I love gift shopping because it’s fun and a lot of the time I learn about things I didn’t know before; it’s also an interesting experience and you find out more about yourself and the people around you too! I have talked to so many people on campus and so many people have told me that they feel like they are “dirt poor”. It’s okay because there are many people that feel that way! Being college students, most of us are probably working under a budget considering the amount of expenses we have, so today, I have five gift suggestions that are both useful and affordable!
1. Socks
Socks are useful because almost everyone owns a pair of closed toe shoes and who doesn’t wear socks? In my friend Elisabeth’s words, they are literally like “sleeping bags for your feet”. Personally, I love socks because my feet are always cold and sometimes I like to wear them to sleep. If you know someone like this, a pair of socks would be a perfect gift! You can also find a wide range of different materials, sizes, and types of socks. Socks are super affordable starting as low as $1 and if you’re feeling extra fancy and feel like getting someone nice fuzzy socks, I have seen some with cute animal designs for around $5 for a pair!
2. Food/ College Survival Kits
If you know what the person you are getting a gift for likes to eat that is a huge plus! We are all human and therefore we will get hungry at some point! It is super thoughtful if you can put together a little basket or box of food and snacks that you know the person you are getting a gift for likes. It is perfect because it shows that you pay attention to what they like and makes you a thoughtful person! You can get them a different amount of food depending on how much you feel like spending as well. Another thing my friends like to do is create little vouchers that basically say “you can get xxx on me”! It’s nice because it gives the gift receiver a choice on choosing what they want so you do not have to worry about any gift receipts and returns.
3. Mugs/Cups
Mugs and cups make great gifts because everyone uses them regardless of where they live. They can also be a thoughtful gift because you can give the gift receiver a mug that has something to do with their interests or could maybe reference something you both went through together. Regardless if you buy it or buy a plain one and decorate it yourself, you are showing that you’re making an effort and it can become very personalized which is a very sweet gesture. My friend gave me a Orange is the New Black mug two years ago and I still use it now! Mugs and cups are affordable too ranging from $1 and up depending on where you decide to go look for them! If you decide to decorate your own cup, something that I find that stays for a decent amount of time on the cup is actually something called puffy paint or fabric paint (not sharpies). They can be found at many crafts stores and are usually $1-2 for a bottle.
4. Throw Blankets
Throw blankets are a perfect addition to any room! You can use them on a cold day to cozy up or layer on blankets on your bed; the possibilities are endless! They are great for cold winter mornings and drinking warm hot chocolate or coffee in the morning. (Anyone with me on that here?!) They are extremely easy to find especially now. You can get a fairly large blanket for two people for around $15 in stores or you can make your own! They are actually extremely easy to make and a fun activity for a group of people. You can also make them and send them to charities just in time for the holiday season as well. If you are interested in making blankets there is a link at the bottom of the page.
5. Thermos
Since the weather is getting colder, who would not appreciate a new thermos or a new bottle that could keep their drinks warm? For under $20, you can find a good thermos that can keep the temperature of hot and cold drinks. I like to keep my tea warm and this is something I appreciate a lot. As college students, a lot of us have classes at 8 AM bright and early in the morning and coffee can be put in these too so this would be a great present! Something I started using recently is the Hydro Flask and I found that it actually works really well. It is a little bit on the pricier side but does keep my water warm for more than 6 hours.
Happy Holidays Gauchos and for those of you interested in making blankets for charities, please follow the link: https://www.projectlinus.org