By Zara Grew (she/her)

Being a student often means having little time and even less money, so we’ve crafted a stu­dent-friendly guide to Christmas shopping.

Christmas is just around the corner, and for stu­dents, this time of year always comes faster than expected. We have put together some practical tips to make Christmas shopping less hectic, helping you to relax and enjoy the festive fun!

Charity Shops

A key perk to living in Glasgow is the fabulous selection of charity shops, which are ideal plac­es to find Christmas gifts. It is absolutely worth doing a shopping day in the West End or South­side, where you will be spoiled for choice when it comes to affordable shopping. You can pick up fantastic fashion pieces from boutique char­ity shops such as Shelter and British Red Cross on Byres Road, or you could head to one of Ox­fam’s more niche charity shops which specialise in books, music and the like.

Stickers, Pins and Badges

This is a very cute yet inexpensive gift that will definitely get you on the good list. If someone is a fan of a TV series, celebrity or brand, then you can get them some stickers or badges with a beloved character, slogan or song lyric on them. These little tokens are often reasonably priced and are a nice way to show someone that you were listening when they were going on and on about their favourite show. I know I would be delighted if someone got me some Gil­more Girls-inspired stickers. You can pick these up from online shops like Etsy and Redbubble.

Homemade Gifts

Making a gift is always an idea that pops up when thinking of saving money at Christmas, but crafts can often be time-consuming and cost­ly if you have to purchase supplies. There are many ways to make homemade gifts less of an uphill struggle, however. Rather than making something from scratch, you could customise a blank item, such as by painting a mug or pho­to frame (bonus points for adding a cute photo). You could also choose to make or decorate gifts with a group of friends, which could be a fun way to save money as you could split the cost of the materials.

Student Deals

I don’t know about you, but I have a student card and I’m not afraid to use it. So many high street and online shops offer brilliant deals to students, so, if you’re shopping for something specific, checking for student discounts is a must. Some of the best discounts on UniDAYS include 20% off Rituals which is perfect for bath, body and skin­care gifts, and great offers on a variety of clothing brands. Equally, Student Beans boasts 25% off Adidas for fitness-obsessed family members and plenty of bargains on the newest technolo­gy and gadgets.

Playlists

Gone are the days of gifting someone a mix tape, unless you’re incredibly old-school. The good news is: you can still give someone the gift of music without spending a penny. Mak­ing someone a playlist is an incredibly easy yet thoughtful gift, especially for the music lovers who are on your Christmas list. You can make someone a personalised album, choosing songs that make you think of them or that you know they will love. You can use streaming services to make it, and all you have to do is send them the link on Christmas Day.