£5 gifts and money-saving ideas for the holiday season (and beyond)

Hello
BBC Radio 5 was having a £5 xmas gift challenge this week, and it inspired me to write down some of my own ideas for good £5 gifts. My list got very long!! see below - apologies for the length, but I thought I'd post it in case it is of any use to anyone else. (Also includes some general ideas for keeping spending in check at this time of year.)


£5 xmas gift challenge

When spending £5 on a gift, put some thought into it - the idea is to get a GOOD gift for a fiver, that the recipient will like and use, not a piece of tat. Try to get something that seems like it would have cost more than £5. Once you get used to keeping your eye out for really good £5 gifts, you’ll find that there are more out there than you realised.

These ideas can also apply to birthdays, Valentine’s, mothers day, fathers day etc.


Some ideas:

· books: on sale, or the 3-for-2 book deals in high-street bookshops which often work out to about £5 per book; also online (see amazon and play.com below); also in supermarkets
· CDs (see hmv.co.uk and play.com below)
· DVDs (see amazon, hmv.co.uk and play.com below)
· wine glass set, tumblers, shot glasses
· mugs
· coasters
· socks
· nice toiletries - soaps, creams, smellies etc (eg Original Source, Australian Organics, Body Shop)
· bottle of something alcoholic (mini bottle?)
· tool kits, multitool
· stationery
· kitchen items
· cuddly toy
· candle, candle holder
· jewellery
· large serving bowl, platter, small serving bowls, salad bowl
· road atlas/map
· photo frame
· address book
· wall or desk calendar
· 2007 diary
· nice notepad
· wallet, purse
· umbrella
· bath puff
· gel eye pack
· fitness equipment - eg hand grips, skipping rope
· good quality fair-trade chocolate (try Tradecraft mmm), sweets (eg fruit jellies from Thorntons)
· fruitbasket, or fruit and nut basket, or bag(s) of the recipient's favourite nuts (put together yourself; healthier than your average hamper)
· makeup bag, or travel toiletry case
· a plant
· lottery ticket, scratch card
· gift certificate for a shop you know the recipient shops at often
· knickers? (these are interesting: pocket pants https://www.initial-ideas.co.uk/product.php?prid=938)
· mini photo album (with photos?) (at https://www.snapfish.co.uk you can upload your digital photos and get them printed for only 10p/photo; incidentally, Snapfish also have excellent prices on photo mugs, photo mouse mats etc, though slightly over the £5 mark)
· Can you make anything? Homemade gifts are nice to give and to receive. Things made by your children, or children's artwork (how about a handprint?), make nice gifts for grandparents/aunts/uncles.
· Book: Fun for a Fiver in London £4.99 in shops and on https://www.play.com (incl delivery) (there’s also Fun for a Fiver in Amsterdam hmmm)
· Book: Change the World for a Fiver £4.99 in shops and on https://www.play.com (incl delivery)
· Lush Secret Santa gift: https://www.bnevertoobusytobebeautiful.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=509
· Kids: arts and crafts sets, gel pens, stickers, markers, crayons, colouring books, activity books, play dough, calculator, storybooks, toys


Shops:

Ikea - great for home furnishings, furniture, kitchen products, decorations, storage, kids’ toys etc etc - LOADS of inexpensive but good gifts, too many to list - browse the catalogue or online (https://www.ikea.co.uk), but in the end you’ll need to browse in-store
· eg for babies/kids: Mata baby eating set (£1.29!), Korall mobile, LOTS of soft toys under £5, Kryp blanket, PS Goinge blanket/cape, stool, storage, Korall Fisk rug, Mula stacking rings, pillow, (not £5, but wow: Lillabo 20-pc train set £6.99!)

