Grandma probably doesn’t want another scented candle, but she could very well use a ride to the store. Your underemployed nephew would likely prefer a little help filling the pantry instead of a jokey T-shirt. And the sister who’s staying home with her kids may not be able to afford any extras just now. Instead of dropping $40 on a sweater for her, why not put that money toward a membership to the local museum?

You’ve still got a few weeks to think about Christmas gifts. Make this the year when you pick presents that actually help.

Giving Gifts That Help
I’ve put together a list of items that save the recipient money or fill a specific need. Prices range from as little as $5 to upward of $50 or more—and some of the suggestions will cost you little except time.

Warehouse club membership. If you’ve got $40 or $50 to spend, why not make it possible for someone to buy in bulk all year long? Note that this gift isn’t suitable for folks who don’t buy much at a time or who have limited storage space—unless you offer to split some big buys with them.

Frugal hack: If you’ve got a membership already, then make up a gift certificate that says “I will take you shopping once a month for twelve months.”

Greeting cards. Some of us dinosaurs still like to send snail-mail birthday, get-well or “thinking of you” cards. You can get decent ones for as cheap as two for a buck at some dollar stores. I got an even better deal on Hallmark assortments at Walgreens: ten cards to a box, two boxes for $5, or a quarter apiece. Ideally, you’ll spring for at least a ten-pack of stamps along with this gift.

Frugal hack: Shop thrift stores and rummage or yard sales—a lot of really nice card sets end up deeply discounted in these places.

Annual pass. A season’s membership to a local zoo, museum, or theater company may cost less than you think. You’re not only giving someone a year’s worth of entertainment, you’re investing in community organizations.

Frugal hacks: Social commerce sites like Groupon or Buy With Me sometimes offer annual passes; sign up for a few of these services right away and see what pops up in the next few weeks. Be sure to buy the social commerce vouchers through a cash-back site for a 6 percent rebate.

Pet supplies. People who have recently lost their jobs or who are living on fixed incomes could be hard-pressed to provide for Fluffy or Fido. Find out what kind of kibble the animal eats and drop off a jumbo sack of the stuff, or give them one of those huge buckets of kitty litter.

Possible frugal hacks: Watch for loss leaders at places like Petco and PetSmart and pay with a discounted gift card.

Yard work. Aging or chronically ill relatives might not be up to mowing, weeding, shoveling snow, or cleaning out the gutters. Give a homemade gift certificate good for a certain number of hours of work each season.

Supermarket or drugstore gift card. Your giftee can shop the best sales or treat himself to an item that’s normally out of his price range. Since some supermarkets sell gasoline, that card might come in real handy during a particularly tight week—you can’t get paid if you can’t get to work, right?

Frugal hacks: Some drugstores give free gift cards if you fill or transfer a prescription. Some rewards programs and rewards credit cards offer them. Discounted gift cards for merchants like Shell, Exxon, Walgreens, Jewel-Osco, Safeway, and Albertsons are often available for about 3 percent off; see above link for how to buy them.

The Entertainment Book. It has discounts for food, movies, cultural attractions, sporting goods, and all kinds of services.

Frugal hack: Buy it through a cash-back site, and you’ll get a rebate of up to 35 percent plus free shipping.

Transit pass. For those of us who don’t own cars, the prospect of a month’s worth of prepaid public transit sounds mighty fine. Or how about paying for a year’s membership to a car-sharing service?

Frugal hack: If you’ve got a car, make your gift the following promise: “I will take you to do one errand a week (with advance notice) for the next year.”