Thoughtful Gift

Are you looking for a gift for a loved one, and want to achieve a high thoughtfulness to cost ratio? I have the solution. I call it the Dilbert Car Kit. For Christmas, I made two for my wife: One for her car and one for mine when she is a passenger in it.

The idea is that you take notice of all the things he or she routinely wishes was in the car on trips. Then you find a generic storage case and fill it with just those items, to keep beneath the seat of the car. It’s nerdily delicious.

Here’s a picture of the one I put together.

My kit has the following items:

Pen
Notepad
Contact lens case
Contact lens liquid
Lint roller
Advil
First aid kit
Tic Tacs
Tissues
Chapstick

As time goes by, I wish I had added a few more things:

Sun block
Sunglasses
Snack (protein bar)
Wet Napkin packet

Your kit will differ, but the key to making it a good gift is picking the items that are customized to the recipient.

Now some of you will say, “That’s what a glove compartment is for,” or “It’s called a purse.” But we all know that glove compartments are nothing but a practical joke involving crap that falls out when you open the door. And you can never find what you need with the front-load design no matter how long you paw around in there.

Women often change purses, or leave them behind. The car kit fills the gaps.

Now go forth and be thoughtful.

Comments

[Darx]

Sorry, Scott, my boyfriend made me one of those 3 years ago when he got his Prius with its extra bonus glove compartment and storage console. He also keeps a hair clip and a brush in there for me, eyeglass cleaner and cloth, salty snacks (he prefers sweet snacks), hand lotion, plastic utensils for emergency food consumption, and my favorite: an emery board and orange stick. Oh, and dental floss! Yeah, he takes good care of me.

[Ben]

I used to keep a can of military survival rations in my van. Come to think of it, I think the can is still around somwhere.

[Marilyn Scott-Waters]

Nerd husbands are the best!

I'll take my Computer God, book reading hubby over Brad Pitt anyday.

[The Super Bongo]

how about a knife/corkscrew/bottle opener?

[Tristan]

Of all the things I wish I had in a car, I would need a rooftop carrier. Then again that is outside the car :]
Good idea I'm making on in 5 minutes!

[Mike]

Who needs a car kit....

There are only two essentials I take with me when I travel: Jessica Simpson and my pet yak.

[Silvox]

Flares!! I can't stop laughing when I thought of this. The planet...... oh no! I didn't mean link. Oops, I've forgotten that.

[melinda]

Many parents have compiled just such kits, sans the catchy name. I used the term "parents," but this could apply to caregivers, grandparents, guardians, spouses, team parents, or anyone else who has chauffered others around on a regular or semi-regular basis.

Although some individuals who "travel smart" may simply be extrememly organized, I'm willing to bet that most people learned to do so the hard way. After one too many trips when someone needed/wanted something that wasn't in the car, I now make it a point to bring along anything and everything which will help circumvent the inevitable whining that good drivers shouldn't have to drown out with Baby Mozart, Metallica, or Lawrence Welk's greatest hits played at maximum volume (never say never).

[Martin Beeby]

It's my strong feeling that Scott has fundamentally missed the point about gifts for women, here are 10 reasons why:

http://www.thewayithink.co.uk/post/Thoughtful-Gift-10-reasons-it-isnt.aspx

[Sujay]

A thoughtful gift from Scott...THIS Idea from Scott??!! the guy with turd fasination and triple entendre...i want my 5 minutes back with a completely hilarious post...Wally could have done better i thot.

[nsf]

This is the apogee or perigee of my romantic life.

I have read a 'thoughtful gift' suggestion online.

I have immediately embraced it as a great idea.

The great romantic idea came from...the creator of Dilbert.

Fortunately, I think my wife would love it. She's the engineer in the relationship.

[Dr. Zeuss]

Wow, the quantity of haters in your comments is bizarre.

I think this is a great idea.

[Bob]

If you had actually thought about this gift, Scott, you would realize that the amount a woman likes her gift is directly proportional to how much it costs.

