Christmas Gifts on a Student Budget

If you study at a university away from home, chances are you probably don’t come back to visit all that often. So, simply presenting yourself at home for the Christmas holidays will no doubt be seen as the best gift your family could want.

Even for those students whose families and friends are still be expecting real Christmas gifts, it’s likely that any gift expectations will be small – they know you’re living on a tight student budget, so just small gifts should be more than enough.

Below are some ideas for cheap Christmas gifts to buy for your family and friends. They may not be luxurious or extravagant, but they’re thoughtful, original and, most importantly, they’ll ensure that you stick to your student budget!

1. A batch of freshly baked… whatever

It doesn’t matter what you bake; if it’s full of sugar and covered in chocolate, it’s bound to be a successful Christmas gift. Bake whatever you want – brownies, cupcakes, tray bake, sponge cake – or, if you’d rather stick to the Yuletide theme, opt for a batch of mince pies, a Christmas cake (this one will need a bit more preplanning), or a chocolate-covered yule log.

Anyone who loves cake (and who isn’t at risk of diabetes) can enjoy this gift. If your dad has a favorite dessert or your grandmother has a particular love of Turkish Delight, personalize your baked goods with their favorite flavors to impress them.

Cost: Under $10

2. Photos of yourself

If I’ve learnt one thing from my parents over the years, it’s that they love looking at photos of me and my sister. Whether it’s flipping through our baby albums, framing our first-day-at-school photos, propping up our prom photos on the mantelpiece (that photo still haunts me to this very day), or putting our passport photos in their wallets, they love looking at our immortalized faces.

If you have parents with a similar weakness for family photographs, use this to spark a range of Christmas gift ideas. Nowadays you don’t even have to find a nice photo frame or spend time sticking photos in an album, due to the growing number of services which offer digital prints and personalized gifts you can have your photos scanned onto. Search online for a local or national printing service such as Vistaprint or Photobox, where you can get photos of yourself and your family put on any item you want, including calendars, mugs, cushions, canvas prints, keyrings, iPhone cases and more.

Cost: Under $20

3. Homemade gifts

If you’re not a dab hand in the kitchen, perhaps try your hand at other cheap Christmas gifts to make yourself, such as a scented candle or homemade bath bombs. Or, if you know how to knit and have the time, consider knitting a scarf for granddad, a small hat for your nephew or a knitted keyring for a friend.

Homemade Christmas gifts don’t have to cost the Earth, but they may end up taking more time to put together. Sometimes, this extra time spent on a gift is what’s special about it, and your parents are bound to be impressed by your thrifty originality!

Cost: $5-20

4. Something to enjoy as a family

This can be anything, as long as it’s something you can do as a family over the Christmas holidays. This could be a DVD of a film you all want to see, a board game you can play or even an arrangement to take everyone out for bowling!

If you’re buying just for one family member, consider something a bit more expensive (after all, you’ll be treating yourself too), such as a theatre trip or a day at a theme park.

Cost: $10-60

5. Pamper gifts

These Christmas gift ideas are perfect for family or friends who love a good pampering. Pampering can be anything that allows a measure of relaxation and luxury such as a spa day, a massage, a break from the housework, anything. And while this might seem a bit extravagant for someone on a student budget, these things may not be as expensive as they sound, if you track down the right deals.

Websites such as Groupon and Wowcher constantly offer deals for experiences such as spa days or relaxation weekends – or even chocolate-themed getaways – for a fraction of the retail price. Often the deal depends on whether enough people buy the product, but during the Christmas holidays in particular, offers are numerous. If you do opt to buy a deal for someone, make sure you read all the fine print and ensure the person you’re buying for is definitely available and able to use it!

If the expense involved in this one puts you off, consider hiring yourself out and doing the pampering yourself by giving a family member an IOU for a foot massage, a manicure, a home-cooked meal or a day off from the housework over the Christmas holidays. (Only do this is you actually intend on following through with your offer though!)

Cost: $10-100

6. Inspiring ebooks and apps

Book purists may not agree with this one, but ebooks are a great way of being able to buy books for family and friends without having to lug them home in your suitcase, and without having to spend too much. Make sure the family member in question owns an e-reader or tablet before downloading anything, and also make sure that they will check their emails on Christmas Day!

Apps are also incredibly cheap Christmas gift ideas and, thanks to the widespread use of smartphones, can be great gifts for most people. Nowadays you can get apps for pretty much every interest area, from Apocalypse fitness apps to magazine subscription apps. If you’re buying an app for a fellow student, be sure to check out these top apps for students.

Cost: Under $5 (for one book/app)

7. Homeware

Homeware gifts give you the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, or, to put it another way, to please two family members with one present. For members of your family who come in pairs, buying something for them as a couple can not only save you valuable Christmas gift searching time, but can also save you a bit of money if you look in the right places. Start with Swedish homeware experts Ikea, famous for stylishly minimal designs at a fraction of the price you’d pay in a department store. A patterned throw, an ornate wall clock or an eye-catching vase will likely be appreciated, especially if you have an idea of the style and the home color scheme of the people you’re buying for!

Cost: $1-100

8. An accessory for a bigger gift

Keep a covert eye on what other family members are buying for each other, as this is often a great opportunity to get inspiration and a range of Christmas gift ideas. Is your brother lucky enough to be getting a PS4 from your parents? Buy an additional game to go with it. Is your mum surprising your dad with a new phone? Consider buying the matching case.

This is not only a thoughtful way of getting cheap Christmas gifts that your family will actually use, but it’s also a way of riding on the back of the excitement caused by a much bigger and more expensive present! Just make sure you don’t ruin the surprise of the bigger gift by giving your present too soon…

Cost: Under $40