Best Gifts for Gamers (Especially Zelda Lovers) Under $20

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Best Gifts for Gamers is part three of a five-part series of gift guides for cheap millennials who want to buy their friends and family gifts but don’t have time to shop.

• Part 1: Gifts for Grandma Under $35
• Part 2: Best Sister Gifts Under $17
• Part 4: Best Gifts for Runners Under $20
• Part 5: Best Gifts for Nurses for Under $20

My husband Travis is a gamer. He’s not a “lose yourself for weeks” kind of gamer but it’s the thing he chooses to do in his spare time. I, on the other hand, know nothing about video games. I was an only child and my mom was of the mindset that girls play with girl toys. She wouldn’t even buy me Legos.

So when it comes to buying Travis gifts, I know what games he likes but I have a hard time figuring out what to get him.

I could get him the latest game for $60 but then I’d have to get him the console for it which is $250. Or I could split the difference and get him a gaming chair for $100. Gaming is an expensive hobby.

Thankfully Travis is the most frugal dude I’ve ever met. He’d never pay full price for anything video game related. He uses OfferUp, Letgo, and Facebook Marketplace to buy and exchange games and consoles. He’s gotten some pretty sweet deals and overall, hasn’t spent much on games and consoles over the past three years.

Gift Ideas for Gamers

So how do I honor his frugality (and our bank account) and make him happy when it’s all so expensive? I mean seriously, our friend just bought a headset for one single video game that cost $150!

You ditch all your original ideas and go searching for cheap ones.

If there’s one thing I’m really good at its research. So I took to the internet and found gifts under $20 that will make him smile and both of us happy about the price. Full disclosure, Travis’ favorite games are Zelda, Far Cry, and Final Fantasy so you’ll see a few of those themes on the list but I included things all gamers can love too.

Gamer Gifts for Under $20

Bumper Stickers

Travis loves stickers. He has a big trunk covered in free stickers he’s received over the years. I can’t lie, I’m a sucker for a good vinyl sticker and these fit the bill and you can get both for less than $12. I love this take on the COEXIST sticker because we have several of these consoles coexisting under our TV. And I’ve seen the lives sticker around town, I think it’s cute.

T-Shirt

T-shirts are the way you can get away with being nerdy but still be socially presentable. I like this Classically Trained shirt.

License Plate Frame

Here’s one for our Zelda fans. I love this tri-force license plate frame for Travis.

Patent Print Art

These are probably my favorites on the list. I love patent art anyway but these retro games are so cool. The arcade game print would be perfect for a Stranger Things fan. I think of Lucas and Dustin when I see this one. And the Gameboy print makes me think of my days playing the only video game I could get the hang of, Pokemon Gold.

Key Chain

I think keychains are also a great gift idea if they’re meaningful or useful. There are some cool game related keychains but they’re mostly cheap wastes of money. I love this metal Zelda keychain because the biggest complaint is that it’s heavy, so you know it’s not gonna snap. Or this Playstation keychain because it’s the CUTEST!

Flask

So even though Travis doesn’t drink I thought this was a hilarious idea. It’s definitely not the most practical flask but Each one has a different video game theme so you can get your favorite.

Mug

Travis also doesn’t drink coffee (I know, it’s a burden I bear) but I can’t seem to make a gift list without including my favorite mugs. This triforce mug is so slick.

 

Wallet

Travis has a habit of losing his wallet, in fact, as of writing this, the whereabouts of his wallet are currently unknown. I tried getting him a billfold thinking if he never has to take it out of his pants he won’t lose it! But that was a dumb idea and didn’t work.

So now I want to get him something so obnoxious he’ll always be aware of its presence. Enter, this Zelda journal with cardholder inserts. Now he’ll have a place for all his lists too. Of course, I could just be reasonable and get him a normal wallet like this Fallout one. But nah.

Gift Card Granny

Last but not least, the best gift you can give a man is food. And I’d say food is only second to games as far as gifts for gamers go. So that’s why I’m a huge Gift Card Granny fan. They have discounted gift cards to game stores and restaurants so I can either give the gift card as a gift or buy his gift with one I purchase. Either way, it’s a win.

And you can use them on top of promotions, coupons, and other discounts just like any other gift card.

Christmas Gifts for Gamers

Have any other ideas for this list? What are you getting your gamer this year? Let me know in the comments!