Fun yet practical Christmas gifts for husband for the 2010 holidays

If the man you love is the practical sort, getting good Christmas gifts for the husband that are useful but not boring can be pretty difficult, especially if you're the type of person who doesn't want to give yet another pair of woolly socks or to buy something completely unromantic like a set of winter tires. So how do you respect his practicality while keeping in mind the magic of the holiday season?

Here are some questions you should ask to ensure you get your husband the perfect Christmas gifts for men:

• Does he like surprises? If he'd rather pick out his own Christmas present or he's working on something very specific, you might want to ask him to write out a Christmas list for you with a bunch of different gift ideas, so you'll at least get a bunch of options to choose from.  Better yet, give him a gift card for his favorite store! There are lots of holiday deals out there to help you get gift cards for less, so look out for offers like mail-in rebates and cash back rewards to help you save.

• How much is too much (or too little)? Make sure not to splurge if your husband is the frugal type, as some practical men tend to be. However, if he's been pining after something for a while but won't buy it himself because he thinks it's too expensive, it might make for the perfect gift! And if he tends to spend a lot of money on a few quality items that will last for years, don't skimp on the cost – there's no point buying a cheap TV or automotive product that he's not going to want to use.

• How can you personalize it? Even if your husband isn't sentimental, it's always nice to put your own special touch on a practical Christmas gift to rekindle the romance in your relationship for the 2010 holidays – maybe write a sweet note to accompany that gaming system you're surprising him with, or if you're getting something like a digital photo frame or iPad, load it up with photos and videos that you both love.

Now that you've got an idea of how you should go about your holiday shopping for your man, what are some practical Christmas gifts for husbands that are also hot for the Holiday 2010 season? Check out these Christmas gift ideas.

• iPads: This one is a no-brainer as it's on everyone's Christmas list, and it's also a great multifunction gadget so it's really useful if your husband travels a lot or needs a compact computer for work or school. While there's not going to be a lot of deep discounts on the Apple iPad since it's such a new, hot item, you can always look out for retailers that are offering coupons or cash back rewards to save on the iPad.

• Tools: The ultimate in practical gifts, a tool kit is a great Christmas present idea, especially if your husband loves home improvement projects.

•  HDTVs: With all the new TV technology coming out, including 3D TVs, there are lots of deals to be had on televisions during the holiday sales, so if you've been wanting to upgrade your old TV for a while, now's the time to do it! Many sites are predicting discounts on 42" and 52" LCD TVs, so look out for those.

And to keep in line with being practical for the holidays, make sure you don't spend unnecessarily on your husband's Christmas gift by avoiding credit card interest and fees and keeping an eye out for coupons and discounts. Try to pay in cash as much as possible, even online, as this will help you to budget and save – use secure cash payment options to pay for your holiday shopping online, like eBillme, which gives you free buyer protection and allows you to pay through your own bank's online billing service.

Have a happy Christmas!