Frugal Gift Ideas

Who needs a frugal gift idea? You do. I do. We all do.

I’m not saying you can’t spend a lot of money to celebrate that birthday, graduation, retirement, wedding, or Christmas. I’m saying you don’t have to.

Often times gift giving can be taken to extremes, putting undue pressure on you and your wallet. But if you’re to reach your financial goals, you can’t do everything.

And that includes giving extravagant gifts.

Whether you’re working to live on one income or saving for bigger financial goals, the good news is that there are plenty of great ways to celebrate the people you love — without spending a lot of money. You can give great gifts and live within your means.

Check out these easy and budget-friendly, frugal gift ideas:

Frugal Gift Ideas

Bake something.

Homemade is always better than storebought. And the ingredients can often be less expensive than what you’d buy at a fancy bakery.

Bake someone happy with homemade breads, cookies, cakes, and pies. Package them nicely in a cloth lined basket or paper box. Deliver with a smile.

One of my faves is to package plain scones with tiny jars of jam and a few favorite teas for a fun tea break.

If you’ve learned to make a really delicious baked good, like sourdough bread or an heirloom Norwegian dessert, why not share it with someone you love?

Pro tip: when I worked in catering, it was drilled into me the importance of food presentation. If you take the time to package your baked goods prettily like a professional, your baked gift will really wow. Splurge on a paper doily and a nice box or paper bag.

Give a gift card.

Let’s face it; many gifts eventually end up in the donations pile. And while it is the thought that counts, you don’t want your gift to go unused!

A lower value gift card to a fun splurge like Starbucks or iTunes is often more welcome than any expensive doodah. It doesn’t need to be high priced to be fun or appreciated. Sometimes for someone strapped for cash, a gas station gift card is a boon!

If you’re worried about it being too impersonal, do it both ways; gift a small personal item along with the gift card.

Last year for Christmas, I bought each kid a small item that made me think of them, and then also gave them each a gift card to a place I knew they’d love. I had the fun of shopping at the same time as making sure they’d use the bulk of the gift.

Package some cash.

Likewise, a fun money gift will bring a huge smile to the person you are celebrating.

There are loads of ways to package money so it feels special. It could be something as simple as making origami out of money to put on the Christmas tree to something more elaborate like a chocolate box of money.

Give an experience.

Sometimes time doing an activity together is worth more than any gift. Think: a picnic lunch, a day at the beach, or a donut run. Consider your birthday person, graduate or other honoree to be the guest of honor and treat him or her like royalty.

Similarly, experience gifts might be acts of service, like babysitting, washing the car, or helping someone move. There’s value in all kinds of gifts of service.

Whatever you choose, be sure to present the gift in a fun way, such as a custom coupon book t redeem later.

Craft a simple gift.

There are so many fun and festive gifts you can make. My daughter crafted these cup cozies last Christmas that we gifted to friends with coffee cups and small value Starbucks cards.

You might decide to make a batch of Homemade Lavender Soap or Lavender Hand Scrub to gift as a housewarming gift. I loved crafting these Fruit Felt Ornaments for Christmas gifts.

These DIY Wooden Card Holder for Playing Cards are great for families with a pack of Uno cards while a Homemade Playdough Kit is a surefire winner, too.

Make a meal to deliver.

Who doesn’t like a home cooked meal? Everyone from busy moms to starving students, hungry bachelors to aging parents will appreciate a home cooked meal. Take a few extra minutes to package it in a fancy manner and deliver with a smile.

For new parents or other busy folk, consider giving freezer meals as gifts or providing a week of meal preps so that they can enjoy your gift for several days into the future.

For friends who love to cook, consider a selection of homemade spice mixes.

Give a memory.

A picture really is worth a thousand words. Some of the most meaningful gifts I’ve ever given have been of the photographic variety.

Whether it takes the shape of a video slideshow, a photo album, or even just a framed picture, photo gifts are fun, meaningful, and typically quite frugal. If your giftee has a gallery wall, take note of the style of frame they have so you can match it.

You can also write the memories down on pieces of paper and include them in a Memory Jar gift.

Gift Books

Books aren’t super expensive, but they are a luxury that someone might not always buy for themselves. Surprisingly, you can also give a kindle book as a gift!

You can also find gently used copies that look brand new, dramatically reducing your costs. If your friends are frugally minded, they won’t mind adding a used book to their collections.

I recommend any of these Must-Read Books for Adulting. Such good reading there!

Frugal Gift Shopping Tips

Shop the clearance.

You will be amazed what great things you can find on clearance, especially if you start looking early. I have found great culinary gifts on clearance including a French press for $5!

On one trip to Kohls to use up some Kohls Cash, I found a wallet on clearance for my daughter. The $29 wallet was only $5.15 after the markdowns and coupon.

Keep an eye on the clearance section in your favorite stores for great deals.

Stock up on seasonal sales.

If you’re looking for token or hostess gifts, then keep your eyes open at back to school time, the holidays, Valentine’s Day and Easter. Candy, chocolates, candles, dishes, other small gift items, and school supplies often go on great sales at these times. Stock up on these items and save them to repackage as gifts.

The same goes for wrappings and decorative boxes. Remember red works for any number of occasions.

Get creative in how you think about the sale items you find. You can even transform humble school supplies into gifts.

Order online to save money on gas and shipping

Shopping online has been a real blessing to me, especially in the days when all the kids had to be latched into carseats. Not only did it save me money to shop from home, but it also saved me from endless errands and dragging more poor kids into a myriad of stores when we couldn’t find what we were looking for.

Additionally, instead of paying for postage and standing in line at the post office, online ordering allows you to ship your gift directly to the person. Cut out the middle man — you!

Use Pirate Ship to save money.

If you do have to mail a package, use Pirate Ship in order to save money on postage.

Order through a cash back portal.

I regularly use cash-back services like Rakuten to get cash back on my purchases when I initiate my shopping session through their portal. If you’re not using it yet, you can sign up with my link and get a $30 cash bonus.

Over the last 17 years, I’ve earned $2,271.69 lifetime cash back, earning on purchases I was making anyways.

Other brands and services offer cash back portals. Check your bank, Ibotta, and Swagbacks to see what your options are.

Request free samples.

There are so many wonderful free samples available out there that can double as gifts. One year, I planned ahead and saved up enough free granola bars to stuff the kids’ stockings at Christmas!

Some samples are very generous, making it easy for you to put together a fun gift basket — for FREE!