Graduation gift ideas: budget and style

Some of your friends are graduating, ready (some of them not-so ready) to begin their adult lives, then you need a meaningful gift that you can get without spending a ton of cash. Great graduation gifts don't have to cost you an arm and a leg.

Selecting gifts for a college graduate doesn't have to be hard; it just comes down to knowing the recipient. Not just knowing who they are, but having an idea of who they'll become, what they want to accomplish in life, and what you can give them that will encourage them in that direction. Graduation is about growing; celebrate it.

1. Flowers and a Card.

If you're unable to go to your friend's graduation, sending something fine-tuned to your relationship can be a good way to let them know you wish you could be there to celebrate with them.

Examiner.com suggests you supplement sending flowers and wine with something more memorable for your lady friend like treating your friend to a day at the spa. Or for a guy, you can send him a pair of tickets to his favorite local sports team.

2. Fine Imported Beer.

Really good imported beer is one of the staples of adulthood. There should be a beer for every taste. The cheap stuff is great if you're attending college parties, but once you get out into the world and you have a real job, it's time to treat your friend to real beer, states RealSimple.com.

3. A Coffee Grinder.

Nobody teaches about good taste, so we wind up spending our 20s consuming the same fast food and bad coffee we were having in college because we were too broke to afford anything else. Grinding affects brewing and changes the results. Roasted beans last longer than ground coffee because of the surface area exposed to oxygen. Indulge your coffee graduate with a coffee grinder.

4. Personalized Stationary and Bandroller.

Companies like Minted.com and TinyPrints.com, you can create personalized stationary. You can make it unique with pictures of him or her, add their name or something tuned to their personality. A bandroller, according to practicalcollegemoms.com, is a strap fitted with loops to hold pencils, pens, art supplies and small writing tools.

It wraps around day planners, journals and books up to 13.5 inches in circumference. You can find them on sites like Etsy. Pair the stationary and bandroller together for a unique and usable first-job gift.

5. Fine Art.

Art can change the feel of a room. It doesn't have to be expensive, just a little something to set your friend's place apart from the next graduate's, with their video game posters and milk crate bookshelves. Find a printable quote through a site like Pinterest that is either free or can range to $10. Graduation quotes:

"We can change our leaves. We can do, have, and be exactly what we wish." -Tony Robbins.

"You're off to great places. Today is your day. Your mountain is waiting so get on your way." -Dr. Seuss, "Oh, the Places You'll Go"

"By choosing our path, we choose our destination." -Thomas Monson.

Taken from: Guest Post (article, By Andrew Klein), Google (images).