For us poor college students, finding gifts that are meaningful and personal can be difficult. You want to spoil your friends, but have approximately $-3 in your account, if you’re lucky. Therefore, I made a list of some fun ways to gift your friends this Holiday Season!
1. Build a coloring book!
Most people use coloring books to destress. Why not have a personalized one made from pictures of their favorite things? All you have to do is Google black and white images of something they enjoy — Marvel characters or dogs or cats, whatever suits your fancy. This proves you’ve been paying attention, and since it’s in black and white it’ll cost significantly less.
2. Care packages!
Sometimes, all it takes is a nice note and a care package. You can include whatever they might need at the time — since it’s so close to finals, I recommend hot cocoa, tea, maybe a Hershey’s kiss, and cough drops. Pens and pencils work too, or highlighters. Anything you can pick up from Walmart in bulk and build for people. Include a nice note about how much you appreciate the person, or maybe an inspirational quote. It can be a real nice pick-me-up!
3. Goodwill Trip!
You sometimes find the quirkiest things at your neighborhood Goodwill or Salvation Army or Arc. Why not play that to your advantage and find something strange you’re pretty sure they don’t yet have? Goodwill gifts can be dangerous, so be careful as you shop. Double and triple check your gift for inadequacies, and if you can wash it, do so! But after that, you'll have a new, unique gift that can make them giggle. For instance, one of my friends really wants to go to New York, but can't yet, so one of my other friends bought him a massive apple and gave him "The Big Apple".
4. Etsy!
Etsy is an online site/app that allows users to purchase items from artists around the world. It’s relatively cheap and safe, and you can find some really unique gifts. I once bought my friend a painting of dinosaurs because they were his passion, and another friend a bowtie with graphs on it because he was super into math. Check on shipping and reviews, as those can be sticklers.
5. Secret Santa
This is a fun way for you to spend a minimal amount of money, but for everyone to get a gift. Pool your friends together and have everyone write down their name on a slip of paper. Put these slips into a hat or other half-circular holding device; websites are also available for this. Either way, each person in the group gets one person to surprise with gifts. Set a maximum amount to be spent — $10 is a good number. It means instead of spending hundreds of dollars on your friends, everyone gets something without it being ridiculous!
6. White Elephant
This has the making of catastrophe, but if you set ground rules it’s actually really fun and surprising. Make sure everyone understands that you need to get a gift that wouldn’t set off an allergic reaction or offend people. Hopefully, friends have similar interests, and if not, they're still quirky and cute!
I hope these spark your imagination and help you during this most wonderful time of the year. 'Tis the season of giving, but not of shoveling yourself into debt. Go forth and love!
