Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Living on the Cheap.
The holiday season is a time of joy, warmth and cherished memories with loved ones. However, amidst the flurry of festive activities, the pressure to find the perfect gift can sometimes overshadow the true spirit of giving.
This year, let’s shift the focus back to what really matters: Showing our appreciation for the special people in our lives without the stress of overspending.
Thoughtful holiday gifts don’t have to come with a hefty price tag. In fact, with a little creativity and planning, you can give presents that are both meaningful and budget-friendly.
Whether you’re crafting a handmade token or discovering a unique find, join us on this journey to uncover gift ideas that will warm hearts and keep your wallet happy. Let’s make this holiday season one to remember, filled with genuine gestures of love and gratitude.
Holiday shopping can make you feel as if the “reason for the season” is emptying your wallet, but it doesn’t have to be that way. There are plenty of ways to save money on holiday gifts, entertainment and dining out through the holidays.
What’s a good holiday gift budget when trying to save money?
A good holiday gift budget when trying to save money can vary depending on your personal financial situation, the number of people you’re buying for, and your overall holiday spending goals. However, a general guideline is to allocate about $10 to $30 per person.
This range allows for thoughtful and meaningful gifts without overspending. It’s also helpful to set a total holiday budget that includes all expenses, such as decorations, food and travel, to ensure you stay within your means. Prioritizing handmade or personalized gifts can also add value without increasing costs.
Once you learn tips on how to find cheap places to buy gifts, you’ll then have a good idea on how to save money moving forward.
Here are some of my best cheap holiday shopping tips and giving tips to help you save money this holiday season while letting your friends and family know you care.
You can get cheap holiday gifts, without actually feeling or appearing cheap!
Shop online strategically
If you shop online, you can avoid the crowds and often get better deals.
Amazon
Before I purchase anything, I check to see if Amazon sells it for a lower price (it often does). You can also sign up for a free one-month trial of Amazon Prime to get FREE two-day shipping regardless of order price. This is one of my favorite cheap gift sites for finding gifts on a budget.
As a bonus, Amazon Prime gives you free streaming of TV shows and movies, as well as unlimited access to books and magazines. With Amazon, you can create shopping lists and wish lists throughout the year as you’re browsing, which makes it easy to keep track of items you may want to give or get.
Cash back sites
Sites like Tada and Rakuten give you cash back for online shopping: 1% to 30%, plus additional coupon codes may be available.
Before you purchase something online, log in to one of these accounts and shop through its link to that online store. Not all stores are covered by each, so sometimes it helps to check each one for the best percentage.
I’ve earned more than $520 in the past several years using cash-back shopping.
If you forget to log in through one of these accounts before you fill your shopping cart, you can usually close out the site and log in with a cash-back site. When you return to your cart on the shopping website, your items should still be available, and you’ll get the cash back.
Etsy
Handmade and unique gifts are my favorites to give and get, and this is my favorite place to find inexpensive gifts online.
Etsy has millions of great gifts that can be narrowed down by categories, prices and more. Shipping costs are usually reasonable.
Craft fairs and unique local stores
If you’d rather shop in person, you can still save money. The first tip is to avoid the mall — unless you are going there for something specific that is advertised at a great price. Otherwise, you’ll end up paying too much and giving gifts with little creativity.
Craft fairs, art shows and community markets are fantastic places to get unique and inexpensive gifts.
Buy local and unique: Independent local shops have both useful and unique gifts. If I can’t find what I’m looking for online, I like to browse these shops for inspiration. Plus, when you buy local, more of the money that you spend stays in your community.
Chain discount stores
Chain discount stores offer a good selection and lower prices — but they aren’t quite as original.
I prefer Marshall’s, T.J. Maxx and Urban Outfitters for inexpensive gifts. If you must go to the standard big box stores, make sure you sign up for email updates and/or like them on Facebook so you’ll know about special “deals of the day” and sales.
Make your own gifts
Be creative — homemade food and handmade items can be some of the most useful and unique gifts. There are tons of online tutorials for handmade and homemade gifts online.
Examples I’ve given or received include homemade candy, mason jar baking/cookie mixes, homemade soups, jellies, homemade vanilla extract, spicy peanut butter (just blend in spices), wine and jewelry.
One year, I made a bunch of recycled magazine bowls out of torn-out magazine pages and added some wrapped goodies to the bowls.
Photo gifts are very popular and inexpensive as well, and perfect for friends and family. Some photo gifts can be picked up in your local drugstore the next day, so these are great for meaningful, last-minute gifts.
Another thought is to give your favorite things or treats. I do a “fun food” gift bag for a Yankee swap gift exchange every year at work that contains local and fun foods, and it is always the most swapped gift of all.
You could do all sorts of themes for this — for a foodie or someone learning to cook (favorite kitchen tools, spices, etc.), a friend bag (favorite lip gloss, lip balm, nail polish, files, bath products) and so on. Creativity is often what makes a gift great, not money spent.
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