The holiday season is officially upon us, which means cozy sweaters, snowflakes, spiked eggnog, and Secret Santa. Ah, the dreaded Secret Santa. It seemed like a good idea at the time, a heartfelt activity among friends, but as the date of the gift exchange draws near, you realize you have no idea what to buy and you definitely can’t afford a $10 gift. I’m in the same boat, pal. Here are some genius ways to keep your $10 Secret Santa gift under $5.
If you’re feeling particularly festive, you should give your person a table setting from your dining hall. Find the cleanest plate and the shiniest utensils, wrap them in Flat Hats, and you’re good to go. A gift that would otherwise cost upwards of $20 comes complimentary with your meal swipe. It’s a meaningful way to show you care and to help your friend make their home feel more like Sadler.
You could go to a local bakery and purchase a bag of yesterday’s baked goods. Most places sell their old food at half price. With this sweet deal, you can get your person $10 worth of pastries for only $5. Nobody would suspect a thing.
Sort your products on Amazon from “Price: Low to High” and sally forth. With an eager mind and open heart, you can discover truly thoughtful gifts like these 100 Pink Paper Elephants:
Or these flirty toilet seat stickers.
If you find a couple quarters on the ground, you could even give your friend this artificial banana.
Or this stunning portrait of Cosmo Kramer.
If Amazon isn’t your shop of choice, choose any Category of eBay that tickles your fancy and set the price range from $0-$5.
You can snag some swaggy items that will be the envy of every Secret Santa participant, like this extraordinary Eagle Mini Miniature Figurine Ceramic Collectible.
Or this lusciously fragrant Benedictum St. Martha Perfume.
If you’re willing to splurge a buck or two, you could even get your person this new and sealed version of “Richard Simmons: Sweatin’ to the Oldies 2.”
Oh, you poor soul. If you had acted quickly enough, you could’ve purchased this treasured Vintage Mrs. Butterworth’s Aunt Jemima syrup bottle. Perhaps next year.
You can also order this Xbox360 for $4.99.
It’s probably just the cardboard box the console came in originally, but the initial happiness on your friend’s face is worth more than money could ever buy.
If none of the above options speak to you, here’s what you should do: Go to your local dollar store, buy some cheap wine glasses, paint them ombre, and shower them in gold and silver sparkles to add dimension to your art. Next, visit a nearby street fair and purchase a few handcrafted rings. Take these rings to your friend who drives an Uber and doubles as a blacksmith. Have her mold the rings around the wine glass stems. (She owes you money, so she’ll do this for free.) Once the metal has cooled, create an Amazon Prime account, purchase a Canon DSLR, and wait one business day for it to ship. As soon as your package delivers, create an Etsy account, use your new camera to take artsy pics of the wine glasses beside profiles of sliced grapefruit, and sell them online for $5 a pop. After your first sale, you will have exactly enough money to purchase these crochet water bottle holders for your friend:
Follow these genius guidelines, and you’ll be sure to give your Secret Santa person a gift they can never forget, all while saving yourself five bucks! It pays to be frugal, my friends.
