Help!

I have a favorite cup. I use it for everything. I want to gift some of my friends at xmas with them but they are only $1.49. Worse the web address for them is embossed on the lid so they can go see exactly what I paid for them. My brain is ok with this but my guts tells me this is too cheap.

Is that too cheap? I love them. I have 1 at work, 2 at home. I use them all the time. But I'm afraid that it is just too inexpensive a gift... What do y'all think?

Now wait a minute... before y'all all just nod and say that's ok... really think about it....
you might give your mother-in-law a gift that is that inexpensive but would you give your own mother a $1.49 gift?
Even if it is awesome and you know she'd use it?

There seems to be some unspoken rule at play in my consumer brain saying I have to give a gift that is expensive.
I apparently need to "frugalize" my gifting instincts.

Why not give the cup and fill it with something nice corresponding to the level of expense you want to go to for each recipient? A gift card for beverages, homemade cookies or candy, ... the possibilities are endless!

I have to ask, what's the web addy for the wonder cup in question?

I like the idea of a gift card in the cup.

I like the idea of putting something inside. For something cheaper than a gift card, how about cocoa? Tea bags? Coffee? (The Simple Dollar had a recipe for homemade hot chocolate mix the other day).

Do you want to give the cup because you don't want to spend a lot, or because you love the cup? Or both?

I agree with adding something to the cup. If you don't want to spend a lot, the idea of a homemade something (cookies or cocoa mix or what have you) is great. If your budget is bigger, you can always slip a pair of earrings inside for mom.

Great ideas! I'm going to put stuff inside and wrap it pretty. That does dress it up a bit and make it feel more special.

www.capitolcups.com is the web address.

This cup seals tight enough for me to put hot coffee in it, put it in a ziploc bag
and ride to work on a motorcycle with hot coffee in my backpack and it has never spilled a drop. It truly rocks.

I'm delighted to give this as a gift. It truly was the inexpensiveness that was giving me pause.

My honey reminded me last night there is value in utility that I ought to be adding to my equation.

I went ahead and ordered them. 8 gifts for co-workers and family came to $18.81 after shipping.

i don't get the logic. if you get a plasma tv, you can easily find out how much it costs. the bottom line is are you focusing on the cost or focusing on the gift? likewise, is the person receiving the gift focusing on the gift or how much it cost? i think a quick evaluation of your values is in order if you or the gift receiver are so bent over the cost of the gift rather than the value of the gift.

I am a sucker for unsolicited testimonials of inexpensive products so when asked what I wanted for Christmas by my mother I directed her to the website. I hope I agree w/OP, I'm always looking for the perfect cup.

GooGoo: It's not that I'm BENT over it, it just gave me pause. And if you are getting a plasma TV, the fact that it is expensive is apparent. I truly don't think any of my friends or family would *actually* go look but they *could* go look and I wanted some people's opinions. Thanks for sharing yours.

And sandycheeks: At that price you could use it as a planter. But it rocks. It really does. Just remember to follow the instructions on the lid on how to close it....


And thanks again to all. I'm going to go with a small trial size of my favorite coffee tucked inside.

No way...thanks to you! I'm buying a bunch right friggin now. These are perfect. You should contact them and ask for royalties because I'm probably buying a dozen.

Edit: Ok, I only bought 9. I think I'll do trial size coffee for those who like it, tea for those who'd prefer it, hot chocolate in a baggie in a couple, maybe gift certificates as a cop out gift for a couple. The graphics are great on these cups. I'm worried that my boss will take my gift of a cup reading "slightly intense" the wrong way, but I'll risk it!

Thanks Cady!

again, it's the value of the gift that counts not the cost and not how substantial. If it gave you pause, then you were focusing on the item being cheap or inexpensive and you didn't want the giftee to think you cheap. you are correct, the giftee "could" find out how much the mug cost, as they could with any gift you would give them, to include the "small trial size" coffee you are stashing inside the mug. Filling the mug with a trial size of your favorite coffee is nice (although is it their favorite?), though, but if you are worried about the cost of the gift, a small trial size doesn't add any more cost to the mug, so why not a gift certificate (handmade or otherwise) for a pound of the coffee?

GooGoo: at the risk of extending this discussion thread past its due date....

> If it gave you pause, then you were focusing on the item being cheap

You make it too black and white. A pause and time to consider didn't deter me from doing it. I like to consider all angles of my actions.

My original post stated: There seems to be some unspoken rule at play in my consumer brain saying I have to give a gift that is expensive. I apparently need to "frugalize" my gifting instincts. I was pondering the fact that just like I have "lifestyle creep" I seem to have a "gift price" creep.

However it remains a fact that $1.49 in America in 2007 for a gift is extremely inexpensive.

> Filling the mug with a trial size of your favorite coffee is nice (although is it their favorite?),

I don't know all my co-workers favorite brands of coffee. Frankly I don't like some of them enough to find out. However on the off-chance they've never tasted mine I thought I'd introduce them. A trial size won't kill them if they hate it.

> but if you are worried about the cost of the gift, a small trial size doesn't add any more cost to the mug.

I KNOW! That is exactly the point... But it dresses up a simple cup into something more fun. I'm not trying to go broke gifting people I only work alongside of and the work gifting thing is too expensive anyway. I have no way to stop it because it is an office tradition. 5 of the cups are for co-workers. 2 are for friends and 1 is for my Dad. He'll love it and he barely even knows what the internet is! He'll just like the doughnut coupons I'll put inside of his.

And a side note: Every single thing about my life for the past 8 months since I bought my house has had a dollar figure attached to it. I think it would be very unwise to let my guard down when it comes to the gifting season. In fact I need to examine it more closely this year because this is my first holiday season living with my current money system. I simply cannot do it the way I've always done it. I do not have the luxury of a credit card to charge it to this time around. It MUST be cash. And if it is cash it must be budgeted. And if it is budgeted I must examine its cost to value ratio before I buy something.

Thanks for the great idea, my problem is I need a cheap present for my daughter's nurses or they're not allowed to accept it. I still want to give them something nice and I have quite a few to buy for so this is just perfect!


Thanks so much!

straw8erry333: I'm excited other folks are also doing this. Perhaps we'll start a movement to bring the price of gifting down.

BTW. My cups that I ordered on the 4th were waiting on my porch last night when I got home. Pretty fast shipping too.

I wrote them and they wrote me back a lovely letter:

Cady,

Thank you for sharing your blog. I receive emails everyday from
customers who love their Capitol Cups but your group certainly in line for the
creativity award. Not only are you bringing back the true meaning of a
gift but you are doing something good for the environment.
Just think of the number of cups you are keeping out of the landfills
by using a refill cup. Our cups are recyclable, microwave and dishwasher
safe and Made in the USA.
Our cups are a great way to package gift cards.

Your order shipped on 12/4.

Enjoy the Holidays!
Clare
Clare M. Craig
Vice President Sales and Marketing
Capitol Cups
508-748-0372