When you're a kid, just about the worst thing you can get is a practical gift like a pair of socks. Who's excited to open that package up on their birthday? There are certain things in life that you can just buy for yourself, it's the stuff you won't splurge on that you want to find wrapped up and tagged for you for groomsmen gifts and during holidays and other special occasions.

But then you grow up. You grow up, and you realize that you don't always have the money to buy even the practical things for yourself, and who wants to spend their extra twenty bucks from this paycheck on socks or a new toaster? If you're getting married fairly young, your friends are probably at the same place in life that you are, and it's not a place that affords destination weddings or even much of the gas money for driving to your wedding venue. If there's ever a time for practical gifts, it's now, so devote the groomsmen gifts money in your limited wedding budget to truly Practical Groomsmen Gifts that your buddies actually need.

Skip the socks this time around - even if your groomsmen are that desperate, at least give them the dignity of suffering through holes in their socks until they can afford new ones. It's not out of the question, though, if they're really hurting, to chip in to pay for some or all of their tuxedo rentals as groomsmen gifts. Unlike groomsmen gifts that will end up gathering dust, offering to help out with the essentials might mean that your groomsmen can do other things with that money, like, say, pay rent.

If they're not in that bad of shape financially, you can still contribute towards funding their participation in your wedding. These days just getting somewhere can be a problem, from rising gas costs to increasing traffic in nearly every city. Why not rent a van to pick up the members of the wedding party, and maybe even get a driver so everyone can feel free to take advantage of the reception's open bar? Groomsmen gifts don't have to be a physical object - sometimes they can just be about making the whole experience easier and showing your appreciation for your groomsmen that way.

Are you completely committed to giving groomsmen gifts you can wrap? You can still find Practical Groomsmen Gifts without resorting to searching for some place that will personalize a toaster. Any guy can appreciate groomsmen gifts of a Set of Four Personalized Drinking Glasses or Pilsner Glasses. Still searching? Every guy can use a wallet!