As struggling students, we don’t have much to spend this holiday season. If you haven’t been saving up all year to meet the demands of the world’s biggest commercialist holiday, you’re probably feeling a little uneasy right now. So, you’ve got to get creative in order to give gifts to your family and friends without breaking the bank. We at the Clog are happy to help. Here are some quality gift ideas for people that won’t leave you in debt.

Old textbooks

To be clear, we’re not advocating wrapping your math book, putting a bow on it and giving it to your drunk uncle. What we are suggesting is that if you have novels from your old R1A/B or philosophy classes, gift them to one of your bookish family members. Every family has one.

Wine

Grocery stores like Trader Joe’s sell wine for under $5. If you’re 21 or older, gifting your relatives a bottle of wine (or two) is a cheap way to ensure your loved ones have a merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah or enjoyable holiday break.

Berkeley gear you’ve gotten for free

Remember how you got a ton of free things during Cal Day? You might want to give them away in the spirit of the holidays. 

Baked goods

Baking for the holiday season and presenting your baked goods to loved ones is a great way to spend a small amount on a thoughtful gift. If you’re a tragically bad baker, use your meal points to get your relatives some goodies.

Regift something

Old gift cards and unworn clothes are perfect regifts this holiday season. With some new wrapping, nobody will ever know their gift has been passed on. Just be sure that you don’t give the gift to the person who gave it to you in the first place.

Christmas ornaments

Making Christmas ornaments shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours and can cost as little as $5. Finding a way to personalize the ornament will make it a meaningful gift to give to loved ones.

While gifts aren’t everything, they’re what people expect during the holiday season. There’s no way around it — we have to sacrifice some of our hard-earned cash in the spirit of the holidays. No matter what low-cost holiday gifts you get, we at the Clog know it’s the thought that counts. We hope your friends and family share the same sentiment.