The best gifts for grads under $50

The Blink Mini 2 is a small but mighty indoor security camera with two-way audio, an LED spotlight and 1080p HD video that works day or night. It has a wider 143-degree diagonal field of view compared to the last version, plus a low-light image sensor and infrared night vision.

If you already have the Blink Video Doorbell, the Mini 2 can double as a plug-in chime, which makes it extra handy. You’ll need a Blink Subscription Plan to unlock features like person detection and motion alerts, but it comes with a free 30-day trial so you can see if it’s worth it.

You can even use the Mini 2 outdoors if you grab the weather-resistant power adapter (sold separately). The price tends to bounce between $40 and $20. So, while this isn’t a record-low deal, it’s still a great time to grab a solid DIY security camera at one of its best prices.

You may not want to think about all the nights your grad has been out until 4am, but it’s likely they’ve clocked a few of those by now. Giving them an easy way to get home in the form of a gift card will not only be a welcomed convenience, but also a safety measure. Hopping in a Lyft or an Uber as soon as they’ve made the decision to bounce will make it so they don’t have to wait for public transit that may not arrive on time (or at all), or beg a friend of a friend for a ride. Not to mention, they’ll feel a huge sense of relief knowing that, the next time they go out, their ride home is already taken care of.

Regardless of whether your grad rides public transit to work, drives a car everywhere or lives within walking distance of all the essentials, a reusable bag will be a necessity for them. This one from Peak Design is especially handy because it has a zip closure, something many other reusable totes don’t have, an interior pocket that fits most smartphones and a single-strap design that’s easy to carry by hand or over the shoulder. It’s made of ripstop nylon as well, so it will hold up to even their heaviest of grocery runs. And when they don’t need it, it packs down into itself in a shape that’s only slightly larger than a deck of cards. That means they can toss it in their bag or trunk and never leave home without it.

Ensure your new graduate never runs out of phone battery even during their longest days by getting them this Anker Nano 5K power bank. It has a flip-put USB-C connector that allows it to attach to the bottom of the latest iPhones and Android phones so they can keep using their phone while it powers up. The 5K capacity will be just enough to revive a nearly-dead smartphone and give it plenty of juice to navigate home using their preferred maps app or give them more time to finish that podcast on their way home from work. And since it’s so small, there’s really no excuse for them to leave home without it. If your giftee has an older iPhone, there’s a Lightning connector version as well.

I received this Cartman 39-piece tool set right after college when I moved into my first apartment, and now, over 10 years later, it’s still with me in my home’s garage. I put this thing and all its contents through the ringer hanging pictures, putting together Ikea furniture, changing light fixtures and even repairing a broken door lock late on a Saturday night after coming home from a party (ah, youth). It includes all of the essentials one would need to do what I listed above, and much more, without much hassle: a measuring tape, hammer, screwdriver with 20 different bits, pairs of pliers and scissors and more. The plastic case that comes with all of the pieces has spaces designed to fit each tool and, while it’s a little flimsy, mine lasted a number of years before I accidentally broke the handle (totally my fault, too). The fact that it comes in a few different accent colors is icing on the cake; my “pink toolset” was a running joke in my family for a long time, but we were always laughing with the tools rather than at them because I used them so much. This is one of those gifts for graduates that isn’t flashy, but it’s necessary — and they will thank you for it. – V.P.

Losing stuff is a bummer for anyone, grads included. I tried out Apple’s AirTags, Tile trackers and Chipolos for our Bluetooth tracker guide and ended up picking the Chipolo One as the best option for most people. That’s because it simply does what it’s supposed to do without hassle: help people locate their keys and let them know when they’ve been left behind. Chipolo One doesn’t have the massive, community-enabled (and potentially creepy) location tracking of Apple’s FindMy, but it rings loud with a tap from your phone and sends alerts about forgotten items faster than any other tracker we tried. – Amy Skorheim, Senior Reporter

We’ve been fans of 8Bitdo’s affordable, multi-platform controllers for quite some time, and the $50 Pro 2 is no exception. You can use it with the Nintendo Switch and on Windows, macOS, Android and Raspberry Pi, and you’re able to map functions to buttons using its companion smartphone app. The Pro 2 also adds new bumper buttons under each arm, something the previous version did not have. In general, 8Bitdo’s controllers are more ergonomic than, say, relying on a keyboard and mouse when playing PC games. They’re also a dramatic improvement over the Switch’s Joy-Cons which, if we’re honest, aren’t the most comfortable controllers to use for long stretches of time. The Pro 2 charges up via USB-C, but you can also remove the battery pack and replace it with AA batteries if you know you won’t be able to charge up frequently.