Woolworths (go in-store or pick up a catalogue - I don’t find the online site very easy to use)
· eg wine set, workout/exercise equipment, fleece throw, calendars, home decorations, vases, photo frames, (faux fur hot water bottle at £6), pillows, 3-cup cafetiere, storage (eg hobby case, pop-up hamper), tool kits, tyre pressure gauge, compact mirror, scarf and glove set (mens, womens, fleece) (other scarves £6), paint-your-own-mug/dinner plate etc, Parker pens, wallet, outdoor set, mugs, toaster, kettle, kitchen tools and gadgets, stationery, office supplies, books, notepads, markers, 2007 diaries, etc
· LOADS of baby/kids’ stuff (flip through the catalogue, there are loads) - toys, books, cuddly toys, arts and crafts, CDs etc (from £1.49), drinking glasses, pencil cases etc
· LOADS of baby/kids’ clothes (see catalogue) - all sorts: tops, jumpers, shoes, trainers etc

Argos (https://www.argos.co.uk) - good prices on most things - browse through catalogue
· eg handblender, home decorations, alarm clocks, jewellery, sports equipment, hairstyling products, drinking glass sets, knife block, 24-cd/dvd wallet, (not £5, but a good deal: £10 for a single duvet and pillow set)

Sainsbury's (and other big supermarkets) - lots of inexpensive, nice gifts
· eg wine glasses (88p for 4!), pint glasses, gravy boat, crocus set, sky-rocket lamp, waiters' corkscrew, xmas serving bowl, placemats, square platters, silver photoframe (£5.99), striped scarf, shoe-care kit, cufflink box, passport holder and luggage tag, Jack Daniels and poker set (£6), jewellery roll, manicure set, 2007 diaries, notepads, tie, books, umbrella
· kids: plasma dragon slime eggs, imagination station gift sets, rattle, bathtime seahorse, paint it yourself pony bank (or gnome!), Bratz playset, mega bloks vehicles, lego city mini vehicles, lego racers, crayons; clothes: purple skirt, fleece top, cords, jumpers
Tesco has very cheap stationery - markers etc.

John Lewis - browse the ground floor of the store

Marks & Spencer (https://www.marksandspencer.co.uk) - there are some bargains here, and quality is good
· eg women’s scarf £5, cosy socks £5, Hugh Johnson's pocket book on wine £5, loads of nice books on 3-for-2.
· kids’ toys often 3-for-2, works out to about a fiver each, and they’re good toys; also kids' books (many 3-for-2).

The Lamb Bookshop on Lambs Conduit St ( London ) - excellent books, all half price, for grown-ups and kids

The Tate Modern shop has great gifts for kids and grown-ups

Next - (in-store or https://www.next.co.uk) good prices for good quality baby/kids’ clothes; also jewellery (necklaces), socks, grow your own xmas tree (?), handgrips, skipping rope (thigh toner £5.99), some scarves for a fiver, umbrella, 2007 diaries, address book, notepad, chocolate-scented candle.

Superdrug and Boots - browse in-store; eg satin photo album at Superdrug £3.99; toiletries, baby things; 3-for-2 deals.

Also: Try discount shops, discount bookshops, pound shops, local shops and markets. Eg I found a really nice glass salad bowl for £5.50 at Zebedee on Liverpool Road near Angel tube station in London, and gorgeous sterling silver earnings in the antique market along Camden Passage for £5.


Theme gifts:

You could put together a little food pack of non-perishable foods (and other related items) along a theme that the recipient likes (pick up these items at supermarkets and shops eg Sainsburys, Holland & Barrett) - for example:
· a curry meal: a jar of chickpea curry, a jar of spinach and potato curry, a jar of chutney, a pack of naan bread
· antipasto: jar of artichoke hearts, jar of roasted peppers, jar of olives
· pancake mix and real maple syrup
· collection of nice jams and/or mustards and/or chutneys, with some melba toasts
· dried pasta or gnocchi, small bottle of olive oil, dried herbs or pasta sauce (packed in a colander?)
· dried couscous, dried apricots, spices, tin of chickpeas
· dried fruit and nuts
Use your imagination.

