As the semester comes to an end, the holiday season is starting to ramp up. Mariah Carey is defrosting, and consumerism is at an all-time high. I celebrate Christmas, which means it is time to start buying presents for family and friends. I have always prided myself on my gift-giving, and I always try to get people meaningful gifts that they will genuinely appreciate. However, now that I am in college, it has gotten harder to achieve this.
Giving gifts is one of my favorite ways to show people that I care about them, so it’s been a big adjustment for me to figure out how to do this on such a strict budget. As prices get higher and higher every day, I find it hard to find good, meaningful gifts that I can afford. However, I have found some workarounds recently to stay within my budget.
The first one is going to sound cliché, but I have found that making homemade gifts is the best alternative to the expensive store-bought gifts I used to get. Scouring the internet and finding craft ideas that may be good for your gift recipient is a good, cost-effective way to find ideas. You don’t even need to break the bank on craft supplies to do this; even going to a dollar store and getting some craft supplies is cheaper than buying a gift. I usually go to either a Dollar General or search through the Target dollar section. I have found some good craft ideas for friends on Pinterest or TikTok.
Getting people a personalized care package is another great, cost-effective way to show how you care. Having a list of a few things you know about them, like their favorite snacks or colors, and going to a few stores to get items that relate to the list can really make an impact. You can get good snacks and decorative items from the dollar store while saving the nicer stuff for stores like Walmart or Target.
The best way to connect with someone through gifts, even on a college student’s budget, is to help them. If you have a friend who is having a hard time with something, assisting them is a great way to show that you care about them. Does your friend have to change the oil in their car, and do you know how to do that? Offer to help them! Do they need a ride to their internship for the next few weeks, and do you have the time? Make them your passenger princess for the month! Helping out your friends can be the best gift you can give them, especially when they may be struggling with too much already.
Even if your friends or family don’t have anything they need help with, just spending time together can be a great gift. Do you both want to go see the new “Wicked” movie? Go together and have a great night. Ask yourself about things your friends have mentioned to you or sent you online. Any restaurants, activities or stores that they seem to want to go to? Take them and spend a wonderful day out together.
It may seem daunting when the holidays roll in and you have to work with a pretty strict budget, but there are options out there. At the end of the day, though, it really is the thought that counts.
