The Broke Student's Guide to Holiday Gifting

By Claire Jasper / Staff Writer Designed by Annie Belgrade / Assoc. Design Editor

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t is a universally acknowledged truth that all college students are broke. When the holiday season rolls around, none of us are ready to shell out cash on extravagant presents for our long list of loved ones. It’s the thought that counts, right? Here are some gifts that won’t break the bank for all the unique people on your list.

Lauren Flick / Gavel Media

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For Your Girl Friends: REUSABLE COLD CUP No girl wants a gift that will only last her a few weeks. It doesn’t have to be diamonds, but it does have to be forever. Buy her an over-sized reusable cold beverage cup with a plastic lid and straw to keep her awake for the finals season. These multi-functional cups can be found at department stores such as Target, or coffee shops like Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts.

You can go faux-mason jar or multi-colored bendy straw, the choice is yours. Not only is this gift

e nv i r o n m e n t a l l y friendly, it will also save your friend money; if you bring a cold cup to any Boston College dining hall, you will be charged a cheaper, flat rate for any sized beverage. Make sure that the cup is dishwasher safe so she has to do as little maintenance as possible throughout the year.

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For Your Guy Friends: PORTABLE PING-PONG SET

Buying gifts for guys can be very difficult, so why not have a little fun?

Go for a gag-like present that he will actually want to use. A portable Ping-Pong set can be bought at any major retail store such as Target or Wal-Mart. While it will hardly cost anything, it will be a gift that can be

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used wherever, whenever. The net can stand on its own, or be clipped to the sides of a table. Imagine the Ping-Pong possibilities: in the dorm, in the common room, back home, in Bapst—wherever he feels the urge to pong.

For Your Siblings: ICE CREAM SUNDAE IN A BOX For younger (or even older—no judgment here) siblings, an ice cream sundae in a box is a fun alternative to the usual gift card. Fill a decorative box with mason jars of gummy bears, M&Ms, mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, caramel and fudge toppings in glass jars, disposable bowls and spoons and even some ice cream cones.

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This is even easier with multiple siblings, because each will get his or her own box of goodies. Make this delicious present better by stocking the freezer with your sibs’ favorite ice cream flavors, so that they can have an entire ice cream sundae ready to be assembled and devoured right then and there.

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For Your Parents: TOUCH SCREEN GLOVES Parents like to pretend they know what’s hip and cool with all things tech-related. With the colder months upon us, get a gift for your parents that they didn’t even know they needed. These “tech-friendly” winter gloves will save them from freezing their fingers off whenever they need to use their phone for pictures, texts or phone calls.

These gloves come in a

variety of brands and styles, with a wide price range as well.

Some of the best can be found at Target, or department stores such as Macy’s or Nordstrom.

This is a gift that will remind them every time they take our their phone how thoughtful and smart their college kid really is.

It will probably make them feel better about spending $60,000 on your tuition every year.

For Your Professor: ARTISANAL HOT CHOCOLATE Professors are some of the most inspirational and helpful people in BC students’ lives.

Providing them with a small holiday gift can mean a lot to them, and never hurt a final grade. An artisanal hot chocolate mix is an inexpensive gift that makes a big statement.

These fancy fixes can be found in any grocery store, or even retail locations such as TJ Maxx, HomeGoods or

Marshalls.

If looking locally, Trader Joe’s sells European “Sipping Chocolate” in a beautiful aluminum tin, making even regular old hot chocolate look fancy and decadent. Other brands to look out for include Godiva and Ghirardelli; these brands know chocolate really well. To make this gift even better, wrap it up inside a shiny new BC mug.

After tying the bow on your final present, kick back and sip some hot cocoa in celebration of a successful and frugal season of gifting for all of your loved ones. To supplement whatever you buy at the store, include something heartfelt and homemade—even if it’s just a batch of cookies—to make even the smallest gift memorable.

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