Christmas Gift Ideas: Broke College Student Edition

As the holidays are approaching very quickly, many people are starting to get their holiday shopping done. To be honest, I usually wait until the last possible minute to get gifts for people because I never know what to get people. I feel like as we get older we are somewhat expected to get gifts for your friends and family. Not saying that’s a bad thing but it can get super stressful when you are trying to find gifts for so many people with different likes and dislikes. The purpose of this blog is to guide and help you along your way when you are starting to shop for people for the holidays. It should be something that should be a fun thing to do and not be stressful. The sooner you know it, it will be December 23rd and you will be empty handed scrambling to get gifts for your loved ones. The way I look at it is no one is going to look at your gift and tell you them hate it straight to your face (I mean at least I hope…). I think of it as its the thought that counts. Here are some tips and tricks to help you with your shopping:

1. You do not need to be spending $150 on every person you are getting a gift for (MAKE A BUDGET). This is an important one, I think it is more of what you put into the gift than how much you are spending. For me, I don’t ever look at the price tag of how much the gift is, I just appreciate that that person thought of me.
2. GO ONLINE. This is an aspect with shopping that I feel like many people forget about. Many major retailers like Target, Amazon, and Best Buy have some of the best deals during the holidays. You do not need to be buying the gifts from the exact brand because chances are the item is way cheaper somewhere else.
3. MAKE A LIST. Making a list can be crucial when doing your Holiday shopping. This will ensure that you stay organize and also so you don’t go completely overboard when trying to buy gifts for however many people.
4. SPEND MONEY, GET IT BACK. Throughout the years I have noticed that so many people use different apps for discounts and getting many deals for what they are ordering. I have been using the computer app called “HONEY”. I highly recommend this app because it scans the entire internet for the best deals on what you are buying online. You can also receive money back earning points and using this app every time you decide to shop online.
5. SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES. This is one of my favorite tips that I have. I love walking around my downtown during this time of year and visiting all the small shops. They have so many unique gifts for so many different types of people. I notice that whenever I get a gift for someone from a local business it is more heartfelt and more unique type of gift.

Happy Shopping!!!