How To Give Meaningful Gifts When You’re on a Tight Budget

Wondering how to give meaningful gifts when you’re on a budget?

Giving gifts is one of my favorite parts of the holidays, but I know that it can feel stressful when you’re on a budget.

If you’ve ever wondered how to give meaningful gifts when you don’t have much money to spend, you’re definitely not alone. Many of us want to give nice gifts without spending a ton of money, and thankfully, it’s 100% possible.

The truth is, the best gifts aren’t always the most expensive ones. For me, I don’t care about how much something costs, and I much prefer a more meaningful gift!

Recommended reading: 17 Ways To Make $1,000 For The Holidays

Best Ways To Give Meaningful Gifts When You’re on a Budget

Below are realistic and thoughtful ways to give gifts that truly matter, even when money is tight.

1. Set a realistic budget (and stick to it)

Before you start shopping, I recommend that you think about how much you can realistically spend on gifts this year.

I like to start with a total holiday budget, including gifts, food, and travel, and then break it down by person. This helps me stay organized and gives me a clear picture of what’s possible. And, write it down on a piece of paper if you feel that would help (I personally like to write things down).

If you need help tracking your money, you can use a personal finance app like Empower (you can read my full Empower review here) to see exactly where your money is going.

2. Try thoughtful DIY and handmade gifts

The most meaningful gifts usually have one thing in common – they’re personal. They show that you paid attention, remembered something, or took your time making a nice gift.

Try to think about what the person likes, the skills/hobbies you have, and do a little brainstorming.

You don’t need to be super crafty to make something special, either. Homemade gifts can be simple but still very meaningful.

Here are a few ideas:

• Bake cookies or bread and wrap them nicely with a handwritten tag.
• Create a memory jar filled with favorite moments or quotes.
• Print and frame a photo with a meaningful note on the back.
• Make a “coupon book” for things like babysitting, chores, or dinner at home.
• Write a handwritten letter
• Create a homemade recipe book
• Make a homemade spice mix

One of my favorite gifts is a handmade scrapbook that someone gave me years ago. Also, a watercolor painting that someone gave me – this person isn’t a professional painter either, so you don’t even have to be a professional to give an artsy gift like this.

Tip: I actually have a notes app on my phone where I list out things that the people closest to me have said that they liked. This way, I can simply just go to my list when I’m trying to brainstorm a gift idea for them. I know this probably sounds super “extra,” but it’s always fun when they open my gift, and it’s something they realize I paid attention to months earlier, haha!

3. Give the gift of time or experiences

I really like giving experiences as gifts. Many people these days have so much stuff, and sometimes an experience or your time is much more appreciated.

And they don’t have to cost much money either.

You could:

• Cook their favorite meal and watch a movie together.
• Plan a hike, beach day, or picnic.
• Host a DIY “paint and sip” night at home.
• Offer to babysit for a parent who needs a break.
• Have a home spa day.

Or, if you have the budget, there are experiences you could pay for as well. For example, you could take them to the museum, the zoo, a cooking class, a day trip to a nearby town, an escape room, rent a paddleboard for a day out, and more.

4. Use rewards, gift cards, and cash back to stretch your budget

If you want to buy gifts but your budget is tight, you may want to take advantage of cash back and reward apps.

Over the years, I’ve earned thousands of dollars in free gift cards this way, and you can save them throughout the year and use them for holiday shopping. I personally use the apps below to earn free gift cards:

• Fetch Rewards – Just take a picture of your receipt from any grocery store and earn points.
• Freecash – Earn free gift cards for playing games on your phone.
• Rakuten – Get cash back when shopping online.
• Survey Junkie – Get free gift cards for answering online surveys.

You can get gift cards to places like Amazon, Target, Visa, Walmart, and more.

I know of several people who earn gift cards on these sites throughout the year, and then they save them all for their holiday shopping. This way, it doesn’t feel like they are spending any money!

