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A handmade scarf, baked goods, a cherished photo in a discount frame. Gifts for friends and family during the holiday season need not break the bank. In fact, some of the most meaningful gifts you can give are virtually free.
“The best gifts always come from the heart, because you know that person is thinking about you and not just running down to the store and picking up what they think is the hottest gift,” said Aileen Avery in an interview, author of Gift Rap: The History and Art of Gift Giving. “They actually gave it some thought.”
Inexpensive gifts are not only potentially more thoughtful, but they can also help keep your budget in check, so you don’t spend months after the holidays digging out of high-interest debt, a scenario that is all too common. Indeed, carrying a credit card balance this year will likely be more costly for consumers as a result of higher interest rates. (Learn more: Tips to curb your spending this holiday season)
According to the National Retail Federation, the average shopper plans to spend about $902 on core holiday items including gifts, decorations, food, and other holiday-related purchases in 2024.1
As in years past, many will take on debt to indulge their loved ones. A 2024 consumer survey by WalletHub found that 52 percent of shoppers planned to apply for a new credit card to help with holiday spending and 45 percent said they would not be able to pay for their holiday purchases in full by the due date. The survey also found that nearly half (47 percent) Americans are still paying off holiday debt they incurred in 2023.2 (Related: How social media envy inspires overspending)
You can spare your budget and keep the smiles by opting for do-it-yourself (DIY) and low-cost gifts this year. But that does require a bit more effort. Don’t wait for the last minute to start planning your list, said Avery.
If you’re big on intent, but short on ideas, the following suggestions may help get the creative juices flowing.
Photo book
In the digital age, where precious family photos languish in cell phones and hard drives, it’s a novel idea indeed to print them out. A single photo of a special day placed inside a nice, inexpensive frame is sure to elicit a hug.
The truly ambitious can opt instead for a photo album of special moments, a collection of pictures over the years with their best friend, or an album of a special vacation with family friends. You can print them out on your printer or take advantage of online seasonal sales and create a printed coffee-table book for $25 or less. Leave plenty of time for cropping and editing, page design, printing, and shipping – especially if you need to ask friends or family members to contribute photos to the project. Bonus: The trip down memory lane will be fun for you, too.
“I love photo books that go through your relationship with that person from way back when,” said Avery. “There are so many online sites you can use, and this is a gift your loved one will keep and look back on. It also might not be something they have the time to do themselves.”
Home-cooked meals
The gift of a home cooked meal is tough to beat for busy moms, single adults, and seniors — or really anyone who just wants a night off in the kitchen. Think lasagna, chili, or baked macaroni and cheese.
Every year, New Jersey-native Rose Flanagan makes a week’s worth of homemade soups and meals that can be easily reheated as a holiday gift for her elderly parents in Long Island, New York.
“I’ll make a stew, individual servings of meatloaf, or clam sauce, and freeze them in individual containers that they can eat when they want,” she said, noting the clam sauce was presented with a box of dried pasta. “They don’t need anything at their age, and they don’t really want gifts, so I decided that this might be a nicer way to give something they would appreciate more.”
By doubling or tripling your own recipes in the weeks leading up to the holiday, you can bang out a week’s worth of frozen meals in no time, she said.
Over the years, Flanagan and her husband have also given friends, neighbors, and teachers loaves of banana bread, brownie mix in a jar, and homemade granola.
Similarly, family members might also appreciate a recipe book that culls together favorite family recipes from past and present generations.
The gift of time
Anyone juggling family responsibilities and a full-time job knows time is a precious commodity.
“Time is the new premium,” said Avery. “No matter how many gadgets we use to make things easier for ourselves, everyone I know is short on time.”
Her suggestion? Create a gift certificate or homemade coupon that entitles your elderly parent to an afternoon picnic in the park, or your son to a lunch at his favorite local restaurant (during school!). If you have a boat, take your niece fishing. Or take your sister to a movie you’ve both been wanting to see and treat her to a large popcorn.
It’s all about spending time together.
Establish the handmade rule
If your family is large or your budgets are tight, you might also like to establish a tradition of giving only homemade gifts – especially for the grownups in the group. You can’t go wrong with homemade soap, hand-knit hats, or dried herbs from your garden.
Jocelyn Ryan, an Irish American mother of three whose extended family is still overseas, said the adults in her family went back and forth for several years between drawing names and giving a single gift, and buying for everyone, but doing it for $10 or less. “Doing it cheaply was way better,” she said. “The gifts were usually funny or homemade or both. One year, I crocheted everybody scarves and my sister gave everyone a small jar of sand from the Sahara the year she went to Africa. I still have mine.”
Re-gifting
Re-gifting an item you were previously given is also potentially fair game during the holiday season, with some important caveats.
Allan Liwanag, who writes the Practical Saver blog , wrote that re-gifters must make sure that the item they are passing along was not personalized for them and is something that the recipient would actually want or need.
Avery agreed, noting re-gifters should also make sure they know the original source, so they don’t give the recycled present to a friend or family member in the same social circle. “If Aunt Martha sees the scarf on someone else that she gave to you, that’s obviously a huge faux pas,” she said.
One couple from Annapolis, Maryland, takes the concept of re-gifting one step further, making it a household tradition to give their kids at least one gift for Christmas that they purchased at a yard sale. Over the years, they have given their kids, who are now adults, jewelry, handbags, books, stationery, and clothes — many still with their original tags, which they believe has helped instill a sense of value.
The holiday season is as much about giving as it is receiving, but your shopping list doesn’t have to leave you in debt. With a little extra planning and some creativity, you can potentially give those you love a gift that is both thoughtful and budget friendly.
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This article was originally published in December 2017. It has been updated.
1 National Retail Federation, “2024 Holiday Spending Expected to Reach New Record,” Oct. 22, 2024.
2 WalletHub, “Holiday Shopping Survey,” Nov. 14, 2024.