A gift doesn’t have to be expensive to bring happiness to the recipient. Even if you can afford it, there might be many times when getting an expensive gift is not possible. You could be saving up for something important such as medical treatment or still paying off some debts. There are also Secret Santa gift exchanges among groups of friends or coworkers where the spending limit is set at $50 or below. In other cases, you may just be looking for a token gift in addition to a larger one.
Having a gift budget of around $50 or lower is not a bad idea. It places little burden on the giver and also makes them think hard about the likes and dislikes of the person at the receiving end. It’s a lovely surprise when someone opens a gift and sees that it was chosen with care according to their preferences.
Fortunately, there are quite a few gift options available in the market today. Many of these are under $50, but you may have to check the quality, reliability, and durability before purchasing. To make things easier, let’s look some ideas for the best fun gifts under $50:
1. Something to Help with Self-Care
Self-care is more than just a popular buzzword or hashtag that you use on Instagram. Many people are now aware that taking care of themselves is as important as taking care of their family, friends, and work projects. You can’t pour from an empty cup, so one needs to be fulfilled and relaxed before they can be useful to the people around them.
When giving a gift under $50, you can take this concept and apply it on the intended recipient. Are they stressed out from looming work deadlines? Have they just had a new baby, moved away from home, or had a setback that might cause some tension? In each of these cases and many more, gifting something that will help them relax can be the best idea.
Take a moment and think about what that person will like best. Fancy bath products might be greatly appreciated if the individual has time to use them; perhaps a busy single professional who needs to unwind after a long day. If their home life is too crazy to allow for a proper bath or even a face mask, a gift card for some beauty treatments might be in order. These won’t cost you much, but give the recipient a reason to take some time off and pamper themselves.
For someone who doesn’t even have the time to go to a salon or spa, you can look into some comforting items to use at home. A large body pillow, a soft blanket, or even a cuddly toy could do the trick.
2. Food
There are probably very few people who don’t like receiving their favorite snacks as a gift. Of course, you might want to take it further than just bundling together some bags of chips. The exact food items you get will again depend on what the intended recipient likes. Just a few ideas include chocolates, granola bars, cookie assortments, cake mixes, hot chocolate mixes, nuts, coffee, and so on.
If you don’t know the person very well (they could have just married into the family or be a new co-worker), it may not be the best idea to buy an edible gift without checking with them first. You may inadvertently get them a gift that they don’t like or might even be allergic to. If they’re on a raw food diet, it may be helpful to read up on tips for eating raw food on a budget.
Homemade food comes in a whole other category. If you’re handy in the kitchen, consider baking some brownies or cookies within your budget. The other person might love some homemade treats, so whip up a batch of your most popular item and package it nicely. If you make jams, preserves, or other types of spreads, these would look lovely in glass jars with a ribbon, label, and card.
Other than gifting food items, you can also take the other person out for dinner or lunch. This would probably only work if both parties are comfortable with each other or open to becoming better friends. Eating together creates a nice bond among people; it could be fun catching up with your cousin or creating a friendship with your new sister-in-law. After that, it might be nice to go shopping for healthy and organic food.
3. Subscriptions
There are all sorts of business models and plans when it comes to subscriptions. If you look for the more inexpensive options, though, subscriptions can be a great way to give several gifts in one go.
Magazine subscriptions might be a bit outdated now, but they’re still around. If the person you want to gift something to is still into physical magazines, consider getting them a subscription in that category. However, there are also subscriptions for online magazines, recipes, and even educational resources available online. See what the recipient is into and what they will use the most. Perhaps they’re a homeschooling parent or are trying out a new diet. In such cases, a subscription for useful resources plus ideas can really help them out.
Alternatively, you may also consider gifting a subscription to any streaming service. As common as these services are now, some people may still not have one of their own due to budget or time constraints. With this gift, they can watch their favorite shows easily or have fun movie nights once in a while.
4. Subscription Boxes
These subscriptions are in a separate category due to their unique offerings. Basically, these are gift boxes that you can get delivered to someone. Each box usually contains an assortment of items that the recipient can use and enjoy. The items mostly follow a certain theme depending on where it comes from. For instance, a skincare company might release a subscription box containing travel-sized versions of their most popular or new products. They could also include various related items such as a keychain with the company logo or some skin-friendly pillowcases.
While the individual boxes might cost around $50 or lower, you have to be prepared to pay the amount each month. If you’re sticking to $50, getting just one box might also be an option.
Subscription boxes are great for giving a variety of gifts at a bargain price. At times, the total value of the items inside the box might even be higher than the price due to discounts and value deals. They’re also a nice way to support local businesses and small startups, since these are the organizations that usually work on special subscription boxes. With the wide variety available today, you should be able to find the right box to suit your friend’s preferences.
5. An Experience
Gifting an experience can trump material items, especially if the recipient is more interested in learning new things rather than acquiring more items. Something like a class, a course, or a short trip can be both memorable and benefit the recipient for a long time.
Depending upon your location, you can have a fun beach day on a budget. If your friend has just moved into a new apartment and doesn’t know how to cook, you may gift them some local cooking classes that come under $50. Even learning the basics at this point in their life could be a lifesaver.
An experience could also include a bus tour of the city, a picnic at the park, or a fitness class. Pay attention to what the other person talks about and dreams of; fulfilling their wishes to some extent might not be too expensive after all!
Conclusion
Sticking to a limit of under $50 for a gift could be limiting. However, these limits are what motivate us to think outside the box and come up with a thoughtful gift. Once you’re fairly sure about what to get, wrap it up nicely and present it with some fanfare (even a gift card). Start observing and thinking about your budget gifts today in order to get the best option possible!