The Best Big-Ticket Gifts To Buy With A Group

Congratulations! If you're planning to gather a group of friends, coworkers, or family members to buy one big, very cool present for someone, you are much smarter than the rest of us. While some of us basically only have the holiday gift budget for mugs and candles (not that there's anything wrong with those!), you're going to pool your resources for something great.

There are a few categories of people really suited to receive a group gift: One, parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, who probably still treasure the homemade pottery you gave them as kids but are all set for paperweights at this point in life. Two, coworkers, like the office manager, mailroom clerks, or interns who've been going above and beyond for your department all year. Three, teachers or caregivers, assuming someone in your little one's class can coordinate all the parents for this one.

You might also find a way to chip in with friends to buy something special for another friend. Now, it would get pretty confusing if you did this for all your friends (without going the Secret Santa or White Elephant route). But there might be someone in your circle who needs an extra boost of love this year. Or there's the friend who basically has everything, but if you could get others to go in on a gift, you'd be able to find that one thing they'd really appreciate.

So, what are those things? While the possibilities are endless, we've got a few ideas for how to make your group gift meaningful and very much appreciated.