It’s that time of year when the media reports on Wall Street bonuses. While many of the large investment banks are busy divvying up the proverbial money pie, most American workers will be receiving zilch this holiday season.

According to Forbes, the year-end bonus is practically extinct and those companies that still offer bonuses don’t always give cash:

About 27 percent will give their workers food, since nothing says “I appreciate you” like a 12-pound ham. Another 37 percent will give gift certificates, and only 39 percent will actually distribute some dough. While the average cash bonus is worth $837, gift certificates are worth $37 on average and hunks of meat are only $24. Seems like someone told Santa that workers don’t like money anymore.

So since cash handouts are few and far between, here’s a list of money-related gifts that you can forward to your boss or bookmark as a trigger before shopping for that financially-savvy person in your life.

1. Coffee Machine
Why? Well, they might want to start making coffee at home. Consider The Latte Factor, a phrase coined by David Bach:

The Latte Factor is based on the simple idea that all you need to do to finish rich is to look at the small things you spend your money on every day and see whether you could redirect that spending to yourself. Putting aside as little as a few dollars a day for your future rather than spending it on little purchases such as lattes, fancy coffees, bottled water, fast food, cigarettes, magazines and so on, can really make a difference between accumulating wealth and living paycheck to paycheck.

The frugal-minded never want to throw away money on pricey Starbucks mixtures. If they’re not already making French Roast at home, then a new coffee machine might encourage this shift.

2. Starbucks Gift Card
Even the home-brew types like a treat now and then. I love coffee gift cards… any flavor appreciated: Peet’s, Coffee Beanery, Starbucks, or a local independent.

3. Budgeting Program
All the experts agree that tracking expenses is the best way to save money, pay off debt and create a wealthy future. MoneyPants.com offers a six-month subscription for $49.95 to its online CashTrack program.

4. Save for a Rainy Day
Know anyone that needs a nudge to start saving? Give the gift that keeps on giving by multiplying. Check out this list of best banks and their savings rates at . All have a minimum balance requirement of $100 or less and most accept applications over the internet.

5. Stop Junk Mail
Last year for my fortieth birthday, a friend sent a gift subscription to GreenDimes, a service that stops junk mail coming to your mailbox for a one-time fee of $15. They’ll save them time and be doing something good for the environment.

According to the Center for a New American Dream, each of us will spend an average of eight months of our lives dealing with junk mail. Time is money. Stop junk mail! Two other similar services are 41Pounds.org and StopTheJunkMail.com.

6. Rich Dad, Poor Dad
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki has been on The New York Times best seller list for six years and counting. Some people love this book, others hated it. This is the book that teaches people how they’re supposed to think about money. This book changed my life. Ramit Sethi reviews it best:

This book is like the kid you hated in high school, but he let you cheat off his test a couple of times so you kind of like him. I have grudging respect for this book, but every time someone raves about it, I usually just want to punch them in the face.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad is an absolute juggernaut of a book–it’s been on the bestseller lists for as long as I remember. I re-read this book yesterday. Man, there are some really great points, like how rich people make money work for them and how everyone else works for money.

Less than twelve bucks at Amazon.

7. Paper Shredder
The best way to protect one’s financial privacy is to shred everything! If you love someone, get them a paper shredder and splurge for the cross-cut variety. I’ll be writing more about this next week so stay tuned!

8. Subscription to a money magazine
Here’s one especially for the ladies. Men are two to three times more likely to subscribe to financial magazines than women. Apparently, we’re all too busy reading O! Head over to Kiplinger’s Personal Finance and order a gift subscription for $12. Her first issue will arrive in January.

9. Nothing!
Yep, that rights, the perfect gift for the person who has everything is – nothing! Claire at Tired but Happy suggests:

Instead of buying more stuff stuff stuff, why not make a donation in honor of someone? Your donation can help people in need, and many non-profits will send a nice card to the honoree telling them you’ve made a donation in their name. Plus, you can deduct the gift if you itemize on your income taxes. Everybody’s happy. Take my grandmother, for example.

My grandmother does not need another coffee mug plastered with family photos. Nor does she need another ornament/coaster/sweatshirt/calendar with her favorite bird on it. She doesn’t need another expensive floral arrangement delivered to her house. And she doesn’t need another personalized eyeglass case. What she needs is to know that her 3 children, 10 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren love her and think of her on her birthday and at Christmastime.

10. And don’t forget the wrap
Here’s one final idea when it comes to gift giving. Spend more on the gift and less on the wrapping. Trent at The Simple Dollar offers this suggestion:

It’s official - out of all of the consumer goods out there, I am most annoyed by the gift bag. Wow. $4 for a bag. That’s unbelievable. I’d far rather give and receive a present wrapped in newspaper or in a brown paper bag. I don’t get it, seriously - why not spend more on the actual gift and less on the wrapping that the person will forget in three minutes? Oh, yeah, because you were too lazy to wrap it and it’s easier to just buy a bag and toss the gift in it.

Shop early, spend less, and enjoy the holidays!

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Nina blogs about money at Queercents.