Affordable gift ideas 2018

I want to preface this by saying that affordable is a relative term – what I deem as affordable some people might see as expensive, and other people might see as dirt-cheap. But I wanted to showcase some Christmas gift ideas that I think are good value, worth the price tag, and probably won’t really break the bank. They’ll be good for a whole range of people, from partners to pals to parents and everyone in between. Some of the products included in this gift guide have been sent to me by brands for consideration to be included; I’ve only actually included the ones I really love, and you’ll know because there’ll be an asterisk next to the product name.

Under £5

There are some really cool gifts you can get for people that come in at under a fiver – for example, garden centres and little gift shops will often have really cute trinkets/plaques for around the £3 mark, and you can get photographs printed out soooo cheap which you could frame and wrap nicely. Thoughtful stuff like that always makes for good presents. 

Stationery can get expensive in some places, but there are affordable alternatives that still look cute. Wilkos has a really amazing range of stationery in such cute designs, and don’t forget to check out indie brands too. Albert & Moo sent me this gorgeous ‘Get Shit Done’ notebook* which costs £4.50 – the yellow is so me but it comes in grey too. Look on Etsy, NOTHS and places like that and you’re bound to find cute notebooks/pencil cases/folders for the stationery lover in your life.

As much as you might want to treat someone to a Jo Malone candle, they’re outrageously expensive – but ALDI do some cracking dupes, and there are much cheaper candles that are just nice in their own right if you go to Home Bargains and check out their Wickford & Co range. The two-wick candle from Aldi (they have similar scents and packaging to the JM ones) will only set you back £3.99, and the large jars from Wickford & Co are around the same price.

Under £10

I recently made a bit of home-bar in my new office by upcycling a vintage hostess trolley, so my glass collection has been growing; Find Me A Gift wanted to send some stuff over for this gift guide, and I picked out this amaaaaazing personalised unicorn drinking glass*. I went for my own name because it meant I could add it to my little home-bar, but any unicorn lover is going to adore this and it’ll only set you back £9.99.

BOOKS. There's nothing else to say, really, is there? Books are always appreciated at Christmas - whether someone's favourite author has a new title out or you just spot a book you know your friend or loved one will really enjoy, they're just the best sort of gift in my opinion. And they (mostly) come in at under a tenner, so that's a win too. I've pictured a selection of books I've been sent/bought recently just to illustrate this point, but check out my 'recent reads' blog posts for my actual thoughts on some of these titles!

Under £20

I love bees, that's no secret, and I also love really dainty jewellery - when The Pink Pheasant offered to send me a piece of jewellery to share with you in this gift guide series, I knew it had to be their rose gold bee pendant. It comes in at £18.50 so it's on the more expensive end of affordable, but their jewellery is stunning and looks so special.

Find Me A Gift were really generous and also sent me a neon light in the shape of a rainbow; neon lights are really in when it comes to home decor at the minute, and it's not hard to see why because they're SO cool. They can be really expensive for the proper ones, but this one looks just as cool and it's only £12.99! I love it and it looks sick in my little office. 

Another gift idea that you can make as cheap as you like, but I think between a tenner and £20 works best, is to do a little hamper for someone filled with all their favourite things. Home Bargains, Poundland, B&M etc all do patterned storage boxes and wicker baskets for a really good price, and then you can just get loads of things they're guaranteed to love and pop them in the box - their favourite sweets, a nice notebook, a lipstick, a new coin purse, a photo they love, you get the gist. I've done these for various people the past few years and I really enjoy putting them together. It's a bit like a stocking but with more substantial things, maybe. 

Under £30

I'd say right now in the UK, about 80% of people are on the gin hype - so it only felt right to include a nice bottle of gin in this gift guide. English Spirit Distillery sent me a bottle of their raspberry gin*, which retails for £22 which I think is a really good price point for a ~nice~ bottle of gin, hence it's placement in my affordable gift guide. It's made with their Dr J's gin, hand crafted in small batches in traditional copper pot stills with raspberries from Kent; you can drink it neat, in prosecco or champagne, with lemonade or tonic OR pour it on pavlova/cheesecake/fruit salad. Pretty cool, and it's delicious.

Affordable fashion can be a really nice present, if you know who you're buying for - high street shops have amazing A/W clothing in those gorgeous mustards and dark reds, meaning you don't have to spend a lot to find someone a really nice piece. For example, I know my mum's got me the stripy jumper from Stacey Soloman's Primark collection, and I'm SO excited to get it.

So there's some affordable gift ideas for 2018 - let me know in the comments if you'll be picking up any of these, and what other gift ideas you've got in your mind. Keep your eyes peeled for 4 more gift guides coming soon.