Birthday gift ideas, priced against what people actually spend

Every list tells you what to buy. The harder question is whether the amount is right, and that depends almost entirely on who the gift is for — so start there.

There is one published figure and it covers any adult: $55.65 (Empower, 2025). It is the same for everyone on this page, because no published survey we could find breaks birthday gift spending down by relationship — the per-relationship numbers you will see elsewhere carry no source. Going Rate — what Americans say they spend on gifts.

• Mom

  5 checked ideas

  Ideas run free–$250

  middle of 5: $40

• Dad

  5 checked ideas

  Ideas run free–$250

  middle of 5: $78

• Boyfriend

  4 checked ideas

  Ideas run $10–$120

  middle of 4: $43

• Husband

  4 checked ideas

  Ideas run free–$250

  middle of 4: $64

• Girlfriend

  5 checked ideas

  Ideas run $12–$300

  middle of 5: $45

• Wife

  5 checked ideas

  Ideas run $30–$400

  middle of 5: $120

• Friend

  4 checked ideas

  Ideas run free–$250

  middle of 4: $56

• Sister

  5 checked ideas

  Ideas run $10–$400

  middle of 5: $98

• Brother

  4 checked ideas

  Ideas run $25–$250

  middle of 4: $60

• Colleague

  4 checked ideas

  Ideas run free–$100

  middle of 4: $15

• Son

  4 checked ideas

  Ideas run $10–$250

  middle of 4: $56

• Son-in-law

  4 checked ideas

  Ideas run $10–$250

  middle of 4: $56

• Daughter

  4 checked ideas

  Ideas run $10–$250

  middle of 4: $56

• Daughter-in-law

  4 checked ideas

  Ideas run $10–$250

  middle of 4: $56