Christmas is fast approaching and for students, this can be a particularly stressful time of the year! Buying presents on a student budget isn’t always the easiest thing, however, fear not, because there are still plenty of ways for you to give without spending lots of money and these are all ideas that tend to go much more noticed anyway!
Gift Experiences
One thing you can do is gift someone an experience rather than a physical present. You could plan a fun day out together and there are many days out which are cheap or even completely free of charge – perfect! The idea of gifting an experience is often better than your average gift because you know that person will actually make use of it as well as the bonus of creating an unforgettable memory.
One day out that I would recommend is going to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. Entry to the event is free and it’s one of London’s biggest attractions around Christmas time. There was recently a blog post all about it, so check it out here for all you need to know!
Homemade Gifts
Another great way of saving money this Christmas is to gift someone something you have made yourself. Not only does this come across as a lot more thoughtful, they can also be pretty fun to make, all whilst saving money!
One idea for a homemade gift is to get a photo album or scrapbook and fill it with lots of memories of your time together. This is always an excellent go-to Christmas present and you can’t go wrong with a gift as personal as this.
Another idea for a homemade gift this Christmas is to make some DIY home décor. Christmas decorations or just home-ware in general can be pretty expensive, but so easy to make yourself! It could even be as simple as buying something plain and then decorating it yourself! This way, the person ends up with something one-of-a-kind and you don’t have to spend lots of money buying anything too fancy.
Finally, what better way to someone’s heart than through their love of food? One easy and inexpensive way to gift someone something food related is to simply get in the kitchen and make them a sweet treat! This could be anything from homemade cookies to a jar of homemade jam. Here are a few examples!
Secret Santa
Secret Santa is another fantastic way of saving money on gifts this Christmas. This is where everyone taking part writes their name on a piece of paper and they all get put together in a hat. Everyone then draws a name out and this is the person who they will be buying a gift for. This works really well, especially for large groups, as it means everyone saves money from buying multiple gifts and you can set a budget that everyone is comfortable with. If all of this isn’t enough of a reason to take part in Secret Santa this year, the best part is that it adds a much more exciting aspect to the whole element of gift giving!
University of Roehampton Merchandise
Have you made it this far but are still struggling for ideas? Why not head over to Roehampton’s Students’ Union, located in the Lawrence Building, where there is a huge selection of University of Roehampton merchandise to make the perfect gift for any University of Roehampton student. There are now even Roehampton Students’ Union Christmas jumpers on sale so be sure not to miss out – I can’t wait to get my hands on one!
