£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!

I'm laughing at the thought of my family opening sex toys from Poundland on Xmas morning.

I can just imagine the conversation in the office.
"What did you get your mum and dad?"
"Oh I just got my mum some love beads and my dad a butt plug, I'm on a budget this year"
🤣🤣🤣🤣

Maybe a nice gimp mask for my Nan as well. Will have to pop onto Poundland and check it out 😅

Butt plugs seem very popular as key rings

I'm getting my mum oven gloves this year 🤣

She's been complaining for ages that hers are on their last legs but she can't find a replacement that isn't either so thick they're impractical to use or so thin that she burns her hands. I've seen some in our local garden centre that look like they'd be a good compromise so will get her a set along with the matching apron.

Disclaimer: she does use these things & they're over the £5 budget of this thread.

Agree that it's an awkward price point to avoid just buying tat for the sake of it & lots of things mentioned already I'd hate as it would be wasted but a few I'd love to receive .

Last year, I bought a load of gingerbread men and boxes from Hawkens Gingerbread and split them all up and made some DIY hampers last year (wrapped a shoe box in wrapping paper, put shredded Paper in and the gingerbread boxes!)

They were lovely and people very much enjoyed them 😬

They'd be ok for the people you can spend £10 on in a couple!

I love how many people are saying they wouldn’t gift tat then list out… tat

Id rather have nothing than most of the suggestions on this thread. A pair of £5 earrings or a cheap perfume from M&S will just be horrible. Who wants an individual mug.

This should be stickied for all the threads asking for suggestions of gifts for teachers as a “what not to buy”

I think £5 is too big an ask and would probably not bother at that price point. There are quite a lot of things I'd be happy to receive at £10, if you could I'd consider upping it to that. I did this with a friend a couple of years ago, we set a £10 limit but also gave each other a little wish list of things we'd like and each picked off the list. It meant we still got a surprise gift but something we wanted as well and things like books we knew it was something the other hadn't read yet and would like to read.

I love how many people are saying they wouldn’t gift tat then list out… tat

That's the whole Christmas board tbh. People insisting they never buy tat then they list all the tat they've bought.

That's the whole Christmas board tbh. People insisting they never buy tat then they list all the tat they've bought

I guess one man's tat is another man's treasure. Whereas something you might think is a fabulous gift someone else might put straight in the charity bin. People start these threads for ideas, so yes there may be 100 things they might never gift but a few ideas that are really helpful.

Another Mumsnet 'not everyone likes the same things as you' shocker.

Does anyone really think a £1 pair of oven gloves or Primark fluffy socks is “fabulous”? Really?!

Personally I would prefer to do secret Santa and a budget of £15 or around that, you have a lot more choice with that budget, Trying to find something for £5 will mean buying for the sake of it and likely something the recipient wouldn't have wanted. However if I was challenged to buy a gift for £5 I would opt for a book that suits the genre of what the recipient would like, or for those that like a pamper a face mask from lush.

I think a budget of £5 is a bit pointless. I wouldn't want a cheap mug or a bottle of shower I don't consider either of those things luxuries!

Another Mumsnet 'not everyone likes the same things as you' shocker

Whatever. It's some people here who don't understand not everyone likes the same thing. They think, "I like mugs and and spatulas and Dove soap giftsets so obviously Auntie Brenda will as well."

wasnt a gift but my oven gloves came from poundland... I didnt see the point in spending a lot on something like that (especially since DH constantly spills gravy and sauses on them) and they work perfectly fine.

I’d be chuffed with primark fluffy socks yes

If someone got me a pair of Poundland oven gloves as a Christmas present and my first emotion was delight I’d wonder where my life had gone wrong honestly

I was enjoying the suggestions of things around £5. Can we go back to more positive suggestions please?

OP & family have decided that's what they are doing.
Let's assume they will know if someone doesn't drink or hates chocolate etc.
And whilst 'one man's tat is another man's treasure', no- one on here can make that judgement, only the recipients who the OP knows and we don't.

Am being a bit selfish with this post as was thinking the £5 price point would help me with some little extras for my lot.

Anyone with more positive suggestions please?

@RockingMyFiftiesNot
Things that are a fiver or less....
(Obviously only if you know the person will like them)
Lego Polybag Set
Small craft kits
Jigsaws (The Works is brilliant for these)
Puzzle Books
Adult Colouring Books
Small pot plants/cactus/grow your own herbs
Socks with cute patterns
Garden ornaments
Alcohol/Food
Novelty keyrings
The Beano Annual
The People's Friend Annual
Nice stationary
A copy of an magazine like BBC Wildlife or similar
Books
A mug with a picture of a cat
Silly Christmas tree decorations

That's all I can think of right now.

@Needmorelego that's more like it, thank you.

Sorry for jumping in OP, but hope it helps you generate more ideas.

I am a grinch…but I would opt out entirely.

I agree.

If you were buying me a £5 gift I'd like a lip balm (Carmex, Burt bees or something) and some chocolates like celebrations.

Or a scented candle from Sainsbury's.

Or a nice olive oil.

I wouldn't want anything for £5 thanks, and certainly not five (or how ever many) £5 gifts! I'd much prefer it if I had ONE person to spend £25 on. I'd suggest doing that instead.

@mondaytosunday I do agree that the just buying for one person with using the Secret Santa method (so the cost of the gift can be more) is probably better - but it is nice to have a few little different treats and things to do as well.
@Imissprosecco I think you might have to put it to the vote in your family to which method to go for.

If it’s for the same extended family I would absolutely suggest a secret Santa so each person buys one gift for £30/£40 etc instead of 6/8/10 individuals.

If everyone was set on the £5 plan I would rather have one nice treat item such as a bar of COCO Chocolatier or Ocelot dark cherry chocolate.
A voucher for a local Indy coffee shop.
Reusable shopping bag.
Lip balm.
Socks.

Acessorize/Oliver bonas sals are worth a look. I get a lot of stocking fillers at this time.