Cheap Christmas Gifts
On a tight budget this holiday? Don’t just look at the price tags of what you’re buying. The idea of cheap Christmas gifts shouldn’t be limited to “anything doable under $10.” Remember when you go gift-shopping, you’re doing it for a special person. You want something that will be really useful to them. Not just a novelty that will amuse them for five minutes.
For the list of cheap Christmas gifts below, we focused on ideas that will not only save you dollars, they will also prove useful to your recipient all year round. Now that is truly good value!
Discount cards
What’s a discount card? It’s a membership card that entitles its holder to discounts in various business establishments that recognize that card. Buy that special person a discount card (also called savings card) valid for one year. That one time you pay for the card (not much) will help them save money all year round. It also saves your shopping budget this holiday.
Hand-drawn Portraits
Here’s an idea for cheap Christmas gifts that you can use as often as you want. If you have computer graphics or drawing skills, why not make a hand-drawn portrait of that special person? You don’t have to be a master draughtsman. Just take a good-sized photo of them. Edit it with your photo-editing software. Or carbon-copy the outlines and shade them on a piece of paper. The author Lee Hammond shows you how to do that using Bristol paper and other basic drawing tools. Then you can sign the portrait and frame it as a gift.
Unique Calendars
Buy a multi-page calendar with an appealing theme. If your recipient loves animals, get them a calendar of cute puppies. The good thing about cheap Christmas gifts like this is that person will be using them a lot. And when they do, they’ll remember you.
Cheap Poster Reprints
If you surf on the web, you’ll find countless posters and artwork for sale. You can order prints of exquisite artwork for only $10. Go to AllPosters.com, Art.com or search online for “cheap art prints.” Buy a motivational poster for your friend’s study. Or a Salvador Dali reprint for your eccentric uncle.
Home-Baked Goods
Nothing beats home cooking. Bake a box of chocolate brownies or cookies. You can even include the recipe if you want. Decorate the box with ribbons and a nice little Christmas card.
Restored Furniture
If you have the skills, you can restore old furniture and make it look new. Do you know someone who’s going to have a baby next year? Bring out that old crib or cradle. Polish or repaint it. Throw in a couple of baby-safe toys in it and you’re good to go. Your expectant recipient will thank you for saving them money too.
Photo Collage
Do you have an old family photo album? Take those pictures and put them together to form a collage. If you want to keep the pictures for yourself, scan them to the computer or make copies. This cheap Christmas gift is ideal for people who treasure their past deeply. If you like, you can add a couple of old notes, cards and letters to go along with the photo collection.
