First, I would like to say hello to the families of college students who "don't know" what they want for Christmas. I am here to tell you what we NEED, aka the simple things that get overlooked and forgotten about when we are asked what we want for Christmas. Remember when we lived at home and there was always that one closet full of supplies that never seemed to be empty, no matter how much you took out? Reality is, the supply closet costs money, and those items don't magically appear in there. Someone in your household maintained that closet, ensuring that when you ran out of deodorant you had another stick tucked away in the handy dandy hygiene closet.

One- we need toothpaste, new toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, any hygiene product you think we may like, pick it up for us! If we don’t have to go to Walmart or Target in a month to restock on toiletries not only will we have more time to study (wink wink), but we can also save our money for more important, and more fun things (paper and pencils of course!).

Two- If you really wanna splurge and fill our hearts with joy, ask us what brand of face wash we use. Face wash can be expensive, so if we can save our money on that as well, we’ll love you forever (although we will love you forever either way).

Three- Lately, I have noticed a lot of girls posting photos of their bath tubs on their Snapchat’s, and Twitter’s. Candles all over the bathroom, bathtubs full of crazy colors from bath bombs, or almost overflowing the tub with bubbles (guilty). We will definitely appreciate a few bath bombs, and some bubble bath. Maybe even some Epsom Salt if you’re feeling generous.

Four- You can't go wrong with clothes, as long as you know what size your college student is, and what they like. If you're unsure about size or style, ask them what their favorite store is. A gift card to their favorite store will save you a trip to the mall (in most cases), and ensure that whatever they get, they will actually wear! No money wasted this year on gifts that they pretend to like! It's a win-win situation.

Ultimately, we're going to like whatever you decide to get us, but if you get us any of these things that could save us some of our (very limited amount of) cash.

As the oldest in my family, I didn't want to ask for "just cash" for Christmas. I have an 11 year old brother who still looks forward to waking up to a whole bunch of presents under the Christmas tree every year. I know I would be bored and insanely jealous the whole time he sat there opening present after present if I were just given a handful of money (however, if you wanna get someone both presents, and a handful of money, I am definitely your girl. OR if you wanna gift me a handful of money any other time during the year, let me know!).

I was really struggling to figure out what I wanted this year for Christmas, but after a trip to Walmart to buy the necessary things to get through the month, I realized I could save so much money throughout the year if my family stocked my supply closet up during the holidays. Even if your college student says they "need a new laptop", or "want a new tablet", some of the items on this list are a cheap and quick stocking stuffer.

I hope this article helps you in reading your college students "I don't know what I want for Christmas" mind. Trust me, we all want something, but we're too wrapped up in finals and final papers right now to think about what that "one thing we wanted" is. Doesn't that make you proud? :)