Cheap Christmas Gift Ideas Part 1: Free Gifts
Cheap Christmas Gift Ideas Part 1: Free Gifts
The stores are open, the Christmas sales are on, and you need Christmas gifts for your wife, husband, kids, dog or imaginary friends. It would be easy to get them all the best gifts money can buy if it weren’t for one teeny little problem: you don’t have any money. None. You’re like Kanye West, “broker than Ethiopians just tryin to eat at last.” 
But before you start planning your rap career (“I COULD WRITE THAT **** AND GET DRUNK AT AWARDS SHOWS JUST GIMME THE CHANCE!”), you might consider one of the creative gift ideas I’ve presented for you below. So whether you’re a broke hipster, student, clerk, teacher, or anyone else with less than a nickel in their pocket, I think you’ll find a great gift idea here to give your loved ones.
Cheap Christmas Gift Ideas #1: The Mixtape
Technically, you need a CD and a computer*, which cost money. But I trust you can find a way to “borrow” a disc from a “friend” and use then use their computer for a few minutes. The real trouble is what to put on the darn thing. People are awfully particular about their musical tastes these days, but there are some tracks that are guaranteed to warm even the coldest soul’s black heart. While I would recommend a few standards (Jingle Bell Rock, Run Rudolph Run, Skinny Puppy), try to mix in some of the songs that defined the year that was. If you’re completely at a loss, head over to www.artofthemix.org, to get some ideas or just rip off a mixtape. *Unless, that is, you choose to make a tape cassette mix, which is a creative gift idea that's fatally flawed. Tapes only appeal to a very small population of aging and nostalgic hipsters. In order to make one of these bad boys, you would probably have to borrow a tape player from said aging hipster, which means you would have to hang out with said aging hipster and maybe listen to Brian Eno, which makes this option out of the question.
Cheap Christmas Gift Ideas #2: The Art Project.
WARNING: Once you turn 12, you can’t just scrawl a few stick figures on a page and say “This is me and this is you and you are bigger because you’re Mommy and I just pooped.” If you’re a kid, though, your parents absolutely love everything you draw. “He’s the next Pixar animator” they’ll coo at your misshapen elephants and hapless transformers. So never fear! Break out the colored pencils and get to scribbling! By the way, if you don’t have any art supplies, just borrow them from your teacher. Not only does this save money, but it will also probably raise your grades by at least one grade level. See, teachers love to feel like they “have an impact on your life.” Trust me on this one — I’ve fallen for this stunt at least once before. 
If you’re a little older (a teenager, say) you can still get away with an art project gift, but you’ve just got to put more effort into it (In case you were wondering, “effort” doesn’t mean stealing a painting from your friend’s house, Spicoli). Lucky for you, many art projects don’t really require a ton of artistic skill. Check out this post for more info…
Cheap Christmas Gift Ideas #3: Bake!
A batch of Christmas cookies makes a great gift idea. NOTE: If you have to use the kitchen and baking supplies of the person you’re giving the cookies to, then you should probably reconsider (unless they participate, in which case you’re sisters, right?). Nothing says I love you like a giant mess and an oven fire.
Cheap Christmas Gift Ideas #4: The I.O.U.
Using your family members like credit cards is generally not advisable, but exceptions can be made. 
You’re walking a thin line between looking broke and looking heartless. Also, kids generally don’t understand IOU’s (Can you imagine? “This is my gift! A piece of paper! Waaaa!”). Still, here are some possible IOU’s which could turn out to be just the cool gift idea you're looking for:
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- A back massage
- A foot massage
- Hard labor – painting the house or planting a garden (No, taking out the trash doesn’t count)
- A trip to the zoo/beach/mountains (anywhere that doesn’t require tickets!). This one’s a bit sad, but your time is money (and you have none)!
- Dinner at a restaurant that you have coupons for
- Sexual favors
Cheap Christmas Gift Ideas #5: The ReGift
Basically, when you regift something, you’re giving away a gift someone gave you that you didn’t like. Regifting is a dangerous move, as evidenced in Old School when Will Ferrell gives Luke Wilson the bread maker that Wilson got for him (then Ferrell tries to give it to a kid later in the movie). It’s hilarious, but it’s a movie. Of course, regifting is perfectly acceptable as long as nobody finds out, so just make sure it doesn’t slip after one too many eggnogs.
Cheap Christmas Gift Ideas #6: Stray cats or dogs
Just make sure the person actually wants an animal. Can you imagine how awkward it would be if they didn’t? I think this was an episode of Who’s the Boss. Also, it goes without saying that the animal should not have rabies.
Cheap Christmas Gift Ideas #7: Mistletoe
If both you and your spouse have had down years, then mistletoe is the most romantic gift in the world. Like the Beatles said, All you Need is Love, right? Of course, your wife might not see it that way… More Free Gift Ideas here…
[...] patches, the nerdier and more obscure they are, the better. This is a plus for anyone looking for a cheap Christmas gift idea for a hipster. Just rummage through any thrift store in town to find a couple of winners. If this [...]
selection of romantic gifts is the specialty of my girlfriend, she can really choose the best romantic gift ,
of course you can always add flowers to any romantic gifts that you can conceive. roses would be nice :–
[...] the most classic, though overused, cheap Christmas gift idea of all time, the mixtape, there are dozens of other great presents that you can make for less than [...]