There are many people you would like to give a Christmas present to but you don’t want to finish up over-running your credit card limit. They could be work colleagues, or friends you simply want to acknowledge at this time of the year, without going overboard. You have heard the saying many times before, ‘it’s the thought that counts,’ but you just can’t think of what type of gift would be suitable. To help give you ideas we have sought out 10 Christmas presents for you that are all available for under $25.
They include the following:
1. This one was under your nose all the time and you will kick yourself for not thinking of it. Shampoo, shower and bubble bath gel. You can buy it as a three in one gift pack for around $16 and it comes in some of the most enticing scents imaginable. The rather voluminous bottle will probably see the year out too.
2. Plants are coming into vogue as a thoughtful present and the fact they are lasting will remind the recipient of you each time they look at it. Small attractive indoor plants that can be placed on a table or desk make a wonderful gift and the fact they are a living gift makes them all that much more thoughtful and unique.
3. An interesting gift with a difference and one which is quite inexpensive, is a biscuit mix in a jar. These gifts are something you can easily put together yourself. Simply fill an attractive jar of your own choosing with the dry ingredients of your favourite biscuit. Tie an attractively printed copy of the recipe to the jar with a colourful ribbon and there you have the perfect customised unique Christmas gift and all the recipient has to do is add milk or butter when they’re ready for a Christmas treat.
4. We have all given make up gift as a present at some time or another but there are make up gift sets on the market today that come with a special message from you in the way of a recorded message attached. Stila Cosmetics have one on the market that features three eye shadows, a variety of lovely neutral tones in cheek colour and lip sticks and of course your own personalised recorded message.
5. You may have regretted handing over a smudged, soiled, business card to someone at some stage, and your recipient is likely to have been in the same situation. A friend in business would no doubt enjoy receiving a customised business card case specifically made for keeping his or her business cards in good condition. They are readily available online and in many gift stores.
6. This simple gift is so obvious you might not have thought of it for that very reason. What’s wrong with giving a paper weight as a gift? Many paperweights are very attractive and without too much effort you would be sure to find one that fits your friend’s personality.
7. If you have a friend who tends to procrastinate at his or her desk when they are supposed to be working (we all have if we’re honest with ourselves), then why not give them a nice little holder where they can place all their pencils, pens, letter openers and markers etc. One that has a clock on the front. It is a useful desk tidy while at the same time he or she can check the time they are wasting while procrastinating.
8. One Christmas present you might not have thought of is a gourmet food gift. You can get these attractively wrapped as a Christmas present. They might consist of cheesecake, nuts or even sausages, depending on your friend’s taste, but they are quite inexpensive, look good and are very easy to find.
9. Gift cards should not be overlooked as a convenient way of acknowledging a friend or colleague at Christmas time. They are easy to acquire and can be purchased from a store that carries the type of product your friend would appreciate. You can load up the gift card with your $25 budget, and you’ll be giving something as simple as a meal at a favourite restaurant or a couple of coffees at a coffee shop you both enjoy going to.
10. Male friends often appreciate a penknife as a present. A good penknife can be put to many uses and is always a welcome gift, especially if your friend is an outdoor type. Penknives these days can have an LED flash light included as well as a little compass.
There are many low cost Christmas presents available if you use a little imagination. It is always better if the present can match your friend’s personality but it is the gift that matters most, not the cost of the item or how flashy it looks. Where one person might want to spend a small fortune on one or two of his or her friends at such a time, another might get much more goodwill by buying many friends a small gift just to acknowledge their friendship, which after all, is what Christmas is all about. It is often the smallest most unassuming gift that has the most appeal, because it really is the thought that counts.
Alban spends a lot of time blogging on frugality and believes that Christmas is the perfect time to save money. When he is not writing, he compares savings accounts at SavingsAccountFinder
13 Dec