Money management will be more important than ever before for recent graduates, and Quicken’s Simplifi budgeting app can help them get a handle on their finances. It’s our current favorite budgeting app and the one we recommended most Mint users switch to once that service was shut down earlier this year. We like Simplifi’s clean interface and general ease of use: it’s a relatively painless process to connect all of your accounts, including ones with Fidelity, and the app then shows you things like recent spending, upcoming recurring payments, top spending categories, a snapshot of your current spending plan and more. The app does a fine job of categorizing transactions as well, and your grad can do things like label certain transactions like their monthly phone bill as recurring. And you may gift them a subscription to start, but the standard $48-per-year pricing will hopefully be affordable enough for your giftee to continue paying for it in the future, if they find it useful.

Nothing against Stanley cups, but there are other options out there. We’re partial to Yetis for their classic, dishwasher-safe design, vacuum insulation and bold colors. If you know your grad has trouble staying hydrated during busy days, consider gifting them a 35-ounce Yeti Rambler straw mug. It has a handle for easy carrying across their office or downstairs to the living room if they work from home, and its lid-and-straw combo feels pretty sturdy and secure, despite not being leakproof. The straw also has a handy stopper at one end so it won’t entirely fall out of the cup if it takes a fall. You’ll likely find your giftee’s favorite color amongst the choices, which range from pastels like pink and purple to classics like red and white. And if you order directly from Yeti, you can customize the Rambler with their name, monogram, zodiac sign and more.

Help your grad clean up their nightstand or desk by gifting them this UGreen 2-in-1 wireless charging stand. Instead of fussing with multiple cables, this foldable brick lets them power up their phone and another compatible device, like a pair of wireless earbuds, simultaneously. It has Qi2 certification, so it can provide up to 15W of wireless power to their smartphone, and up to 5W for their chosen accessory. The magnets are strong on this charging stand, and its design allows it to be folded down into an even more compact brick when they only need to power up one device.

Hear us out — a good umbrella is an unexpected yet invaluable gift. Few things are worse than getting stuck in a downpour on your way to work, especially if you use public transit to get there. Repel’s windproof travel umbrella is just the right size — not too big or too small at 11.5 inches in length — and its nine reinforced fiberglass ribs prevent it from being blown inside-out easily. We also like its single-button design, allowing you to open or close it with one hand. Repel’s umbrella is one of those practical gifts that your grad will be glad to have at the most crucial times, and they’ll save money in the long run by not needing to buy a new, cheap umbrella every time the skies open up.

If your giftee thought they had a lot of logins to keep track of in school, just wait until they get into the workplace. A password manager will be a must-have, and you can easily give them a 1Password digital gift card so they have no excuse not to use one. Our favorite password manager is easy to use, even for those who have never had a password manager before, and it provides top-notch security. It uses industry standard encryption, a “secret key” that only your giftee knows along with their one password to keep all of their other information safe. In addition to login credentials, new graduates can keep other information like credit card numbers, banking information and sensitive notes in their 1Password vaults for safekeeping — and they can easily access it all on their phone or laptop whenever they need. At minimum, it’s much more secure than a tattered sticky note for keep tracking of their most important passwords. At best, it could be a crucial service that your grad decides to keep paying for long after they’ve used up their gift card.

Travel items make great gifts for recent graduates, who often have hopes of traveling the world or, at the very least, taking a well-deserved vacation now that they’ve completed their studies. Bagsmart makes some of our favorite travel gear, and its quilted toiletry bag is quite versatile. Sure, they could use it to store their bathroom essentials and cosmetics, but it could also be used regularly to organize their daily gear in a larger bag or backpack. The main zippered compartment is spacious and it includes a waterproof pocket to keep their most important items safe. A side flap opens up to reveal loops for storing things like makeup brushes, pens or even charging cables, and the whole thing is made from waterproof PVC fabric.

While technically priced at more than $50, we wanted to include the Instant Vortex Mini with the other gift ideas here in part because it’s often on sale for around $45. Also, it’s a powerful little air fryer that any new graduate should be able to fit into even the most cramped of kitchen setups. It has an easy to use touchscreen with a few different cooking modes, but we expect most graduates will use it to cook snacks like mozzarella sticks and reheat leftovers to crispy perfection. We recommend checking out our air fryer guide if you want to give them something a little bigger that can cook more food at once — but if you’re only looking out for your grad and maybe their partner or favorite roommate, the Instant Vortex Mini will feed them well.