Christmas gifts on a budget

[BunnytheFriendlyDragon]

I usually spend fairly generously at Christmas but this year I'm on mat leave and trying to keep costs down.

I will simply not bother with some people but there are some I do want to give something to but not useless tat

Ideas

A nice box of biscuits for some family members rather than biscuits and chocolates and something else like a candle or nice toiletries

Am I making sense?

Any ideas?

I don't really do homemade, before anyone says it!!

Personalised water bottles ready notebooks for teenaged nieces / nephews (£10-15 each)

I've bought some bits (brand new!) off Ebay and selling sites but for adults I buy a lot from boots as they have 3-4-2 gifts
Fir older family members I've covered some boxes this year and we are doing DIY hampers

Last year I got some Thornton's personalised chocolate

www.thorntons.co.uk/christmas-shop-gifts/christmas-model-selection-GB54868.html?cgid=christmas-shop-gifts#start=27&sz=36&cgid=christmas-shop-gifts

They sell them individually for £10 and you can have them personalised but last year they were 3 for £20 they've gone up like everything

What type of people are you buying for and what is your budget?

Agree budget and who buying for would help.

Something festive like Panettone or Florentines might make a nice change from biscuits/regular chocolates. Aldi & Lidl both usually do great Panettone and a lot cheaper than other places.

If you are able to hand deliver, you could buy poinsettias to go with whatever else you buy, deliver a week or two before Christmas so the recipients can enjoy it in the run up to Christmas.

Bettys sell traditional German lebkuchen biscuits which are lovey and under £10:

www.bettys.co.uk/christmas-lebkuchen-biscuit-selection?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI3cmV1tDj8wIVQeztCh369QocEAQYAiABEgKfhvD_BwE

Never heard of Ponsiettas! Is it a plant? A plant is a good idea! Will hand deliver the gifts.

Bettys is on my list - thank you!

Buying for five families (couples in their 40-60s some with adult or teenage children living with them).

Usual for the families in my family to give chocolates and biscuits with a card.

I have previously liked to buy something a bit nicer like hotel Chocolat chocs, a nice candle eg ESPA, nice handwash and hand cream eg molton brown or loccitane.

Tbh for a number of reasons this year I'd like to do it for around a tenner per couple.

Ideas were

Chocolates or biscuits from bettys, hotel Chocolat, M&S (though we get a lot of these) or something like Borders...

For the teens a personalised notebook or water bottle...

Also need to buy for my parents but don't mind spending more obviously. Previously bought food hampers, fruit basket, small kitchen appliances...

I'd rather get a smaller among of something nice / unusual than a big box of Roses (which is what I am usually given!)

Saw M&S does brownie boxes so maybe something like that

Online owe the pick n mix bags

@GiltEdges Those biscuits look nice

How much per teenager? I wouldn’t do water bottle as they already have them.

I would love a Tin of M&S shortbread. Not for me but M&S do a nice "Bailey's" there is nice gin in Aldi, Harrison's likeHendricks . Tesco do nice mugs which you could gift with boarders biscuits. I look in charity shops they often have gifted new stuff, I have picked up a bamboo reusable coffee cup in a box. And a Yankee candle oil burner brand new. Next do summer sun shower gel 2 big bottles for £12, it's a dupe for Estée Lauder bronze goddess

Never heard of Ponsiettas!

You'll recognise them I'm sure. I love them, and they're usually under £5 just in a plastic pot from supermarkets or a little bit more Info they are in a better ceramic pot.

Could you maybe do something for everyone as a gift from your child? Last year my little boy was 9 months old and we sent a photo and card with his footprint as a reindeer on it and then he got each of his grandparents a xmas tree decoration. Kept costs down and everyone loved it.
This year hes painting some things for his grandparents and im going to get a xmas photo of him printed on canvas but not doing gifts for anyone else as we haven't got the funds this year.

We are a big family and a couple of years ago decided to do Secret Santa amongst the family. We all agreed that every one of us will spend £50 on the person who's name we get drawn with. it just works so well, as no-one gets 'tat' and you just focus on that one person and can spend time and effort hopefully buying them something really personal. It's actually really good fun and stops there being lots of pointless 'just because we have to ' presents being bought .
Honestly it just makes the gift of giving SO much easier for absolutely everybody !

@Fallagain Id like to spend max £15each

I don't think they have nice water bottles certainly not personalised ones. I think they still buy bottled water which is why I think one with their names on could be a good gift (girls)

@Mintyt shortbread is a winner! Probably not mugs as they don't need them and I'm not spending enough to buy special ones

@RockingMyFiftiesNot really like that idea

@abbs1 I've seen the reindeer cards, may di something like that. We've just done a baby photoshoot so thinking of a photos for grandparents

@Ifonlyiweretaller id love to fo secret Santa but it wouldn't work in my family unfortunately as so many of them make v little effort hence getting the same box of chocs every year

I suppose it's more of a token gift but something they would like / use such as nice biscuits and a card...

