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‘Tis the Season: Fun and Affordable Gifts to Buy Your Friends for the Holidays

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SJSU chapter.

The holiday season is in full swing, with stores putting up festive decorations and families scrambling to finish their gift shopping while items are still on sale. This time of year flies by incredibly fast, it’s easy to get lost in the chaos! 

I love buying my close friends small gifts for the holidays, and we’ve even done games like Secret Santa or White Elephant in previous years! I always get carried away, but I’ve discovered unique ways to give awesome gifts to my friends while still sticking to my budget! 

Want to see some cool gift ideas? Keep reading this article to find out!

Gift giving doesn’t need to be something extravagant or expensive; it could be anything from snacks to small stress toys, or even fuzzy socks! As a college girlie myself, I become absolutely ecstatic if someone gives me food! It’s the little things that matter.

I’m a fan of gift baskets filled with little necessities, and I’ve received great feedback each time I make one! It’s not complicated at all, and can be the perfect gift for Secret Santa.

Run over to your nearest dollar store and pick out a small container to put your gifts in. I prefer a small basket, but I’ve used jars as well! 

Make sure to grab some tissue paper to place at the bottom of your basket for a more aesthetically pleasing presentation. While you’re there, you should buy some snacks (candy, chips, etc) and a drink for your friend too! I like to grab at least three different options. 

Next, you’re going to take a trip to Target to grab some small essentials! Simple cosmetics are perfect gifts to friends, like lip balm, mascara or nail polish! It’s thoughtful, and you know you’ll be getting a bang for your buck instead of being stuck hoping they use it.

Based on what your friend likes or their personality, the last thing you want to get them is purely up to you! There’ve been times that I’ve bought a specific book for their basket, a card game, stationary, earrings, and more. It all depends on what you think they’ll like best!

All that’s left now is placing all the items into the basket, and you’ve got a cute gift basket to give to your friends! Don’t forget, it’s the thought that counts!

What are some gifts that you’d buy for your friends? Let us know @HerCampusSJSU.

Isabella Alvarez is a member of HerCampus at SJSU. She's in her first year as a journalism major, hoping to pursue a career as an investigative journalist! She worked a blue-collar job during high school as a hostess, a year at California Pizza Kitchen, and another year at Oasis. She also volunteered at various organizations to help the community during this time. During her senior year of high school, she also created a club that gained lots of attention from the student body and various participants during meetings with students. During her free time, she enjoys listening to music on Spotify; whether it's jazz music to the most recent rap song dropped by Uzi, as long as it's good then she listens to it! She loves concerts and has seen her favorite artist, Tyler the Creator, as well as Kali Uchis, Joji, and small artist Rocco. Before graduating, she played soccer for a club and her high school team… unfortunately, she was forced to hang up her cleats due to an injury. Playing video games is another fun hobby that she has, but has loads of a better time if she does it with friends. This goes for other fun activities as well! If she has someone to hang out with, she's down for anything!