Under $20 Holiday Gifts

It may be hard to believe, but the with Thanksgiving around the corner, there's something we're all beginning to think about: holiday shopping. Holidays are hard when you're on a budget- and while we at savvy student are big fans of home made gifts, we know that sometimes time is of the essence, so we've been doing our research to find some great gift ideas for $20 or under at some of our favorite retailers.


Pier 1 Imports - http://www.pier1.com/

When you think cheap, your first thought is probably not Pier 1, but they have a lot of great jewlery, scarves and nick nacks on the cheap. We found some beautiful earrings for less than $5 in the clearance bin! Other steals can be found in nice frames, beautiful candles and a crazy hula girl duster!

Fred Flare - http://www.fredflare.com/
Fred Flare is a fun site to find unique clothing and odds and ends that you won't see other places. They have many silly apartment goods, including a "Nice Jewish Guys" calendar for just $16 and a duckie tea infuser for just $15. You can also get good ol' space ice cream for just $5.

Uncommongoods - http://www.uncommongoods.com/
Uncommongoods which self-promotes their "unique gifts and creative design" has a lot of fun stuff for cheap. From hats to tic tac toe plates for $15 you'll find interesting and creative gifts here for sure!

Forever 21- http://www.forever21.com/ Local store on Newbury Street in Boston

While most Forever 21 stores do not have men's and women's clothes, online you can find great deals for clothes and accessories for everyone on your list, including teeshirts for $10 or less. You can also find gender-neutral scarves and mittens for cheap in store and online.

Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/
Always a favorite for students because of the free "prime" shipping deal (Register with your Brandeis email here!) There are a lot of great finds on the site, including a lot of $5 MP3 albums that you can send to a friend electronically!

Urban Outfitters - http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/ Local stores in both Boston and Cambridge

Not only can you find some great steals in the bargain basement at Urban in Cambridge, there are also a lot of fun and unique items for sale on their website.

Restoration Hardware - http://www.restorationhardware.com/
Don't let the title fool you, there are a lot of fun things to buy on this site that have nothing to do with furniture or hardware! We like to go to the stocking stuffers section for some great deals, for some interesting gifts for everyone on your list: including a pocket microscope for just $15 (science friends?) and a race car night light for $18! (the friend who has everything?)

Bath and Body Works - http://www.bathandbodyworks.com Local stores in Watertown and Boston

If you do it right, you can really get some great deals at Bath and Body Works. There are a lot of savings if you buy multiple of different lotions or soaps, like the antibacteral soap, 4 for $15. There are also some fun gift sets, including the $10 travel-ready sets!

Something important to think about: shipping. Many times small online purchases can get costly if you're paying $5-10 on shipping alone. There are sometimes "deals" with free shipping if you spend a certain amount, but that's often for purchases of $50 or more. That being said, you can combine your order with a friend or two to get the deal, or search online for coupon codes for free shipping (retailmenot.com is a great resource for this too!) With Black Friday coming soon, many retailers are celebrating "Cyber Monday" and offering even more great deals with potentially free shipping on smaller orders. Be on the lookout for these deals!

Shop savvy,

Savvy Student