£5 gifts

[Imissprosecco]

So yesterday at a family BBQ, we all got talking about Christmas and the cost of living. We agreed that for adults we would get a token gift with a budget of £5 each (or £10 for a couple). The more inventive the gift, the better!

I'm going to guess that millions of people will be having similar conversations and so I thought it would be a good idea to have a thread for suggestions for gifts for £5 or less.

Anyone like to join me? I really don't want to give cheap bottles of wine/boxes of chocolate if i can avoid it, but also don't want to give useless tat. All ideas welcome!

If you get a spider plant from Facebook they often have "babies" so you can pot on and give as gifts for the cost of a nice pot!

Asda have got some really nice heavy black and white initial mugs in at the moment for about £5.

Some shortbread from m and s.

Honestly, almost everything listed above I wouldn’t want or need.
Why would I want 1 cup? I have a perfectly nice set, that I have had 10 years. Any odd ones end up at charity.

I would like a jar of local honey. But as someone mentioned, that’s more than £5 now.

I hate tat. I'd rather say, "nothing for the grown ups. Let's just buy for the children, £10 each."

I think OP and family are thinking this is a lighthearted way of not getting stressed about the cost of buying presents. If they want to look for incentive/different presents for £5 this year then I don't see the issue! She's already said not tat etc and it sounds like it's looking for thoughtful gifts that are absolute bargains.

RE the oven gloves. I think PP has sussed the recipients for the hampers too. Some people like oven gloves in a hamper!

I'm quite basic and a box of chocolates suit me fine 🤣

Anyway sorry I've just realised how grumpy I sound here. I think charity shop shopping sounds like a good idea to find something nice/inventive for this budget!

Me too 🤣 - we really need to move away from gifting for the sake of it.

I think OP and family are thinking this is a lighthearted way of not getting stressed about the cost of buying presents. If they want to look for incentive/different presents for £5 this year then I don't see the issue! She's already said not tat etc and it sounds like it's looking for thoughtful gifts that are absolute bargains.

I do know what you mean. I actually opted out of the work Secret Santa because I just couldn't face opening up a gift of a mug and having to pretend I really like it, I'd rather spend the tenner on something I actually really like.

I suspect while they all agreed that it was a great idea at the time, when they actually go to buy the gifts, they might start to feel differently. What one person thinks is really inventive and fun, someone else will just think is crap and a waste of money. It's so hard to buy for people! This is why, actually, I would go with boring presents like clothes or food.

@Nekomata yes I suppose when it gets nearer the time and you're wandering around shops looking for something for a fiver it could lose its fun! 😂 Then grabbing a mug out of desperation.

I think last night I just felt a bit sad about the magic of surprise of gift giving being lost. 🎅

Nice mugs?

I have bought various friends plant snips from Amazon. They are like tiny little shears for deadheading plants or taking cuttings . Really useful and only cost about £5

I'd watch social media and Etsy for fiver friday offers. Supporting small, and you get some absolute bargains. I run a small business and regularly have things like photo keyrings, nice bookmarks, personalised mugs... in the fiver offers. Or tenner Tuesdays often have 2 for £10 offers on. Follow the hashtags and there'll be loads turn up.

Nobody needs a random mug

A present should bring joy and be individual- so no 1 item fits all. Can anyone honestly say that a £5 mug would bring joy?

I agree with PP about doing a secret Santa for larger item and maybe ask each person for suggestions so you can treat them to something they actually want.

Otherwise, for a small token gift I would go:

Locally produced foodstuff you know they would like
Ditto bar of good choc or bag of coffee/coffee pods.
Organic soap/shampoo bar etc
Posh tonic or g&t cans, or nice soft drink
Something you know they would use such as car chamoix, nice firelighters, garden string etc.
Plant bulbs/seeds
Cake cases/sprinkles etc. if they like that.
Something thoughtful from bric-à-brac/charity shop.

Basically useful things that don't come entombed in plastic and don't take up much room.

I find these thread are often not useful as its always generic gifts that dont actually work for anyone.

As a dyslexic who cant read big pages of unbroken up print and who has zero interest in made up stories a random book from the works would be useless.

I dont get books as a gift, apart from my DH I wouldnt buy them for anyone else even my mother who is a massive book worm (the only book worm I know but she can read 5 books in a day if shes in a reading mood) but she has read so much its impossible to buy for her because she likely already read it.

I also hate milk chocolate, it makes my throat feel like its closing (dark or white is fine though, although I dont eat much chocolate anyway I still have half a dark chocolate orange left over from last xmas) so cheap milk chocolate santa would be useless too.

