Buying presents on a budget

I find it challenging to buy presents for my friends and family members. Firstly because I always want to find something unique, something that will let that person know I care about them, so I put extra thought into picking up a present. The second reason is that I am always short on money so expensive gifts are really not my style. 

I like something simple and meaningful, so over the years I stumbled across wonderful ideas that I would love to share with you. 

A jar of notes is the most personal and I’ve felt really good after giving it to one of my friends, especially because a month after I gave it to them, I was still getting text messages about how it made their day. 

So what is a jar of notes?

Simple. It’s a jar filled with notes for a person you are giving it to. I chose three different colours of paper I was writing them on; pink, blue and white. Pink paper had quotes written on them, blue had things I like about that person and white were random thoughts (for example what movie I recommend or a simple joke). I wrote about fifty of those things and put them into a jar. On the lid I pasted an envelope with a letter that explained what the jar contained and that they should take out one note per day. 

With that I managed to do something personal, original and made sure they got something out of my present for the next fifty days. 

Baking something is the ultimate winner for me. It shows that you put some effort into the present and it’s always nice to get something delicious for a present. Sometimes baking can be underrated but I promise you it is a lovely gift. 

Buying with a group is a very common thing and most of the presents I give are bought with a group of friends. This allows you to buy something that is more expensive, but it’s also great if your schedule is busy because you can just chip in money for the present. Presents that are bought like that are usually more memorable since you can afford to buy concert tickets for their favourite band or a ticket for an adrenaline park or three day holiday in a spa. So overall it’s always a good purchase when you are buying a present together with other people. 

I hope this gives you a few ideas on what you can get for your friend. Remember that a present doesn’t have to be expensive to be meaningful and personal!