Costco do some nice Panettone and biscuit gifts if you know someone with a card.

www.costco.co.uk/Grocery-Household/Food-Cupboard/Cakes-Biscuits/Vicenzi-Italian-Biscuit-Assortment-Tin-907g/p/53555

www.costco.co.uk/Grocery-Household/Food-Cupboard/Cakes-Biscuits/Lazzaroni-Chiostro-Di-Saronno-Amaretto-Panettone-750g/p/264483

Have a look on the Christmas bargain thread for bargains, they're on thread number 14 atm.

Can you buy family gifts such as board games or hampers for families instead of individual gifts?

For teens in my family, cinema tokens are always a hit.

[quote BunnytheFriendlyDragon]@Fallagain Id like to spend max £15each

I don't think they have nice water bottles certainly not personalised ones. I think they still buy bottled water which is why I think one with their names on could be a good gift (girls)

@Mintyt shortbread is a winner! Probably not mugs as they don't need them and I'm not spending enough to buy special ones

@RockingMyFiftiesNot really like that idea

@abbs1 I've seen the reindeer cards, may di something like that. We've just done a baby photoshoot so thinking of a photos for grandparents

@Ifonlyiweretaller id love to fo secret Santa but it wouldn't work in my family unfortunately as so many of them make v little effort hence getting the same box of chocs every year

I suppose it's more of a token gift but something they would like / use such as nice biscuits and a card...[/quote]
If they buy bottled water it’s probably because they prefer it. Cadbury do some festive make your own chocolate house and chocolate pizza which will probably go doen well.

@FancyNan I am planning doing family gifts other than for the teens ie nice box of biscuits or whatever. Board games won't suit the people Im buying for. A hamper might work but likely to be out of my budget or this year.

@Fallagain I've seen the Cadbury house on Costco website.I'm still leaning towards he water bottles unless I see any better ideas.

@Knickerthief1 I just renewed my Costco membership yesterday!

Thanks everyone.

I would recommend following the deals threads on here. I'm a big fan of buying gifts personal to each recipient rather than a generic gift, and have found some great deals on there. In fact I have found everything much cheaper so far and I am also on budget for similar reasons

Examples of great offers posted would be the ravensburger puzzles, they had loads including 3d puzzles £4.99 a few weeks back. I've bought the Yankee candle box sets from boots for approx £12.80 each instead of £50ish with cashback and codes. Whsmiths have codes for 20% off books, 25% off mostly everything else stacking with a 10% code and they sell lots of lovely gift options - someone posted they sell Sass and Belle items which may be suitable. Clarins bauble sets usually £10 each 2 for £20 at boots with £10 points back and a £2.50 off code working makes them around £3.75 each.

Definitely worth following the threads incase something pops up that is well suited to your recipients

I'll have a look @psuedocream3 but now v muchleaning towards some Bettys of Borders biscuits! Except for one who puts a bit of thought into our gifts 😬

I bought Charbonnel et Walker champagne truffles from Costco

They are much cheaper there seemingly just in less luxe packaging!

Not sure about the teens

I'm on mat leave and pay is reduced so hopefully people will understand me spending less this year!

Naked wines have a deal on atm, £19.99 for six bottles of wine including delivery, they are nice bottles too, you could split them up so just £3.33 per bottle and add a little box of chocolates, for under £5 per person.

That's a nice idea

Only one of them drinks wine though and she is the one who tends to give me a his Id quality streets that sometimes looks regifted!!

Just thought of another little idea,

Jar of beanies sale flavoured coffee £2 with a Rex London travel mug £1.95 and a box of mini Lindt chocolates £1. £4.95 in total but price of a gift bag.

beaniesflavourco.co.uk

I bought some teens of my acquaintance really good quality "drinking chocolate lollipops" last year as part of their present. They were from Leonidas or some other good brand. You basically stick them in hot water and it's a very easy way to make hot chocolate. They went down well!

And a friend of mine who is a student bought me three herbs in plastic pots for Christmas last year - thyme, rosemary, and parsley - they were all the same size and she had wrapped the pots in hessian and tied with red gingham ribbon with a cardboard homemade label and I really loved them! And they were useful at Christmas!

Or you could give one small bay or rosemary tree maybe?

Or a plain willow wreath but present with green florist wire and maybe a pair of florist's scissors and some tasteful fake berries or similar.

Another idea is a box of Christmas spices and herbs such as : cinnamon sticks, vanilla pod, cloves, star anise, ground ginger etc and present in a gift box with nice wrapping.

A variation on the above theme is a starter pack of spices from Spice Mountain that are fairly reasonable.

For artistic teens you can buy packs of watercolour paper cards the size of post cards and attach some artline or watercolour pens.