Buying gifts can be fun and pleasurable, but only when you know what to look for or when you have an abundance of cash to spare. When you need to figure out how to buy presents on a budget, you need to have some ideas regarding what to look for. This is especially the case during holidays when you want to shower your family and friends with gifts they deserve. If you’re on a tight budget, this can be financially draining for you.
But, it doesn’t have to be, not if you know what kinds of affordable gifts to buy. Surely, you can also make affordable DIY gifts, but if this takes too much of your time, here are five excellent ideas for your present shopping spree.
- Something to Keep Them Warm
If you’re shopping for Christmas or studying in a country with cold winters, there are many small items that are ideal as a gift to everyone. You don’t have to splurge on expensive sweaters or boots. Instead, get some affordable, yet very useful and warm items like mittens, fuzzy socks, blankets, beanies, scarves, and earmuffs. Of, if you’re purchasing for a male person, get them a nice bottle of vodka to keep them warm in their spare time (here are some excellent gifts for men to consider).
It’s not only clothes and booze that keep people warm in the cold days. If you want something unique, convenient, as well as affordable, why not make a small collection of hot chocolate mixes, throw in a nice, personalized or cute mug, and maybe some marshmallows? There’s hardly a person around that doesn’t like a steaming mug of hot chocolate goodness with some marshmallows to sweeten their day.
If the person you’re making a gift for does not like hot chocolate or booze, you can always go for a nice box of tea and maybe even add a cute tea mug or coffee cup in your package.
If your friend is a student who is constantly struggling with sleepless nights and spends a fortune on coffee to stay awake, this might just be the perfect gift to get them!
- Photographs
Photographs are personal, memorable, and make for an amazing, yet cheap gift. People who love you will adore a framed photograph of the two of you together. This won’t cost you a lot since all you have to do is print out the photo and put it in a frame. It’s a gift they can display anywhere and look at for years to come.
If you want to take this a step further, you can make or order a photo calendar, get a photo printed onto a coffee mug, or get an old-fashioned scrapbook. Just collect cherished pictures of you and your friends and make a scrapbook. It might take some of your time, but it will be the most amazing gift that they’ll treasure forever!
You can go online and put a photo on almost everything today. Use it on t-shirts, coffee mugs, magnets, and even mouse pads. Or, you can make one grand poster.
- Coupons, Subscriptions, and Vouchers
Does your friend like watching movies, maybe? If they do, pay for a month or two on Netflix or other movie platforms. You can print out the confirmation, add a pack of popcorns, and surprise them for your Friday movie night next time you meet with them.
Even better, refer your friend to a company that will help them write a paper they have due. If you have a paper that’s been causing them troubles and you know of it, why not order it for them online? There’s this amazing writing service that I have used to write my essay when it was too hard or too urgent. You’ll be gifting your friends the best gift they can get at this point – some free time.
There are many things gift vouchers and coupons available at numerous stores today. Get your friend a gift card on Spotify, iTunes, or Apple Music and add a nice playlist that would serve as a modern mix CD.
Go to their favourite store and get a gift card that they can use to get what they like. It’s much better than guessing or buying something that you aren’t sure will fit. Coupons and vouchers are highly convenient, and you can purchase them with little cash based on your budget.
Even if your friends aren’t book fans, getting a gift card from a bookstore is always a useful idea. They’ll need books for school and for research. You might even want to pay their membership at a library they often use to research for their academic papers.
Do you maybe have a favourite magazine? If you do, why not subscribe for a few months and send it to their address? You might even find some magazines based on their interests. If you’re getting subscription for your father who loves fishing, choosing a popular fishing magazine is bound to leave him thrilled and happy for months to come. If you’re buying a gift for a present who loves travelling, subscribe to a travel guide that will help them decide on future vacations and encourage them to create the next travel itinerary.
- Accessories for Their Devices
Most people today own a smart device. Your student friends probably have a phone, a laptop, maybe even a tablet they are using. Accessories for them make for an amazing gift. You don’t have to empty your pockets seeing how there are endless options on the market nowadays.
Get your friend a cute or cool phone cover, an earphone storage case, a car mount, an organizer, a sticker for their laptop, a laptop bag, a phone stand, etc. Your options are endless, especially now since you can find these all over the Internet without even leaving your dorm room.
- Delicious Treats
Who says that presents have to be bought and not made? Food is never a bad idea for a gift. Why don’t you make some homemade cookies to give as a present to the people you love? They will be delicious give a personal touch to your gift-giving this year.
If you don’t have the skills or the time to bake and cook, you can always get a nice book of gourmet chocolates, make a gift bag with bars and truffles, or simply choose the person’s favourite treats and pack them in a colourful box. Sugar and candy is a present all of us want to get, no matter what the occasion!
The bottom line
A gift does not have to be expensive to be great. In fact, some of the best gifts are the ones that are personalized and have effort and thought put into them. You don’t have to spend a fortune on purchasing presents for the people you love. Use your creativity and my guidance and save a lot on your next gift shopping spree.
Author’s Bio
Cody Dawkins is a content and blog writer who shares his unique ideas on creativity and motivation topics online. His work is published in numerous journals, magazines, as well as online pages. In addition to contributing with his insight, Cody also travels the globe and writes his travel memoirs.
