How to Give Gifts When You Don’t Have Money
You want to give a gift but you don’t have money? You don’t need to have a lot to give a lot. First of all, gift giving should never be mandatory, but if you want to give a gift, there are many free or low budget gift options to choose from.
Take it from me, in my all my years on this planet, I have experienced highs and lows, so I know a thing or two about gifting on a low budget.
These suggestions can be used for any occasion, whether it’s mother’s day, father’s day, a birthday, a new baby, anniversary, wedding, Christmas…whatever the occasion. If you want to give a gift with zero to low spend, I have some ideas for you!
Hi I’m Tinamarie and zero to low cost is my vibe! In this post I will share free to low spend gift giving ideas that can be used for any occasion. I’ve complied them into four categories, but I’ll include a bonus category at the end for Christmas party gift giving, so keep reading.
How to pick the right low budget gift
Service gifts:
- Baby sitting (or furbaby sitting or both)
- Housecleaning
- Car cleaning
- Errand doer
- Do you know a trade, like doing nails or cutting hair?
Craft/homemaking gifts:
- Affirmation jar
- Heartfelt note card
- Homemade baked goods
- Upcycled creations
- Photo albums/scrapbook
- Downloadable photos/prints
- Personalized art work
- Nature inspired artwork
- Do you know how to sew, knit, or crochet?
Digital gifts:
- Playlist
- Video message
- Digital photo album (also, photo collages, presentations)
- Create a screensaver
Experience gifts:
- Picnic
- Hiking
- Museum
- Free or low cost seasonal events
- Free concerts or movies “in the park”
- Road trips
I have one last suggestion for you and it revolves around the holidays–Christmas gift giving ideas for your adult friends and extended family. So that you are not stressed over buying a gift for everyone you know or are related to!
In my family, we all buy gifts for the kiddos…all the kids will have something to open, but how do you navigate gift giving for the adults in your group? We do a White Elephant game.
White Elephant “game” ideas:
- DIY/handmade
- Thrifted items
- Things from your home (gently used)
- Theme based
Some examples of themes:
Based on a Christmas movie or song
“As seen on TV”
Favorite things
Socks
Hats
Christmas ornaments
The goal of White Elephant is to not make a stressor for your guests (or family). It should be a fun, interactive game…the goal is to engage with one another–it’s not about the gift, but being able to gather together and create memories!
How to play White Elephant
- Each person (after deciding on theme and budget) will bring a gift to participate–one gift per person playing.
- All the gifts will be placed in a central location.
- Create slips of paper with a number written on it (the numbers are created based on the number of players/gifts).
- The numbers are then placed in a bucket, bowl, or cup for each player to pick from. Each player will hold on to that number.
- Someone (usually the host/hostess) will call out numbers in order (ex: 1-10 or 1-20, etc.). The player holding the number called will stand and pick a gift from the pile.
- When it is the next person’s turn, they can choose a gift from the pile, or they can “steal” a gift previously chosen but another player. That gift will be identified by a sticker or star of some sort. I use simple foil star stickers linked here.
- A gift can be “stolen” twice. Once a gift has two stickers it is considered off limits and the player holding that gift will keep that gift.
- All game continues until all players have had their turn and all the gifts have been selected.
This post was all about gift giving on a low budget. We should all celebrate the milestones in our lives without attaching a dollar amount to it. Gift giving should never be mandatory. The real gift is spending time with the ones you love and cherish.
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I hope these ideas help you plan for your next gift exchange or event. Check out my video below for more of my suggestions and lollygagging!
