21st Birthday Gift Ideas: Presents for All Budgets

Many people spend a lot on money on gifts for 21st birthdays (particularly parents), but presents don’t have to be expensive – often meaningful and memorable is more special. Below are some suggestions for all budgets for both guys and girls.

Cheap 21st Birthday Gifts for Him ($5-$50)

Personalized Items – monogrammed beer glasses, personalized magazine covers, engraved key chain or pocket knife.

Something Collectible – a sports card, book or video game he’s been wanting.

A Food and Drink Gift Basket – guys can never get enough of that stuff!

Mid-range 21st Presents for Him ($50-$150)

Concert or Sports Tickets – A fun and memorable idea if his favourite band or team is playing around the time of his birthday.

Extreme Sports – A bungy jump, ride in a race car (NASCAR Experience), skydiving, jet boating. These activities range greatly in cost, but there should be something to suit your budget.

Expensive 21st Gifts for Him ($150+)

Vacation/Holiday – Everyone loves a good vacation. Las Vegas, New York, Tokyo, Hawaii, Great Barrier Reef.

Private Plane or Helicopter Ride – Certainly something he’ll never forget!

Electronics – Okay, so it’s now particularly personal, but just about any boy would love a new computer, 42″ TV or stereo for his birthday.

Car – If you really want to splurge out!

Cheap 21st Birthday Gifts for Her ($5-$50)

Personalized Items – Personalized coins, initialed shot/martini glasses, pendant or other jewelry with her name on (this could also be an idea for a more expensive gift depending on the type of jewelry).

Manicure/Pedicure – Definitely a nice way to relax (and look good) before the big birthday celebration.

Girly Gifts – If she’s a girly girl, she’ll love things like nail polish, make-up, a teddy bear, chick flicks and chick lit (DVD’s and book’s). You could even put several of these items together in a gift pack.

Mid-range 21st Presents for Her ($50-$150)

Spa Treatment – Massages, Facials… Something almost every girl would love!

Shopping Spree – What more needs to be said!?

Expensive 21st Gifts for Her ($150+)

Vacation – A trip on a cruise ship, Miami, Caribbean, Paris, London, Rome, Melbourne.

Spa Day – While single spa treatments can be kept under $200, anything longer than an hour or more deluxe generally can’t. There are literally hundreds of options to choose from in this category.

Electronics and Expensive Toys – Like boys, girls love their laptops, iPods and cameras. Perhaps a new iPad or the latest cell phone?

While this is only a brief overview of birthday gifts, many of these ideas can be used as a base for a more personal gift suited to the individual you’re buying for. Many of the gifts listed under ‘him’ will also be suitable for girls and visa versa – at least to some extent! In the end, it all depends on the individual, and it is always more special to tailor the gift to specifically meet his or her interests.