Christmas time each year can be stressful, not to mention adding gift shopping to that list. That’s why I have decided to compile a list of gift ideas for you that are extremely reasonable in price! If your situation is that you have those picky friends and family members, well you’re in even more luck, because these customized gift ideas will even better fit your list and their wants.
1. A Basket of Snacks
Who doesn’t love food? If you can’t figure out what to get the person who has everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, this is perfectly suited to them. Over time, people gain so many material things that they don’t want to look at another coffee mug or Christmas plate. Therefore, this is totally consumable and to the receiver, it’s a few more things they can check off their grocery list! Check at some local outlet or grocery stores for specially packaged items such as chocolates or cookies. You can usually find them at a decent price! Grab a few of them, make a nice arrangement with some variety, and you have a beautiful gift for $10 or less. Just make sure they don’t have any food allergies.
2. A Gift Card
Yes, can be rather generic at times and I do get tired of giving these myself. I usually like to put a lot of work into the gifts I give. If you have that extremely picky friend or that social family member, a gift card to a restaurant, coffee shop, or even some type of retailer (including online) can surely be a way to their heart. If you want to give it some thought and make it more personalized, make sure to get a gift card to their favorite place. A $10 gift card is wonderful because it doesn't break the bank, they can get exactly what they want, and it’s an indirect way of saying, “Hey, it’s on me this time! Merry Christmas!”
3. A Photo Display
If you want a more personal gift with some thought put into it, you can get items such as a photo display. Go to a store that prints photos or sells photo paper and you can print your own photos involving that individual. Then, you hang or place them on a display decoratively and gift it to them. This gift will be sure to get you some extra brownie points because it will serve as cute decoration, it is customized, AND they can interchange the photos! For a cute photo display that you can buy online, click here.
4. Monogrammed Items
Usually, if you go to a local place that monograms items, you can pay a very surprisingly decent price for the service. So, if you buy your own items such as a cute blanket or a plain shirt, you can find those for a reasonable price. Then you can take it to the business that will monogram them. Voila! You have a customized gift for around $20 or less.
5. A Candle
I know it sounds generic, but much like food, who doesn’t love candles? They more often than not smell wonderful and usually set a really nice ambiance when lit. The older I have grown, the more I have appreciated small things such as candles. Especially for those people just starting out in their own home or apartment, this is a nice house-warming gift. You can usually find a nice candle or wax melt set at local outlet stores or even online for around $10 or less.
6. DIY Projects
Some do-it-yourself tutorials aren’t always as easy as they seem, but if you’re an optimist like me, you can always find a handful of easy DIY tutorials that ACTUALLY WORK! And usually, when you make customized items yourself, you end up saving a boatload of money. Here’s an example of a DIY gift idea that’s actually reasonable – DIY Tile Photo Coasters.
7. Customized Sign
If you love giving personalized gifts, this is another great idea: a personalized name sign. You can find the wood pretty inexpensively at a local store that sells wooden boards for a few dollars, buy the acrylic paint to paint with for around a single dollar, and look in your parent’s or friend’s basement for some paintbrushes. You might also need to get a few stencils that are big enough depending on what size board you are painting. You can then look up ideas for what to paint that incorporates their name. For a tutorial, click here. If you don’t feel up to working in Santa’s gift factory and you still like this idea, you can always purchase a customized sign online instead.
8. Re-gifting
As bad as this may sound, re-gifting is really not out of the question. Whenever I get a gift that I am not particularly fond of, I stick it on a "gift shelf". Rather than wasting or throwing away items, I would rather see them be used. Therefore, if you have a few Christmas parties to go to earlier in the month of December and you receive a few items that you don't think you will be using, then regift, reuse, and recycle. It's the thought that counts and I promise no one is judging. After all, Christmas gifts are about giving, not how much you spend.
9. Directly Ask The Person
If you're ultimately puzzled on what to get someone and you'd rather purchase a gift for them than waste money on something you're unsure about, just straight up ask them what they want. This method may sound kind of silly, but a lot of people would rather receive items on their list than to receive some lotions that they might never get around to using. A lot of individuals choose to log their item wishlists on some top sites, so you might even be able to sneak a gift idea from their lists if you are connected. If you are not connected with them on these sites, contact their friends and family to see if they have a method of giving you access to these lists. Then, you can choose one of their reasonably priced items within your budget. This way, you will be sure to be on their nice list this year because you got them the absolute perfect gift tailored to their interests.
10. The Traditional Gifts
At the end of the day, it's a lot of times easiest and safest to buy the "one size fits all" type of gift. As stated previously, it's the thought that counts. You can shop at stores in the mall and get gifts to give such as soap and lotion sets or some jewelry for those hard to please people on your list. At the end of Christmas day, no one is going to say no to a gift.
While Christmas is a beautiful time of year, it can be one of the most stressful when you think about the aspect of gift giving. Don't let it be bothersome this year; use some of these ideas and get your gift shopping done with time to spare. You will be sure to be on the nice list this year with these gifts on hand to give.
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