I dont know anyone with a want or need for notebook, seeds, plants, shower gels, generic toiletrie sets, jigsaws, over gloves, hats/scarves.

Almost everyone is decluttering no one wants even more mugs or new versions of things they all ready own.

These kinds of things really do require ACTUAL thought by the giver of what the reciever likes. If you know someone wants a specific book then great, if you know someone ran out of the favorite moisturiser fine, if you know someone coverts a new pair of cashmier gloves fine but just buying a random book or random dove set or random cheep gloves is just worthless.

@mam0918 you are correct. My original suggestion of books was a bit of a lazy answer.
I would hope that whoever is buying you gifts though would know you are dyslexic and don't enjoy books and so wouldn't get you one.
The problem seems to be the amount of relatives that people aren't close too but people feel they have to buy a gift for. Your sister in law's brother's girlfriend type people. Or the cousin you don't see because you live 500 miles apart .
People should just get gifts for the relatives (and friends) that they have close relationships with and actually know their interests, likes and dislikes.

Shower gel would be used by most people and save them money on buying it themselves.

@buzzbuzzybuzz - I don’t use shower gel. I have used one brand of solid bar soap for years. Most shower gels I find rubbish on my skin. And I don’t like the whole plastic container use really in comparison.

I’m a voracious reader, but please don’t buy me a book! Apart from the fact that you’re unlikely to know what I’ve already read or would like to read, I haven’t read a physical book in years, only kindle. Bonus - no clutter!

i do like candles and nice shower gel , but not bath bombs or body lotion.

it’s difficult to please people, no matter what the budget.

op, I’d discuss this with your family again and either scrap buying for adults all together or do a secret Santa for one gift (with gift suggestions)

Things I would appreciate:

Chocolate
Fluffy socks
Nice stationery e.g notebook
A keyring
A pot plant/ cactus
A massive mug

Nothing novelty and definitely not sex toys!

I also love anything homemade I can eat.

Orchid or plant.

Photo mug or photo in a frame.

Normal patterned socks - not the gimmicky fluffy kind.

Favourite teabags/coffee hot chocolate and biscuits.

Hair bands/clips lip balm and moisturiser.

If they're into crafting/knitting/art a few little supplies to suit those hobbies.

Travel mug or insulated bottle.

3 bottles of cider for a fiver go down well with most of the men in my family.

Shopping bag.

Seeds.

Diffuser.

Notebook and nice pen.

Sweet jar filled with sweets.

Candles.

The charity shop gift idea I saw mentioned up thread is great, you can get some real crackers and even if the recipient doesn't like them they've raised money for a good cause and can just be donated back in January.

I would be happy with a mini bottle of wine and for example a packet of three Ferrero Roche .
However my first choice is what I did about 18 years ago which was to ditch all gift buying apart from my DC and parents.

I've enough 'stuff' so would like something consumable but better than I'd buy myself.
Eg some really posh artisan crackers for cheese. Actually if you could keep it chilled til open a nice cheese would be appreciated.
Bulbs for the garden.
Tea or coffee from Oxfam or Traidcraft. Grumpy Mule coffee might be appropriate for certain recipients.
I'd enjoy locally sourced honey but sounds like it might be hard to buy that within budget.

I picked up some lovely notecards from TK Maxx last week, think they were £4. Wouldn't be everyone's taste but they are a perfect gift for one of my family members.

I know there's a lot of 'hamper hate' on MN, but I like a well thought out hamper. For £5 it's probably more of a gift bag or cellophane bundle. Some ideas:

Film Night:: bag of popcorn; mini Pringles bar of chocolate and a drink (coke/can of beer/ mini G&T, mini wine etc)

Pamper night: face mask; small candle (the type you get in a jar): bubble bath; mini Prosecco.

Nibbles : olives; grissini; jars of antipasti; jar of pate

Cookery related: herbs, spices, oils, vinegar

Stating the obvious, you have to know your recipient's tastes or at least be able to make discreet enquiries of others closer to them if you're not sure. But I love this sort of challenge.

@RockingMyFiftiesNot I think they're great ideas.

Can I just say that if anyone receives something they hate or won't use please can you think about donating it to charity/Olio/Facebook or whatever. You might not want a nice shower gel or mug for example but for somebody else that could be a lovely treat in these hard times.

If you have a lot of people, could you whip up a batch of homemade sloe gin and just decant into little Kilner jars (fairly cheap in The Range.)

I find The Works tend to be good for Cookbooks. A Pinch of Nom currently going for £6...