Or try other non-food theme ideas - just think of what the recipient likes (you could try to pick up inexpensive baskets to present these in, or use part of the gift as the ‘holder’, or just wrap them all up in tissue paper):
· spa gift: bath gel/oil or moisturiser, bath puff, eye gel pack (as funds allow)
· gardening tools, seeds etc
· cooking: some kitchen gadgets, in an oven glove, bowl or collander

The options are endless (well, limited by the budget of course).


Online shops:

https://www.hawkin.com go to ‘Advanced Search’ and enter £0 to £5 (good for kids’ toys). For example:
· adults: magnetic love poems, paint your own mug, spectacle repair kit, weather stick, keyfinder keyring, heart/star hot water bottle, Mr Thrifty book (good for moneysavers!), geode, photo wall pockets, edible smalls!, fan, book Fundamentals of Drawing, child's hand/foot impression kit,
· kids: glow-in-the-dark stars, teddybear tea set, friction-powered car, games, magic cards, magic tricks, puzzles, knitting doll, glow-in-the-dark pens, kids trivia, kids sudoku, wooden jointed snake, spirograph, 10-colour pen, frog/ladybird umbrella, cats cradle, slinky, bubble gun, magnetic marbles, musical instruments, growing crystals, geode, family of 12 rubber ducks, juggling set, spinning tops, bath crayons, colour-changing bath ducks, magnetic rocks, bouncy putty, jacobs ladder

https://www.totsplanet.co.uk has gifts for kids and parents for under £10, and clearance items under £5.

https://www.in2play.co.uk for cool and affordable wooden kids’ toys and gifts.

https://www.vintageroots.co.uk go to ‘Advanced Search’ and choose 'under £6' - some lovely organic wines and other beverages.

https://www.play.com - free delivery on all orders - books, music, dvds, games etc. They sometimes do 3-for-£15 on selected CDs, DVDs and games which is excellent, with hundreds of classics included in the selection (I think they're doing that this xmas). And a lot of the CDs and DVDs in the selection are only £6 or £7 normally (and free delivery).

https://www.hmv.co.uk - Free delivery. Lots of really good 'greatest hits' CDs for £4.99 and up. They do a 3-for-£15 deal on selected DVDs, with lots of good films and classics in the selection.

https://www.cdwow.com and https://www.bangcd.com - not quite £5, but very cheap music and dvds, and free delivery worldwide!

https://www.thebookpeople.co.uk, huge discounts here - grown-ups’ and children’s books

https://www.amazon.co.uk - good prices on books, CDs, DVDs. You need to spend at least £15 to get free delivery.
They do 4-for-£20 on selected DVDs.
They also do 3-for-£12 on selected paperbacks - a huge range of fiction, non-fiction, kids’ books etc, including bestsellers - definitely worth a look.
You can do a search (or choose ‘Books’ then ‘Browse categories’), then on the left-hand side choose ‘under £5’ - EXCELLENT. On https://www.amazon.co.uk (and sometimes https://www.play.com) you can find the following for under £5:
· healthy cookbooks, vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, specialty cookbooks
· travel guides (eg Wallpaper city guides)
· books such as cocktail recipes, card games (give along with a deck of cards?), card tricks (for adults or kids), trivia (for adults or kids), sports, football teams
· art books, reference books
· ‘how to’ books - eg how to draw, trace your family tree, parenting, self-help etc; how to play guitar dvd
· Maisy, Dora the Explorer etc kids’ dvds
· and more, there are books for less than £5 on almost any subject - do searches using subjects your friends/family are interested in, see what it comes up with
Or just browse their ‘Bestsellers’. Spend £15 or more and delivery is free (though hurry for xmas - check the delivery time of each item you order). Amazon is good for books, dvds, toys, electronics.

https://www.flylady.com/pages/holidaycruising1.asp - scroll down to ‘Clutter-free gift ideas’ - not all £5, but some good ideas.


