Gift Ideas for the College Student on a Budget

It's getting colder, winter flavors are out, and the stores have started playing holiday music; the holidays are fast approaching! It's around this time that I start getting stressed about what gifts I’m going to get for the people in my life. Especially as a college kid, spending lots of money on gifts is just not on the agenda. But never doubt the impact of homemade or heartfelt gifts. Here’s a little gift guide for some affordable gifts for this holiday season!

Make a playlist! I think making playlists is my love language. Genuinely, I think this is one of the most fun gifts to make because you can fill it up with songs that remind you of the person or songs that relate to moments that you have had together. You can go old-school and burn a playlist onto a CD (decorate a CD cover) or simply make a playlist on Spotify! I have made playlists for boyfriends, friends, family, etc., and they have all thought it was super heartfelt. It's something they can go back and listen to, and it's also something you can keep adding songs to (the gift that keeps giving).

Thrift a book! This is a gift that I think not many people realize the impact of. It might sound simple—giving someone a book—but you can add more to make it more personal. You can go to half-priced books, Pilsen books, the thrift store, or another secondary bookshop and buy your person’s favorite book or a book that reminds you of them. You can then go in and highlight some parts that remind you of your person, draw little doodles in the book, or write little notes in the margins for the person to see in their reading. Once, I bought someone a secondhand book, and it was pretty old, so I rebuilt the book with a new paper cover (made out of recycled paper). I sketched a cover for it and then sealed the book. Altogether, it was less than $10 for a gift that makes the other person feel like you put in lots of effort and love for them.

Get them a journal! Marshalls/TJ Maxx sells super-nice journals for pretty cheap. I like to get my friends a journal with a pack of pens or something. I will usually write a nice inscription for them on the first page. It encourages them to keep good mental health practices, and journals are so practical that they can be used by anyone!