Planning Christmas gifts is always tough, especially for students. Harding has a diversified student population ranging from different countries and social backgrounds. Finding a nice gift can be especially difficult for international students who are not able to work in the U.S. How can you find the perfect Christmas gifts for your friends if your budget is restricted?
Sophomore Keti Kambarashvili said she believes that gifts should be prepared with thought and effort to fit someone’s personality, interests and values. Kambarashvili said there is no such thing as cheap gift.
“Any gift is meaningful and valuable for both sides, whether it is a luxury car for a spouse or a memorable dinner for family,” Kambarashvili said. “People spend hundreds of dollars on Christmas gifts thinking that expensive makes it better, but we often forget that Christmas is not about gifts; it is about showing love and care. This can be easily done with no budget at all.”
“In my past four years at Harding, without fail, my favorite gift to give, whether for a holiday or just because, has been homemade cookies,” senior Jasmine Griffin, said. “Not only are they a sweet and thoughtful gift, but they are also economical for those short on dough, if you know what I mean. Even if you can only make cookies from a cookie log, wrapping them up nicely, and adding a handwritten note can serve the purpose of truly brightening someone’s day.”
For junior Aimee Barbeau, planning Christmas gifts has always been tough.
“When I have money, I love to splurge on presents for the people I love, and when I don’t, I usually awkwardly show up without anything and apologize for being broke,” Barbeau said.
According to Barbeau, quality time is one of the best gifts.
“It sounds cheesy, but taking family members or close friends out to coffee, going for a walk, playing games or just sitting and talking means so much to the people you care about. Everyone understands that you are in college and do not have the most expendable income,” Barbeau said.
A heart-felt card will be a good gift for your grandparents, who are at an age and financial standing where they do not need “stuff.” Nothing means more to grandparents than knowing that their grandkids love and think highly of them.
A picture frame with a picture of you and that person. It costs less than $1 at Walgreens to have a picture of you and a loved one printed, then you just have to pick out a cute frame and you have just made a tear-jerking present that will be both loved and memorable for years to come.
“A deck of cards. My family loves to play cards, so getting my mom a deck of cards would be the perfect way to remind her of fond memories of the family playing card games and might also kickstart a game of Kentucky, golf or sets and runs,” Barbeau said.