5. Shop smart and early

I highly recommend shopping early if you can, as waiting until the last minute means that you may overspend. This is due to many reasons, such as you may spend more money if you are frantically trying to buy gifts for multiple people and lack the time to find deals or meaningful gifts. You may rush to find things because you are simply out of time.

I know many families who shop year-round for gifts, even as early as the summer! This way, they can take advantage of sales throughout the year, as well as save on things that a person has mentioned that they want.

Here are a few tips:

• Sign up for email alerts from stores that you want to buy gifts from.
• Use browser extensions like Rakuten to find coupon codes and get cash back automatically.
• Don’t overlook secondhand or local Facebook groups for budget-friendly gifts.

When you plan ahead, you give yourself more time to find the perfect gift at a better price.

6. Try doing group or family gifts

If you’re shopping for a big family or friend group, try doing a Secret Santa or a family gift instead.

My husband has a large family, and instead of getting gifts for 20 different people, we usually do a Secret Santa for the adults and the kids each get a gift. This means that you not only save money, but you get to spend more time thinking about a good gift for the person as well.

Some tips for a family Secret Santa:

• Set a spending limit for everyone.
• Use an online name generator – we used Elfster last year.
• Share wish lists.
• Add a theme – we have only done this once, but one time we had a theme of baskets. This meant we filled a basket with something the person might like. Some basket ideas were movie nights (this was filled with popcorn buckets, candy, movies, etc.) and game nights (there were games, snacks, etc.).

7. Don’t feel pressured to overspend

It’s easy to get caught up in what everyone else is buying, especially when social media is full of gift guides, huge shopping hauls, and hundreds of presents under the Christmas tree. But remember: The holidays aren’t a competition.

The people who love you most don’t care how much you spend; instead, they care about the thought behind your gift.

So, please don’t feel like you have to go into debt in order to make someone happy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to common questions about how to give meaningful gifts when you’re on a budget.

How do you give meaningful gifts with no money?

You can give something thoughtful without spending anything at all, like writing a nice letter, helping with a task they need to do, babysitting, cooking a meal, or spending time together doing something that the person enjoys.

What are some thoughtful gifts that don’t cost money?

Homemade baked goods, framed photos, playlists, memory jars, or DIY self-care baskets are all inexpensive but nice to get as a gift.

How much should I spend on gifts if money is tight?

There’s no “right” amount because it depends on your situation. What matters is setting a limit you can actually afford. Even $10 to $20 per person (or less) can work if you plan ahead.

Is it okay to tell people I’m on a budget this year?

Yes, honesty is always better than going into debt to give a gift.

How can I save money on the gifts I do buy?

There are many ways to save money on gifts, such as using cash back sites, getting free gift cards online to put toward your gifts, shopping early, using coupon codes, and even buying stuff secondhand (such as from local Facebook groups).

What should I do if I can’t afford to give everyone a gift?

It’s completely okay and normal if you can’t afford to give everyone in your life a gift. I recommend that you focus on the people closest to you and give something small but personal if you can (and if you want to – there’s no rule in life that says you must give gifts after all). You can also write cards to others or host a small get-together instead of exchanging gifts.

How can I stop feeling guilty about spending less?

I get it. You may feel guilty, but remember that the holidays aren’t about how much money you spend. What people remember is the love, not the number on the receipt. It’s just not worth it to go into debt for a present.

How To Give Meaningful Gifts When You’re on a Tight Budget – Summary

I hope you enjoyed my article on how to give great gifts when you don’t have a lot of money to spend.

I personally think that the most memorable gifts are the ones that come from the heart and not the store.

So whether you bake cookies, write a letter, or use your reward points to get a gift card, remember that thoughtfulness always wins over price tags.

I love, love, love the holidays, but we never really spend too much money on gifts for them. For us, the focus is more on spending time together, baking, watching movies, making holiday crafts, and enjoying the holiday. The memories we make always mean more than anything we could buy.

How much money do you typically spend on gifts? What do you do to save?

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