Remember in elementary school when your mom would receive a birthday party invite from your classmate’s mom? You were so excited to run around at Sky Zone or paint a princess figurine at Color Me Mine. Never once did the cost of the whole ordeal cross your mind.
Now, when I receive a birthday party invite text, I’m automatically stressing about how I’m going to scrounge up enough money to get my friend a fabulous gift on my meager college student budget.
Luckily, I’ve had two years of practice, so here are my picks for the best gifts on a budget.
Rutgers Shot Glass
For the 21-year-old and older friend, a customized shot glass is a cute and fun gift that won’t break the bank. You can find these on Etsy, Uncommon Goods, Bargain Mugs, or an assortment of other online customization websites. You can customize them with your friend’s name, an inside joke, or get a collection set of her favorite colors. My personal favorite is this Rutgers-themed one from Etsy. It features customized colored rhinestones and your school logo in the middle. So, you can choose red and white rhinestones and the iconic Rutgers R logo to give this shot glass a taste of scarlet fever. The best part is, it is super affordable at only $15. Your friend can display it in her off-campus apartment and use it on the weekends, making it an adorable and useful present.
$2 Tacos
If you are willing to put a little more effort into your gift, but also spend less than $10, taking your friend out for Taco Tuesday is a must. La Catrina on Easton Ave does $2 tacos every Tuesday. Not only are they cheap, but they are absolutely delicious and the most authentic tacos I’ve had here at Rutgers. Tell your friend you want to treat her to dinner and get a table for two at La Catrina. I recommend ordering four tacos for only $8, each with a different meat so you can try them all. It’s also really charming inside, so you can take some birthday pictures with the magnolia flowers that adorn the restaurant walls.
Biologically-Accurate Plushies
If your friend loves collecting plushies on her bed, a biologically-accurate plushie is a hysterical go-to gift. My friends and I were recently buying chocolates in Thomas’ Sweets when we noticed the front right corner has an assortment of plushies in the shape of body parts like a heart, a spine, a large intestine, and even a uterus. They’re colorful, supremely soft, and have perky smiles. Also, what’s more hilarious than giving your friend a colon plushie for her birthday? They also each come with a mini packet on how the body part functions in the human body. How informative! For my best friend’s 20th last month, I got her a larynx since she is interning as a speech pathologist this summer. They are also $20 each, and you can pick them up right in-store, only two minutes away from the Yard.
Rutgers Stickers
These days you can put stickers on anything: your computer, Hydro Flask, or planner. For my birthday, my friends recently ordered stickers of my favorite Real Housewives and put them right onto my phone case. For your friend’s birthday, why not get her some Rutgers-themed stickers to pop onto her water bottle or computer? I would recommend getting vinyl stickers from somewhere like Etsy, Redbubble, or Amazon, as they are way less expensive than the official Rutgers store stickers. I love this “Little Miss Rutgers” sticker from Redbubble, and it’s less than $3.00, so you can pair it with other ones like this “USA Rutgers Jeep Sticker” and this Comme des Garçons style “Rutgers Heart Sticker.” They are cheap, functional, and something your friend will actually want to use, not just something she’ll forget about after throwing it in a drawer somewhere.
Birthday gifts are tricky. Yet, as Rutgers students, your friends are bound to love anything Scarlet Knight themed. With these ideas, you can achieve that while still sticking to a Rutgers student budget.