It’s that time of the year again. You want to exchange gifts with your friends but you’ve all promised not to spend too much because this is college and we’re all broke. ‘Tis the season for gifting cheap, usually useless trinkets.
NOT ANYMORE!! Here are some budget friendly purchases that your friend will actually use, seperated in two categories: under $5 and under $10.
Under $5
Fuzzy socks
There’s no better way to warm her heart (read: feet) with winter coming, and you can buy them for pretty cheap at Target or Old Navy.
Banana Clips
The perfect hair accessory that she never knew she needed. They can be bought at most pharmacy stores, like CVS.
Nyx Butter Lip Balm
I bought one a week ago and I’m already obsessed. It’s the best (and maybe cheapest) way to keep lips moisturized and tinted. Plus, it smells delightful.
Lights
Perfect for keeping her dorm festive and romantically lit all year round. You can find white or colored lights at Walmart for $3.99.
Scrunchies
She can wear them to decades theme parties or everyday (they’re making a comeback) and a colorful variety can be bought at stores like CVS.
Photos
If she decorates her room with pictures, buy her some new up-to-date photos from the year. Prints are usually pretty cheap at CVS.
Yankee Candle Car Jar
A fun way to keep her car smelling fresh, especially if she drives her grandparents old car, like I do. They can be bought at many stores, including Bed, Bath and Beyond , but the largest variety of scents (seasonal and non-) can be bought directly from Yankee Candle.
Hand Sanitizer and Keychain
Life (and campus) can get a little messy and nothing is more sanitary and convenient then backpack access. And Bath and Body Works is always having sales.
String Cheese
Because finals week is coming up and stress eating is better when it’s cheese.
Under $10
Leg Warmers
Perfect for keeping her legs warm because her leggings are too thin or for adding a bit of color peeping out of her bean boots. There are lots of cute (and cheap!) styles on Dress Lily.
Flannel
Because she can never have too many flannels and men’s flannels can be bought for $7.88 at Walmart. It’s a steal!
Dry Shampoo
She’ll have to buy some at some point anyway because let’s face it, who doesn’t use dry shampoo?
Late Night Food
Honestly, nothing would be better after a night of holiday turnting than her favorite wings, calzone or Wally’s order. And if you order from Hungry Huskies, a dollar will be donated to HuskyTHON with the code FTK365!
Mug and Hot Chocolate Mix
Nothing screams “HAPPY HOLIDAYS” more than a cute mug (can be bought for under $5 from Target or Crate and Barrel) and some hot chocolate mix. And don’t forget the marshmallows!
Nail Polish
Show her how much you care by springing for a nice bottle of Essie. Or step it up and paint your nails together during a movie night because memories are #priceless.
Cute Winter Panties
Aerie has super cute undies and great deals if you buy a few pairs. It’s only awkward to give your best friend undies if you let it be (speaking from experience).
One Month of Gym Membership
Because you know she’ll be without the campus gym for a month (not that it’s stellar anyway) and it could give her motivation to keep up her fit lifestyle. Especially after all those holiday cookies. Tip: Only gift this if your friend regularly goes to the gym. If she doesn’t (like me) then this will not be a gift that she actually uses.
Happy gifting, collegiates!