It is estimated that in the UK we spend over £700 more than our typical monthly amount at Christmas, which can often see us delving into overdrafts and feeling the crunch on our credit cards. This often leads to months of unnecessary stress and anxiety to pay it all back, so this Christmas, why not give yourself the gift of peace of mind and consider some of our non-conventional gift guide suggestions that won’t break the bank. And trust us, no one will be missing out if they’re lucky to receive one of these!
Experience Tokens
All too often we focus on getting the latest gadget, fashion or craze (we’re looking at you, sunset lamps!) – and forget that most of the time our friends and family are just happy to be in our company. Still, that doesn’t mean that doing something special together shouldn’t be off the cards and Experience Tokens are a great way to do just that! These handmade cards can be for any experience you wish to gift – and it doesn’t have to cost the earth. A token for a baking session together, coffee date or movie and treats night holds much more value than anything else on your loved ones Christmas list. Make them redeemable at any time, and you’ll soon see your 2022 calendar fill up with lots of activities to look forward to with your nearest and dearest. Of course, this gift works great for all ages and can even be done as a family together. We’ve listed some of our favourite low budget or no budget ideas below!
A baking session
Homemade afternoon tea
A treasure hunt
A movie marathon
Games night
Park walk and picnic
No phone night!
Get on the nice list
A helping hand can go a long way to making someone’s day to day go that much easier, so instead of trailing the shops and doing a last minute supermarket sweep trying to find the perfect gift – perhaps consider how you can help out at home. Taking over dinner-making duties, picking up extra chores or leaving a thoughtful note can let those people who you typically buy gifts for know that you care and it’s the quickest way to get on the nice list!
Time to be crafty!
The best gifts we can give are ones that we put the most thought into, so if you’re lost for ideas it may be time to get crafty! A personalised Christmas bauble, decorated photo frame or album or even a few extra Christmas decorations make excellent gifts that you can enjoy making too. Pinterest is great for crafty ideas with step by step tutorials that are easy to follow, so don’t be worried if you’re not too artistically inclined. The best thing, of course, about your homemade gifts is that they can’t be bought in any shop or store, so are extra special!
The gift that keeps on giving
Making a donation on behalf of a friend or family member to a charity close to their hearts makes for a truly thoughtful and unique gift. Whatever charity you choose to go for if it’s a one-off or monthly donation, you can be sure that many more will benefit from your kind gift. Here at Glow, our social enterprise You Glow Girl has some of the softest, comfiest apparel with an embroidered slogan to suit everyone whether they’re a Cat Mama / Dog Mama, Fearless Female or simply Courageous or Kind. All of the proceeds go into our amazing Glow programmes that help young girls and women in Northern Ireland, and your lucky gift receiver will be able to lounge in style too!
Of course, if you’re an early bird and already have all your Christmas presents bought you may not need any more suggestions – but if you’re feeling particularly generous these can be gifted all year round and not just at Christmas. Dear Secret Santa, we can’t wait for our cup of tea gift token!