Budget Friendly Gift Ideas for Friends

Every year, I make it a goal to have my holiday shopping completed before the holidays actually hit. Planning ahead for holiday gifts can not only help you to save on stress, but save on cash as well. Here are a few budget-friendly holiday gift ideas.

• An Amazon gift card: Warehouse stores, such as Costco and Sam's Club, sell gift cards for less than their face value. You can also often find bulk packs of gift cards which often sell for less than the total value of the cards. If you worry that a gift card may seem impersonal, include a note that shows the thought behind the gift card. For the bookworm on your holiday gift list, include a list of The Times Book Review’s best books of the year.
• A great book: Take a few minutes to write a note on the inside cover, sharing your love for the book or sharing what made you pick out the book for the recipient, to make this an even more thoughtful gift.
• A tangible memory: Most of us have hundreds (or thousands) of photos on the camera rolls of our phones, but we are often too busy or forgetful to do anything with them. Frame a favorite photograph of a fun memory with a friend. Or, use an online digital printing service to create a photo book of your family vacation
• Recipe cards: Recipes from a book or the Internet are great, but there’s something especially wonderful about recipes you get from other people. And no need to worry about spilling canola oil all over your iPad.
• Scented candles: In those weeks leading up to Christmas, everyone’s house smells of delicious pine. In the weeks after, a nice scented candle can fill (with a lovely aroma) the void it left behind
• Great cookbook: A great way to save money is to make meals at home, but the sheer number of cookbooks available can be overwhelming. Providing a great easy to use cookbook, is usually inexpensive and can save your friend money.

Does anyone else have any good budget-friendly gift ideas? Please feel free to share in the comments section.