Grab some of these small cheap Christmas gifts this year. Perfect for coworkers, teachers, or that person you didn’t know was coming! (Whoops!)
Have you ever been to a Yankee Swap party? (You might call it a White Elephant exchange or Dirty Santa.)
Basically, you show up with a gift and wind up with a random gift from someone else.
There always seems to be one gift that is fought over. The gift that appeals to everyone.
It’s fun to be the winner who brings home the coveted gift. But it’s also fun to be the one who brought the gift that’s sought after.
Make sure you save this list of cheap gift ideas, because honestly it’ll come in handy all year long.
Think teachers, coworkers, coaches, and whoever else you’d like to show appreciation to (without breaking the bank).
14 Small Cheap Christmas Gifts They’ll Love
Desktop Stress Toys
Everyone who sits at a desk will want this desktop punching bag.
Or cheaper enjoyment from this eye popping frog toy.
Lotto Tickets
You can spend a little or spend a bit more. Give them multiple chances to hit it big.
If they win? Best gift ever! AND those losing tickets just hit the trash can (rather than becoming more clutter).
Car Kit
There are lots of ways you can go with this one.
- Give them a basket of car cleaners to spiff up their drive.
- Make a bag of items that come in handy during an emergency ( like a small flashlight, hand warmers, granola bars, a cheap poncho).
- Tools that would be handy to keep in the car for small repairs.
Box of Teas
Pull together a box of teas. Use a variety of flavors or choose teas with benefits such as stress relief or sore throats.
Learn how to put together a frugal box of teas!
Books
But don’t worry, you’ve still got options.
These days you can find coloring books geared towards people of every age and interest. I’m not into coloring much myself, but I did see this book in the store last week and I actually would love to get it!
My own kids prefer activity books over coloring books. (Think dot to dots or mazes). Mad Libs, Sudoku, logic puzzles, crossword puzzles…all fun choices!
Live Plants
The gloomy days of January make the cheer of a living plant even better. Even people with a brown thumb will enjoy a small plant or flower for their window sill.
If your giftee is notorious for killing plants, opt for fresh cut flowers.
Gifts from the Chef
Are you great in the kitchen? People love home baked goods.
A plate of cookies can be nice. (You could even combine that gift with a fun cookie exchange!) A special treat of caramel corn or puppy chow can be a nice change.
Better yet, use that famous recipe you’re known for. Everyone will love it!
Games
You can find board games on sale at great prices this time of year. For extra fun, get a game that the whole group can enjoy playing.
Or check out this list of games our family absolutely loves!
Specialized T-shirts
Who doesn’t love being part of a good inside joke?
Find a specialty t-shirt that matches a favorite hobby or subject of your gift recipient. Feelin Good Tees sells funny shirts on Amazon for the sarcasm lover.
Lawn Ornaments
At one white elephant party I attended, there was a Duck Dynasty garden gnome.
Everyone wanted it!
Hey, it was unique and funny. Why not??
If not a garden gnome, see if you can find something fun featuring a local sports team that everyone loves, or maybe a character from Harry Potter, something popular.
Alcohol, If Reasonable
Alcoholic gifts are only an option if you are 110% confident that the entire crowd will be receptive. This can go bad very quickly.
On the job or in the schools is usually a no go. (Unless you work in a “Mad Men” style office, don’t risk your job.)
Otherwise, I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. And is usually a favorite.
Make a Mix
You’ve seen all the varieties of gifts in a jar. You can also set up mixes in piping bags for some variety.
Give the gift of cookies they can make later (after they’ve detoxed from a sugary December). Or try a soup mix for something different.
Buy Them Dinner
Don’t worry. I remember that this is “Cheap Gift Ideas”. I’m not asking you to buy them dinner at a fancy restaurant, or even a gift card.
Instead, give them a basket filled with groceries ready to go on a busy night!
Spaghetti, sauce, and a corn bread mix would be frugal, but nice to have on hand.
Pre-Care Kit
Winter is also cold and flu season. Put together a small care package that they can keep on hand in case they take home more than just presents. (Ewwww….germs!)
