Fancy Christmas Gifts That Don’t Cost A Fortune

Mariah Carey has made her way back to the top of the charts with her bomb holiday hit yet again. But unlike the wealthy, whistling songstress, there’s a high chance our objects of desire aren’t limited to wanting only a special someone for the season. In fact, it’s even more likely that we look forward to being given something tangible for Christmas. And if this is true for us, we can bet it’s just as true for our friends.

If you’re on the cash-strapped side of adulthood right now, we’ve got you covered. Here are a few things you might want to factor in as presents for your friends and family.

Paint by number kits

Art is always a good idea and paintings have consistently been presents that fall under the expensive category; they’re elegant, aesthetic, and therapeutic. However, many professional paintings can be pricey, with some even reaching the six-figure range. Fortunately, there are feasible workarounds for this dilemma. If you haven’t heard of paint by number kits already, they’re pre-marked pieces of paper that are sectioned by numbers. And as the name of the kit implies, each number has a corresponding colour.

Because this is a painting kit, a set of acrylic paints also comes in the package. What’s perfect about this idea is that you can either dive right into the activity and gift your finished product or hand over the actual kit and let your recipient do the painting. This whole art spectacle is therapeutic, artistically compelling, and rivetingly stimulating. It doesn’t hurt that these kits come in various sizes and prices, too. If you have roughly $20 to $50 to spare, this should be a dashing gift to give.

A journal

Plenty of people like walking down memory lane. If you know someone who values keeping score of remarkable moments and eventful days, a journal or a planner should be the perfect item to give. What makes these fantastic things to gift is that they come in a variety of themes, materials, and colours. Some journal makers even let you customise covers and pages. These notebooks are creative, useful, and encourage productivity.

What’s more, they’re not too expensive, too. Depending on what kind of journal you get, you can snag one for at least ten bucks! The new year is fast approaching, and if you could gift someone anything, the capacity to keep track and organise their everyday activities would be nothing short of gratifying.

Fancy wine

There are only a handful of things that are more sophisticated than wine. For a lot of people, wine is a token almost every adult is bound to appreciate. And while there are household wine brands that inherently scream luxury, there are also a dozen of them that are sourced locally, and are therefore, way more affordable. When you go this route, not only do you gift a friend a safe present, you also support homegrown talent. Anyone who’d want to impress guests knows wine is never a bad idea.

Prices usually start at $15 or less.

Wooden Watches

Watches have been a timeless staple for moments that call for gift-giving. They’re sleek, useful, and help shape one’s personal aesthetic. That mentioned, wooden watches are often a stellar present to gift, simply because they’re a lot more eco-friendly and sustainable compared to watches made of stainless steel and alloy.

Because these kinds of watches are easier to customise, most wooden watch manufacturers also allow for personal message engraving on the back. You can put a special date, a few words of encouragement, or even a little poem; it’s entirely up to you!

Although there are sustainable watches that are priced in the three-digit category, there are more economic ones that you can purchase starting from, more or less, $30. Start window-shopping online and go for whatever works for your budget!

Chocolate

This one doesn’t demand so much introduction in that close to 80% of people prefer chocolate to other kinds of candies. We didn’t make that up. There really is a study for that. What’s amazing about this present is that even the fancy kinds aren’t all that expensive. Chocolate is a universally loved dessert and anyone with a sweet tooth would jump at the chance of munching on these sweets when the opportunity presents itself.

It’s convenient for us gift-shoppers, too. These items can virtually be bought anywhere—groceries, convenience stores, digital spaces. They’re everywhere! If you’re worried about it not being personal or special enough, add a cute, tiny note with a hand-written Christmas message. That should do the trick. As with every item on this list, prices depend on what type and brand you buy, but there are incredibly cheap ones you can get at just $5 or less.

A video journal

Thanks to Facebook and Instagram, we now have yearly reminders of what we post on the socials. This present may not be tangible, but having something to play annually for the rest of your get-togethers is beyond novel. It may sound like a cheap idea, and arguably it can be. But when you stitch a few videos together, they make for tear-jerking memory time capsules that resurface exactly during the time of the year you need it to.

Video journals or any video presentation for that matter are terrific gifts because, like money, time is also a currency. If you’re the technically artistic type in the friend group, don’t shy away from editing seconds and winks together. You’ll never know how much impact it’s going to give you and your pals as you guys age.

Overall, gift-giving is a complex science that can be draining. We’ve all gotten gifts that we cringed at ourselves, and the idea of giving someone something they might not want or need can be daunting. They say it’s the thought that counts, but when you already have so many things to think about at large, handing presents to people close to you can be a chore. As tacky as it may sound, just remember that gifts are never really about the price tag.