[haslina]

great idea ! not as a special gift (read: anniversaries or birthday) but brilliant as an everyday gift.

[Dave]

OK, did you seriously just come up with the "idea" of putting notepads and tictacs into a box, and then try to tie the Dilbert brand to it? The Dilbert Car Kit?

Have book sales really been THAT terrible?

[Leora]

Wow. I already have one of these. But I made my own--my man knows better than to second-guess me on car stuff.

I actually use my glove box for the often-used essentials like the Swiss Army knife, small butane torch, flashlight, ibuprofen, travel wipes, bandaids, spoon, etc. If you store them in ziplocs or a pencil case, they'll stay organized and clean. The sunglasses clip onto the visors, both the main pair and a backup pair. And I have a visor-clip small tissue case, too, so I can actually find and reach a tissue when I need one.

In the back is a tote box with booster cables, various fluids in smaller quantities (brake fluid, oil, antifreeze, PSF, lock de-icer), 12V tire inflator, reflective safety triangle, Tyvek coveralls, latex gloves, electrical tape, cable ties, rad hose quick repair kit, fuses, socket set, adjustable wrench, and screwdriver set. Believe it or not, it all fits in an 18L box (about 2ft long, 1ft wide and a foot and a half deep). In the winter I add a folding steel shovel, traction grips, extra mitts/hat/scarf, and candles. Of course, it helps if you have some idea what to do with these things. I've only had to do roadside repairs maybe three times (in the middle of nowhere, out of cell phone range), but I've helped all kinds of other people out.

I'm still trying to figure out why that one dude wanted to carry an oil filter and 5 litres of oil. How the hell do you lose an oil filter on the road?

[Lymonhead]

A suggestion. Instead of criticizing corporate life only, perhaps explain more of what they can do to improve corporate life. For example, in addition to the 3rd world competition, maybe a utopian company where things actually go "properly." maybe a British utopian society manned and womanned only by aliens since humans don't SEEM to get it right. or a smaller company that beats Dilbert's company b/c it doesn't have all of the red tape and so on.

[tubaguy]

We have a supplementary wedding gift that we only give to young couples we really know well. It's all the things that newlyweds don't realize they need on hand until the moment of need arises.

The basic set includes:
--- a small garbage can
--- garbage bags to fit
--- a can opener
--- a toilet plunger
--- a toilet brush
--- bathroom deodorizer
--- a whisk brush and dustpan

We don't wrap it. It all fits in the garbage pail, but one of the tool handles gets a bow. That way, they'll see they have it and know where to find it when they need it.

We also get strange looks when we hand it over to the gift receivers. So it goes.

[Emily]

I retract my marraige proposal to webar. I just realized only a female would have written that post.

[Marcia]

I think Scott is joking. For evidence, he has a photograph of the box with sundries. Like we need a visual for a 'generic box' of Kleenex.
When has he ever posted a photograph?
He's setting us up.

[Larry H]

Now the real proof of commitment will be for you to remember to replace all the expired products in there every 6 months.

Contact lens liquid must be an unopened container, and may go off quicker in the heat of summer.

[dargaud]

In every one of the family backpack there's the following emergency kit:
- lighter
- thin gloves
- emergency space blanket
- compass
- whistle
- energy bar
- tiny LED headlamp
- minimalist swiss-army knife
Of course, it's not meant to be used in downtown L.A.

[Crimson_Sky]

I think this is a wonderful idea and very thoughtful! Sure, it may seem cheap for a present as some have said..but so were all the homemade crafts I gave as presents as a kid. ;) There are some cases when being thoughtful can override a high cost value. Too many gifts are useless, but expensive. This one is very practical and says you care and pay attention to what she wants when in the car!

If I had a car, I'd do this too.

[Nimrod]

This is the most romantic gift ever. Sure to make panties drop. And the best part is everything can be found at the drug store.

[Todd]

Do you have an opinion on Daylight Savings Time? Apparently one study shows that, contrary to saving energy (which I understand was the original intent of DST), we actually end up using more energy.