2010 Christmas List

I love this time of the year. The news always talks about how some adults get depressed at Christmas time and I can see how that can happen. However I love exchanging gifts. I also use this time of year as an excuse to get new toys for myself by justifying that it is for the family. In thinking about what I would like this year, I decided to make my list public in case there are others that can benefit from my Christmas list.

Less than $20
My kids often ask me what I want for Christmas and I know they don't have much money to spend. In reality I would rather have them save for college than buy me expensive toys. So this is probably the most important price range on my Christmas list. Some ideas are:

1. Memory cards, you can never have too many of these
2. USB thumb drives, great for backing up important pictures and documents
3. 12 Volt car adapter to USB charger, great for keeping your iPhone fully charged
   
4. Noise canceling headphones, what a steal at $19.99
5. Mouse pad with a really cool graphic, mine are always getting worn out
6. LED Flashlight, great for looking behind the computer
7. A 50-pack of blank DVD's, make sure to get the kind that match the DVD writer (+ or -)
   

Less than $100
This price range opens up a few more gifts but starts getting out of the range most kids can afford. Perhaps two kids can go together to get Dad a gift.

1. Good computer toolkit, I am always looking for a screwdriver
2. Spare charger for my laptop, so one can stay at home and the other at the office
3. DVD or Blu-Ray movie, fun for the whole family
4. A 1 TB hard drive, to add to any computer system
5. External hard drive, great for making backups
6. Battery backup system or UPS, for when the power flickers

More than $100
This opens up a lot of possibilities. However it is Christmas and not "Winner of the Lottery Day," so you shouldn't really spend more than $1000. Furthermore these gifts should really be for the whole family and not just one individual.

1. 3D Television, you can get some bundles for less than $1000
2. Playstation 3, it is also a Blu-Ray player
   
3. Color Laser printer, great quality and the toner doesn't dry up like with ink-jet printers
4. Gas-powered generator, for when the power is out for a long time
5. 1080p Video projector, when a 50-inch screen isn't large enough

There are some great buys on all of these ideas and so don't be afraid to scour the Internet for the best prices. And remember, don't spend too much. It isn't much of a Christmas if you are still paying for it in July.