are actually pretty nice and not your everyday offerings. These ideas for good presents for coworkers will get a grin, or even a groan, but probably not a potentially embarrassing regifting situation sometime in the future!

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