5 Best Gifts for Finance Nerds (2024)

This post is by our regular contributor, Erin.

It’s that time of the year when we’re all wondering how the heck Christmas is right around the corner and shaking our heads in denial at all the holiday decorations going up in the stores.

As a self-proclaimed finance nerd, I can attest to the fact I’m incredibly difficult to buy for…which is why I usually tell people to give me cash, gift cards, or nothing at all (because presents aren’t necessary to celebrate the holidays!).

I actually had a difficult time coming up with this list.

But fear not, if you’re trying to find the best gifts for finance nerds, we have five great ideas below that should bring a smile to their face.

1) Personal Finance Books

You really can’t go wrong with personal finance books. Even if the finance nerd in your life has read a bunch of them, there are so many on the market these days, they’ll probably have missed a few.

Or, if they’re like me, they might have not read a lot of finance books. I learned most of my “methods” from real world observations and reading blogs, but I wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to read about personal finance if someone gifted me a book.

Here’s a few classics that get mentioned a ton:

• The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
• Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
• Your Money Or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez
• The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko

Maybe the finance nerd in your life has money management basics down, but hasn’t gotten into investing. In this case, consider gifting these books:

• The Intelligent Investor by Benjamin Graham
• The Little Book of Common Sense Investing by John C. Bogle
• A Random Walk Down Wall Street by Burton G. Malkiel

Want to go for some real classics that anyone obsessed with personal finance would treasure? Try these:

• The Way to Wealth by Benjamin Franklin
• The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason
• Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
• The Gospel of Wealth by Andrew Carnegie

2) Gift Cards

Okay, I know, gift cards are looked down upon because they’re the least imaginative and creative gift you could give someone.

So what?

They’re arguably the most useful, if you get the right gift card. In years past, my parents have gifted me a grocery store gift card. That’s instant savings for me, and it means I can put the money I would have spent on food toward something else.

Also, if the finance nerd you know also happens to be frugal, getting a gift card is a good excuse for them to “splurge” a bit. I don’t normally go out to eat, mostly because of the price. However, I’m always happy to receive a gift card to a favorite restaurant. It means I can go there without guilt and enjoy a free meal!

The same goes for spa visits, mani/pedi’s, clothes, coffee, etc. If you know your finance nerd has been eyeing something, and they can’t bring themselves to purchase it, then give them a gift card to put toward it.

Not sure if they’d really enjoy “typical” splurges? What kind of hobbies do they have? As a money conscious person, it can be hard to justify spending on a hobby that we don’t want to monetize. Give them a gift card to a store where they can find something related to their hobby.

Also, you can use Swagbucks to earn points to “buy” gift cards, so you don’t need to spend any actual money on them. It will take some time, but it could be worth having extra money in your holiday budget.

3) Practical Items

The growing trend seems to be toward practical items instead of useless junk that sits there and accumulates dust. While I don’t find myself wanting anything in particular this holiday season, if you were to ask me to name something, it would be a practical item.

A new vacuum cleaner, a better office desk and chair, new headlight bulbs for my car, filters for the Brita pitcher I have, fingerless gloves so I can continue to type without my hands freezing…None of these sound “fun,” but they would bring me much more joy to receive than clothes or jewelry.

Focus on trying to improve the quality of life of others when thinking in terms of practical gifts. For example, my parents got me a new monitor for my birthday this year. It’s been so nice to have more screen real estate and makes working a lot easier.

Whenever I buy my dad a gift, it’s usually a part for his PC because upgrading can be expensive. I bought my grandma a new set of wireless phones for her house because her old ones caused too much interference and she couldn’t hear people properly.

4) Experiences

Buying experiences for people isn’t a popular option since these can’t really be “unwrapped” in the traditional sense, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get creative.

Tons of personal finance nerds are saying they’d rather spend money on experiences than material things. Experiences create more memories, and it’s even better when they’re gifted.

Think along the lines of vacations, sports or concert tickets, a conference pass, etc. This past Father’s Day, my cousins purchased a golf lesson pack for my uncle since he loves to golf, but isn’t exactly a professional at it. He got to enjoy a day out on the green and (hopefully) improve his skills.

I thought that was a great idea! Scour daily deal sites like Groupon and Living Social for inspiration. Once you’ve settled on a gift, think of how to present it (if you want to go the extra mile). While not an experience, I received a ring for Valentine’s Day once, but it wasn’t ready in time. Instead, my then-boyfriend printed out a picture of the ring, stuck it inside a jewelry box, and wrapped it up. I was still happy!

5) Software / Subscriptions

There are so many we could cover here. If the personal finance nerd you know has been complaining that they want to “upgrade” from a spreadsheet to a more innovative tool, try purchasing You Need a Budget, or Quicken’s Deluxe Personal Finance and Budgeting Software. You could also recommend a free gift, like Mint or Personal Capital. Bonus points – if it’s your spouse you’re buying for, set up the accounts for them!

Tax season will be here before we know it. Help your financial friend prepare by gifting them some tax software! H&R Block and TurboTax are the two most popular.

If the person you’re buying for is also an avid side hustler, you can gift them a subscription to Lynda.com or a similar site. While we’re on the topic of subscriptions, you could always go old-school and gift your finance nerd a 12-month magazine subscription to Money, Forbes, or Kiplinger.
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One last idea would be to simply give them the gift of listening. When I asked a friend (who isn’t interested in personal finance) what gift he would get a finance nerd, he said, “A piece of paper stating the giver will sit patiently and listen to one rant about finance.” Clearly, he knows me well. ;)

He’s not wrong, though. Finance nerds are passionate people who often just want to be heard because we want to feel like we’re making a difference. It’s rare to find others who want to have a discussion about money. It would make our day to have that happen! Of course, giving your time in general is always appreciated, too.

As a personal finance nerd, what gifts do you love receiving the most? What gifts have you given to other finance nerds? Do you like gifting experiences or practical items?