An ice pack (I love this old school style ice pack), a can of chicken noodle soup, soft tissues, mints, and a magazine make a lovely care kit.
Holiday Decor
To me, it’s a downer to get Christmas items as a Christmas gift. Unless I’m getting it several weeks in advance, I’m always bummed that I’ll have to wait a whole year to use it.
But if your giftee loves the holidays, they’d enjoy something new to display for Valentine’s Day.
You know, something they’ll be able to use soon-ish.
I don’t want to tell you that I saw Valentine’s Day decorations at the store several days before Christmas last year (but it’s totally true).
“Planners” should check out the clearance on holiday items this year and keep them on hand for gifting next year.
These cheap gift ideas will simplify your gift giving this year.
Make them feel appreciated without going into debt to do it. And who knows? Maybe they’ll fight over your gift this year.
Make that gift exchange more fun with one of these gift exchange game ideas!
What’s the best cheap gift idea you’ve ever been given?
I'm Jamie, and I want to help you afford a beautiful life with your family. 
Love the car care idea…if Jon hadn’t just gone on his dollar store car care binge I might have put one together for him! And the self-care basket idea is cool, even if it’s not for Christmas but just when someone’s feeling ill.
You can also give service vouchers, particularly of the “I’ll take your kids off your hands for an evening” variety. What parent doesn’t want babysitting service?
I did consider adding that to the list. I totally agree, every parent would love that!
These are some great gift ideas! I especially love the pre-care kit! It can be great for anyone and can always come in handy!
Great gift ideas! Making a list from this now for all my hard to shop for people!
Great, practical ideas as always, Jamie! For the record, we LOVE Catchphrase! (Even if our daughters do always beat their father and me.) My girls do a gift swap in each of their dance classes every Christmas, and since they’re in about 12 classes between them, we have to get good at cheap gifts! One item that’s always fought over is winter gloves with “texting” fingers…special tips that allow the wearer to still use phones, etc. I just found a pair at Target for $4 this week. (Not sure they’ll make it to the gift swap…now that I’ve left my dumb phone behind, I need a pair!). Thanks for sharing…stopping by from Friday Frivolity!
I love that idea! Nearly everyone can use those gloves, especially if you and I have smartphones now. That must mean that most people do. haha! 😉
The dinner basket idea is really good! Or even just a frozen meal would be a great gift – especially for any busy family or anyone with young kiddos. I love baking cookies so that has come to be an expected gift from me. 🙂
These are awesome gift ideas!
I always have a stash on hand, too, but some of these great ideas are new to me! Thanks, Jamie!
OhMyGoodness, both Jamie AND Elizabeth have left me and my dumb phone out here all alone? I still love you both, but geez, I guess I’m the last gal standing… I love all these ideas – my dad’s side of the family decided to go this route this year, but they made each gift a $30 minimum limit – which is NOT cheap, in our eyes. Any ideas of what I could throw together that would look like $30, but only cost a fraction of that? All I can come up with is a gift box from the dollar store with random snack foods… So glad you joined us at #FridayFrivolity and just so you know, we’ll still be partying this week, on Thanksgiving!
Try shopping a discount store like Ollies or Tuesday morning for your gift Lisa.
These are great ideas. A cookie mix in a jar is a terrific gift for a family, all of them can enjoy it. We get a hot chocolate mix from a friend each year and we think of them as we enjoy the tasty treat! Love giving fresh herbs in a pot, it’s such a treat in the winter.
I’m with Lisa, my family decided to do a white elephant this year. But the price is up to $20 a gift, one for each person who attends. The gift must fit from ages 5-50. Can that even be done? UG! The worst thing, it has to be red! This year we were going to give some of my handpainted pillows personalized to the person who was to receive it, great for them and cost wise great for us. This changes everything! Back to the drawing board. I will comb your gift ideas and see what I can come up with. Thanks for this, perfect timing!
Wow, that’s a tough one!! We split the kids into one group and adults into another in our family. Your pillows would be a great idea. Would it count if you painted the name in red?