Tis’ the season for gift giving!
The Christmas season is finally upon us–and, so is finals. It’s easy to forget about Christmas gifts for your friends when you are cramming for tests. Not to mention the gifts you want to buy are way outside of your budget.
But, have no fear!
I’m here to share four easy, thoughtful, and low-cost gifts you can give to your friends this Christmas. Let’s call this The Gift Guide for Broke College Students.
A Handwritten Note or Card
While this one might seem too simple, handwritten notes are meaningful.
We rarely write down how thankful we are for our friends. If we do, we usually don’t share it with them. Notes are an easy and great way to let your friends know they are loved.
All it takes is time, effort, paper, and a pen.
Picture Collage
If you’re like me, you take a lot of pictures with your friends.
Whether it is to post or keep, you have a ton of pictures filled with good memories. But, they usually end up sitting on our phones.
Pic collages are a great gift since they now become tangible memories of your friendship. Also, they can share your progression throughout the years and show all the great experiences you’ve had together.
You don’t have to go crazy with a picture collage for it to be impactful. The memories will speak for themselves.
Quality Time Activity
When studying for finals, it’s easy to forget about taking breaks.
But, this gift idea allows you to take a break and spend quality time with your friend.
A few quality time activities could be taking your friend out for coffee, making dinner together, or having a movie night. This gift is less about the price and more about what you do together.
Regardless, setting aside intentional time with your friend is a great way to continue to build the relationship you have together.
Make a Playlist
Music lovers– this one is for you!
Back in high school, one of my best friend’s annual Christmas gift to me was a playlist. Every year, I looked forward to it since I knew they spent time looking and listening for songs that reminded them of me.
Making a playlist is an easy gift since it costs nothing and lasts forever.
You can add songs from their favorite genre or songs that remind you of their personality. The combinations are endless!
Also, if you are a big fan of music, this is a great way to discover new artists.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to Christmas gifts for your friends, focus more on the intentionality rather than the price.
We all are broke college students and understand that we don’t have a big budget for gifts. Also, when you grow closer with your friends, you realize you don’t have to give big gifts to show them that you love them.
The simple gifts are enough.
But, if you are still stuck on what to get, socks and candles are my to-go.
Happy finals, everyone, and Merry Christmas!