Ideas for stockings:

Food:
mini box of cereal
fruit: satsumas, clementines, apples
mini packets of nuts
dried fruit, eg boxes of raisins
an item of the recipient’s favourite food (eg in a package, tin or jar)
Alpro pudding cups (these come in chocolate, caramel, vanilla - healthy, delicious and no refrigeration required; £1.40 for 4)
cereal bar
single-serving tin of fruit salad
mini juice box
(if you want to have sweets: mini packets of sweets, chocolates, mini fair-trade chocolate bars, Panda natural liquorice)

Kids:
crayons, markers (supermarkets and pound shops have cheap ones)
activity books, colouring books
stickers
small toys: eg mini cars, yoyo, slinky
hair accessories, jewellery
(go to pound shops for good, cheap stocking stuffers)

Adults:
hair accessories, jewellery
sudoku book
2007 diary
address book
notebook
lip gloss/balm

Misc note: The Post Office's box of 12 xmas crackers is only £5.


Misc tips/ideas

· You could save up all your Sainsburys (Nectar) and Tesco Clubcard points all year, then use them to buy the extra food/drink you buy at xmas so that you’re not actually spending more than normal (remember to try to make it a healthy xmas - fewer pies and biscuits, and more fruit and nuts!!). Nectar points can also be used in Argos for gifts.
· Make a list of who you need to buy for, and price limit. Don’t go overboard.
· Think of what the recipient likes, their hobbies, interests etc.
· Consider agreeing with adult friends and relatives not to exchange gifts - eg we only give gifts to children. Or you could, within your family, draw names (each person writing on their name ticket a few things they might like, to give an idea) and then just buy one gift, with a limit of £5/£10/£15; probably a good idea still to buy gifts (£5?) for all children (under 16?). To organise a secret santa, try https://www.elfster.com.
· Limit spending with your partner (and close family - parents, siblings) - my partner and I don’t buy each other gifts per se, we designate something (like a holiday, or even a new washing machine after the old one broke) as our gift to each other. If you exchange gifts with extended family - aunts, uncles, cousins etc - consider agreeing not to exchange gifts - have a nice visit together instead.
· If you’re giving to couples or families, you could give a ‘couple/family’ gift, rolling the £5s together - eg a gift for a family of 4 would give you £20 to spend on it - think of a theme that suits the couple/family, eg ‘movie night’. Eg: one idea is a homemade gift basket - you could put together items related to the theme, £15 Amazon popcorn maker (along with some dried popcorn), or Amazon 5-dvds-for-£20; items related to a type of food the family like. For a couple you get £10 to spend, eg: an Ikea double duvet; an Argos towel pair or bale; an Amazon cocktail shaker and cocktail recipe book; bottle of organic wine and a wine opener or set of wine glasses; bottle of their favourite tipple.
· If you shop online, earn points and cashback by registering with, and making your purchases through, sites like Nectar (https://www.nectar.co.uk) and MutualPoints (https://www.mutualpoints.co.uk).
· If you shop online, shop early to leave more than enough time for delivery.
· Use a cashback credit card if you have one.
· Buy things on sale as you see them throughout the year, store them until needed (either gifts or stocking stuffers).
· Save toiletry samples you get throughout the year, use as stocking stuffers.
· When you know what you’re looking for, use the search engine https://www.kelkoo.co.uk to find the cheapest.
· If you have no cash at all, write or print out some gift vouchers offering your time for babysitting, baking, cooking, housework, gardening, decorating, car washing, walk in the park, picnic - whatever you can manage (think of things you are skilled at, abilities you have, hobbies etc). I’m sure that these will be well received. (You could use https://www.fun-vouchers.org.uk to create vouchers that you can print and cut out.)
· Finally, please don’t go into debt because of xmas. There is no shame in trying to stay out of debt. Remember that none of your friends, family or children would want you to go into debt just to give them a present. Xmas is really all about friends and family and goodwill, not presents and consumer products, after all - it's very easy to lose sight of this in the midst of all the materialistic advertising we are inundated with at this time of year.