Let’s face it – we are college students and the holiday season can be out of our budget. As we enter November, a lot of us are trying to get ready for the holidays early. We are expecting delays this year due to the abundance of online shopping this year. It can be stressful trying to get gifts for your new college friends, siblings, parents, and whoever else you decide to buy gifts for. Personally, I would love to get my friends and family extravagant gifts, but as a full-time student, I can’t do that this year.

Here are 8 unique budget-friendly gift ideas:

1. Customized Socks: For some reason when the holiday season approaches I always see advertisements for customized socks. You could add photos of someone’s face to the socks or someone’s pet. I think it’s such a funny idea, and I’m sure anyone who received socks with these socks would get a good laugh out of it!
2. Reusable straws: If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that plastic straws are SO out of style! I think we all have at least one friend who refuses to drink anything without a straw. Reusable straws don’t have to be boring – they can come in cute packaging and be a fun gift!
3. Create a playlist: Having a playlist made personally for someone can be so special. There are numerous ways to do it. You can either create one on Spotify or go the old-school route and make one on a CD. A good friend of mine made a driving playlist on a CD for me when I first got my license and I still have it today.
4. Collage of pictures: Something that is always a great gift, is creating a collage of photographs of you and your friends. An easy way to make a cute collage is by using string and some wooden clips. Attach the clips to the string and then hang the photos with the clips. You can also buy this pre-made and just add the photos for a quick and thoughtful gift!
5. Create an outing booklet of things to do together: Nothing beats hanging out with your loved ones. Look up what activities or events are happening around your town. For example, every Sunday the RISD Museum is free. It’ll give you a chance to experience new things around where you live!
6. Travel-sized hot sauce: We all have a loved one who is a little too obsessed with hot sauce. This gift is funny, but also can be extremely useful! This is perfect for them, they can always have on deck for their hot sauce needs.
7. Bake: It’s the holiday season and who doesn’t love baked goods. Baking cookies or something sweet seems so simple, but with some festive bags and ribbon, it can be a nice gift. People appreciate the little things more than you think.
8. Funny face mask: Tis the season to wear your face mask! Why not make it a mask with a statement? There are tons of affordable and funny masks that anyone would enjoy. I love having a variety of masks to choose from to match any outfit!

These are just a few ideas that I think people would enjoy receiving as gifts. Don’t stress if you can’t get everyone something super expensive. From my experience, finding a meaningful and personal gift is always appreciated. 

Happy holidays!

author: Lisa M.

Hi! I’m Lisa, a senior at URI getting my degree in public relations. I have lived in Rhode Island my whole life and decided to continue my education here. I am excited to be working with URI Campus Recreation this semester. With everything going on in 2020, it has sparked my passion for health and wellbeing. During these hard times, I find it’s easy to get into a rut, but I have tried my best to stay positive and focus on what makes me happy. I try to be outdoors as often as I can. I love going to the beach, biking, and just and enjoying the warm weather while I can.”