It’s been a period of high inflation and most family budgets are being stretched to the max just on food and essentials. If ever there was a time to tighten our belts it’s now… but that doesn’t mean that we can’t give wonderful, thoughtful, and affordable gifts to our loved ones. Keep reading for my top 25 affordable gift ideas for 2023. Please keep in mind that everyone’s idea of what is affordable is unique so I’ve tried to include a wide variety of prices in this list.
Experiential Gifts
Experiential gifts are perfect for that friend who has everything… but maybe needs a little more action in their life.
- Movie Night Out – a gift card to a local movie theatre would make a great gift. Pair it with some popcorn and a print-out of the upcoming movies to round it out.
- Movie Night In – a big popcorn bucket with a couple of dvds, some popcorn, boxes of theatre treats (like Twizzlers and Jr Mints) and bottles of pop.
- Annual Passes – whether this is for the museum or a national park, these passes get the recipients out and about to learn and enjoy.
- Tickets to a show – this could be wrestling or the opera or anything in between that your recipient would love but wouldn’t necessarily buy on their own.
Practical Gifts
Practical gifts are for your more pragmatic friends who might enjoy something useful or are facing financial hardship and could use a hand.
- Gas station gift cards – we were gifted these once and it was both surprising and lovely to not have to pay out so much at the pumps.
- Grocery gift cards – grocery prices are through the roof and it’s meaning that people are having to sacrifice quality just to put food on the table. A gift card or two could be used for the extras that they’ve been doing without in order to make ends meet.
- Socks and underwear – what’s more needed and practical than socks and underwear?
- Courses and books – if you have a life-long learner in your life you are truly blessed but those courses can be expensive so if you can support on this front, it would most definitely be appreciated by the student in your life.
- Personal finance books – everyone can benefit from improving their financial literacy. Here are my top 3 personal finance books to gift.
- The Simple Path to Wealth – JL Collins
- The Psychology of Money – Morgan Housel
- Your Money or Your Life – Vicki Robin
- Cook/bakeware – anything that makes it more enjoyable to cook at home.
- Books about frugal living or minimalism – here are my top 3 choices in this category
- Things that Matter – Joshua Becker
- Minimalism, Live a Meaningful Life – Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus
- Meet the Frugalwoods – Elizabeth Willard Thames
Earth Conscious Gifts
It’s always a good idea to consider the impact of your purchases on the earth but especially if you’re gifting a fellow earth lover.
- The great regift – did you receive something that you won’t use but know that someone on your gift list will love? Since it was already purchased, it’s a great way to get it used up and loved rather than tossed into a landfill.
- Houseplants – extra green in the house is good for your air quality and is a beautiful accent.
- Reusables – reusable baggies, gift bags, glass containers to store food, travel mugs or water jugs, anything along these lines are great gifts for the eco-conscious friend.
Consumables
For those of us in small spaces, consumable gifts are fantastic! These are thoughtful and enjoyable but they don’t leave behind the “stuff” that needs to be stored.
- Bath & beauty products – Body washes, bubble baths, hair products, makeup. Basically anything that goes onto a body that would be considered a treat but will be used up. Pro tip – ask in advance what their favourite scents or brands are. The last thing that we want is to gift something that they won’t love.
- Jarred food – I’m thinking about preserves, fancy olives, pepper jelly. Anything that they can enjoy paired with something basic to make it super delicious.
- Paper products – who doesn’t love pretty stationary or gift cards with a nice pen? These are both useful and can add to an aesthetic in your gift recipient’s office.
- Indoor herb garden – these are great for famiies as the kids can join in and learn about the foods that they’re growing and then enjoy the foods that they are added to. I would love a sweet little herb garden as a gift.
- Groceries – this may sound a little weird, but with today’s food prices, a gift of a box of meat or a veggie/fruit box subscription would be amazing.
Handmade with Love
I’m a huge fan of handmade gifts. Whether you make them yourself or support a local artisan, handmade gifts are so wonderful to give and to receive.
- Homemade baked goods – Oh my goodness, I can’t count how many times that we’ve gifted or received homemade goodies and they are always appreciated.
- Crafts – personalized crafts of all kinds can be made. If you spend any amount of time on Pinterest, you will be inspired by all the great crafts that people are making. Here are a few sites that are filled with great ideas that I love:
Feel Good Gifts
Leave the world a little better with these feel good gifts. Spending your financial or energy resources to help others is such an incredible gift…. And it leaves you feeling good too.
- Charitable Donation – if you know that the recipient is passionate about supporting a certain organization, you can make a donation in their name.
- Volunteer Together – reach out to your local Food Bank or charity of choice and schedule a volunteer shift or two.
- Sponsor a family – Plenty of families are struggling, especially during Christmas but they still want to make the season special for those that they love, especially the kids. Blessing these families is so wonderful. Pulling together a hamper full of gifts, clothes, beauty supplies, treats and food will go a long way.
Gift Card Mania
Gift cards can get a bad rap if they’re not thoughtful but, on the other hand, a well thought-out gift of a gift card is also fantastic.
- If all else fails, giving a gift card for a store that the recipient loves can still be a cherished gift. I’m thinking of the teenagers in your life as they can be so hard to shop for. Gift cards for the restaurants near their school or where they hang out can be great for youth to have, or one to their favourite clothing store. If they really want those $200 jeans but it’s out of your price range, a $50 gift card can still go towards those jeans that they’ll truly love.
As you can see, there are so many great and affordable options for gifting these days… and if you plan it just right you can even avoid the shopping malls altogether this December – now that’s something to celebrate!
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How to take care of your single mom friends during the holidays