10 Gift Ideas for $10 or Less

Frugality is in during these tough economic times. Why spend a lot on holiday gifts when you can find great deals for under $10? Especially if you are a parent, it is great to spend less on gifts and bank the money to use for serious upcoming expenses like college tuition. Gift giving is always fun. The price spent on the gift really does not matter, it is the thought that counts and sometimes hand made, inexpensive gifts are those that touch the heart the most.

A Piggy Bank

Check out drug stores and thrift shops to find a cute piggy bank. Put quarters in the bank to get someone's saving habit started. A piggy bank is a cute gift and it can teach a child how to start a savings plan. This gift could also be cute for an adult if you tell them it is to save for something specific like a vacation or something else they are longing for.

Home Baked Goods

If you have talent in the kitchen spread that joy around. A home baked gift is often the most precious to someone who doesn't like to cook or an elderly person. Home-made chocolate chip cookies, banana bread, pumpkin bread, sugar cookies and brownies are easy to make and the ingredients are not expensive. Also, the next time your local supermarket has a sale you could stock up on ingredients for soup or someone's favorite meal. Cook in bulk and freeze meals to give as a gift to someone who is too busy to cook or has a lot of kids and could use a break from cooking. Stock up on baking supplies at the next sale at your supermarket and you will find that baking for gifts can be very reasonably priced.

Movie Ticket or Gift Certificate to Favorite Cinema

Movies are a wonderful treat. For someone on a tight budget a movie ticket would be a fabulous gift. This gift offers a chance for a bit of escapism and relaxation. Also, to go see a movie without guilt at wasting money is a fabulous treat.

Garage or Estate Sale Finds

Head to a garage or estate sale in the nearest ritzy town and you will find deals galore. If you go near the end of the sale prices are often marked down dramatically. I have found brand new items (with tags still attached) for sale for under $10 at garage and estate sales. My favorite inexpensive buy at a garage sale was a pair of brand new leather driving shoes from Italy. Years later I still have them. They are indestructible and so comfortable.

Clothes for kids are often quite cheap at garage sales. Why pay retail prices for clothing kids will outgrow quickly?

Dollar Store: Make a Gift Basket

Any dollar store typically has some very cute and useful items that could be used in a gift basket. You could put together a gift basket of food items, or make a writer happy with some gifts of notebooks, pens, and book. Other gift basket ideas from the dollar store could include items for the kitchen such as potholders, spices and mugs.

A Teapot

For someone who enjoys tea a new teapot is always a great gift. Stores like Kmart and Target often have sales where you can find a great teapot for $10 or less. Also, places like E-bay and Etsy offer many teapots for sale. Some holiday themed teapots are beautiful and add a decorative holiday touch to the dining room table. Some teapots are also available at the dollar store. You could give a gift basket of items from the dollar store such as a teapot, tea, cookies, sugar and other items related to tea.

Thrift Shops

I once found a brand new (with tags) sweatshirt from France at a thrift shop. Not only was it brand new, but it had a $90 original price tag, but I got it for about $5. It is a beautiful pale yellow color and the fabric is very soft. I wear it when I go out walking in the cooler months as the color makes me very visible to prevent anyone from running me over. I love to browse my favorite thrift shop. For under $10 often I can find several great items. Why buy new when thrift shops have such amazing deals?

Book Sales

With books prices at only $1 at many book sales held at libraries or rummage sales you can find an armful of great books for holiday gifts for not much money. A gift basket full of quite new, perfect looking hardcover books would make a reader swoon with delight.

Some book sales even sell large, coffee table art and decorating book for around $5. These big books make fabulous gifts.

Gift Card

A gift card to I-Tunes or a fast food place is a great gift for a college kid. A new song on the i-Pod or a hamburger or salad at McDonalds or Wendys makes young people happy. Drop by Rite-Aid or Staples store to browse a huge selection of gift cards. Most stores sell gift cards, so look around a bit to find a gift card that fits the needs of the person you are gifting.

Gold Dollars

A decorative bag of gold dollars is a cute gift. The coins could be saved to preserve history or they could be spent as desired. Sometimes a gift of cash is best if you aren't certain you can pick out a gift the person would enjoy. Also for some people extra money is the gift that will bring the most joy. The gold dollar coins can be wrapped up in many ways such as in a glass canning jar, in a piggy bank, or in a decorative bowl to place on a desk for someone chasing the gold through a career.

Source: Personal experience