This holiday season, it may be hard for students to find things to buy for their friends and family. Budgeting money and saving to pay for school makes it hard to have enough money to buy gifts. We also don’t have much time to go shopping or make presents with finals being a couple weeks before the holidays. However, there are some affordable things that you can buy or make for the special people in your life.
Self Care Gifts
Self-care items can be anything that people use to take care of themselves. They make great gifts for the holidays because they are things that everybody needs for their mental and emotional well-being. Self care gifts help the receiver feel appreciated and cared for.
These items include beauty products such as; perfume or cologne, nail polish, or makeup. These are all things that are sold at local drug stores or beauty supply stores. To make it more festive, think about buying red and green nail polish or seasonal perfumes.
Besides beauty products, self care gifts can be things that help people to rest and reset. Throw pillows, cute fuzzy socks, or even blankets don’t cost much and can be great gifts for your friends who are tired from finals.
Hobby-related gifts
One of the hardest parts of Christmas shopping is knowing what everyone wants. Thinking about people’s hobbies is a great place to start since many people appreciate gifts that they can use.
For a friend who likes reading, think of buying a book or, if that’s too expensive, a bookmark or booklight. If someone enjoys crocheting or knitting, you could buy new yarn for them to use in their next project. Likewise, embroiderers need fabric and thread. If you know an artist, they might want pencils, paint, or other drawing tools.
DIY gifts
If you want to make your gift extra special and personal, try making a gift yourself. Homemade gifts don’t have to be complicated, but they show you care about someone enough to take the time to make something for them.
Some homemade gifts include CDs. If you have a blank CD in your house, you can easily burn a playlist of music onto it, personalized for the person you’re giving it to. Depending on how well you know the person, the playlist could be a testament to your relationship and your memories together.
Another homemade gift idea is a picture. If you are artistically gifted, try painting a portrait of your friend or of something they like. For example, if your friend likes horses, you could give them a painting of horses in a field. If you don’t know how or what to paint, print out a picture of you and your friend together and frame it.
Gifts for the people who don’t want anything
Some people are hard to buy for because they never tell anyone what they want. For these people, think of a general gift that everyone would enjoy. Monetary gifts such as gift cards may be less sentimental, but they allow the receiver to pick out something they actually want as opposed to getting something they don’t like. Candy is another great option, as long as it doesn’t contain any allergens.
