How Do You Give A Gift With No Money?

Giving gifts is a lovely thing to do, isn’t it? It shows that you have thought about the person, what they like and what they are interested in, and it shows that you care enough to give them something they didn’t know they really wanted.

But, how do you give a gift with no money? This is a tricky one, and is a question that more of and more of us will start to ask as the cost of living climbs and there is less money for non essentials.

Luckily, there are a great many things you can do instead of buying gifts with money – and you don’t necessarily need to be an artist or a dab hand at making things!

How To Give A Gift With No Money

There are a great many ways to give a gift despite being totally broke – not everything has to cost money to be loved and meaningful, right?

Give a performance

If you are a budding actor, put on a personalised play! If you are a dab hand at the guitar, pen them their very own song.

Write a story

Coming up with a thoughtful story, featuring your favourite people as the heroes and heroines, will be a great gift.

Paint a picture

You don’t have to be Picasso to create some artwork that will be gratefully received. And, if it’s terrible then at least they will cherish the thought!

Craft something

Knitting or sewing are great hobbies, and the results of these things can make really good gifts too. Who doesn’t like a scarf or a nice hat?

Make a mix “tape”

Ok, this is a bit 90s, but making a collection of songs you know they love or which make you think of them is a really sweet gift.

Offer free services

If you have a skill, like hairdressing, DIY, mechanic experience, offer your loved ones your expertise. You can guarantee this will be much appreciated!

Create a photo album

Gather together pictures of you and the one you are trying to give a gift to, and present them bound together in some sort of album. They’ll treasure the memories.

Write a voucher

If you will be able to afford a gift in a few months time, write the recipient an IOU, telling them what you have in  mind for them.

Give an experience

Spending time with someone is a great gift, so plan a day that you spend with a loved one without spending any money. Moonlight picnic, anyone?

Visit second hand shops

Quite often you can get terrific bargains for very little money, and no one has to know that they are not new.

How Can I Get Christmas Presents With No Money?

Ah, Christmas – a time for spending with loved ones; enjoying the closeness of friends and family; good food – and, of course, presents.

What do you do if you have no money at Christmas? You don’t want to disappoint people with no presents… What’s the answer?

• Offer babysitting. For your friends who have kids, finding someone trusted to take care of the rugrats for an evening to allow couple time can be tricky. This is a great Christmas gift!
• Cook a yummy meal. You can cook something at home and bring it, or take over their kitchen. Just remember to do the dishes too!
• If you have been given a nice present that you know you will never use, there is nothing wrong with passing it on to someone else.
• Suggest Secret Santa. This is a great option if you have a large family and many friends – simply suggest that everyone just gets one present for one person, instead of everyone buying for everyone else.
• Bake Christmas cookies. Everyone loves a Christmas biscuit, right? Baking a big batch of cookies shouldn’t be too expensive, and you can make enough for everyone, then package them attractively to top it off.
• Home made gifts. You can create a delicious hamper of jams, chutneys, biscuits, bread – anything that you like to make and that people will enjoy.
• Suggest no gifts. If you cannot afford gifts, chances are there will be other people in the same position. Take the pressure off by suggesting no one buys anything this year.

How Can I Gift Someone With No Money?

This is a slightly more sensitive issue than how to gift if you have no money – what do you do if you want to give a gift to someone who has no money?

Obviously you don’t want to embarrass them or make them feel uncomfortable with a showy gift that costs a lot, so what can you do? Here’s a few tips!

• Give them the gift of time. Spending time with someone special is just about the best gift ever, so set aside a day that you can spend with just them.
• Do something nice in their name. You can adopt an animal or name a star or donate to a charity – anything to show them you care, but you’re not actually spending money “on” them.
• Grow them a plant. Especially for the gardener in your life, growing them a special plant will be a wonderful gift.
• Regift. You can pass on something of yours to your financially challenged friend – just make 100% sure it wasn’t the who gave it to you in the first place!
• Write them a letter. Telling someone all the things you love and appreciate them is a wonderful, thoughtful gift that anyone will love.

Final Words

As you can see, giving a gift with no money is easier than it sounds, and the results can be spectacular. Giving gifts with no money also makes you think a lot more, so these gifts can often be even more personal.

In fact, you may well be so surprised at how well your gifts are received that you decide to never actually buy gifts ever again!