A College Budget Friendly Holiday Gift Guide 
Remember when creating your christmas list was nothing short of a fine piece of art? Truly, a labor of love that required days of research, countless hours of preparation, brainstorming, proof reading, editing and finalizing before you turned it into mom, dad or Santa Claus. On that list contained only the latest gizmos and gadgets, cool stuff your friends had, or what you saw at Target last weekend, and probably something completely out of the realm of possibility (like a dog, or, perhaps a unicorn, like me).
Fast forward about 15 years, and the majority of us have Christmas lists that pale in comparison of excitement with the ones from our childhoods. I feel like as you get older, your Christmas lists gets shorter, as you are able to truly define your needs instead of you wants. Although I recognize it is the season of giving, let’s be honest, a new shiny phone never hurt anyone. Or maybe even a gift card to your favorite store. It seems like it is almost always hard to shop for everyone you actually need to get a gift for. All you know is that you want to get them something they’ll actually use, without totally breaking the bank. Come December 25th, chances are you’ll want to contribute to the family gift exchange in some way. Here are a list of college budget friendly ideas for everyone in your family.

Siblings:
1. Scarf ($12.90)/ Tie ($15).
Scarves and ties are perfect because they are generally one size fits all. A no fuss gift, that people would rarely buy for themselves but will totally use.
2. Mason jars ($8.99) with their favorite candy.
I love giving mason jars as gifts because they are super inexpensive and can be so functional in a variety of ways. Load up a mason jar with your brother or sisters favorite candy (because they will obviously need more holiday treats) and afterwards they can use the mason jar to store pencils and pens, loose change, jewelry and other odds and ends.
3. Portable Phone Charger ($19.95).
Ah, there is nothing quite like the feeling of watching your phone shut down the application you were using and see the free wheel come up on your screen before it goes completely black. Of course, your phone seems to have this absolutely terrific habit of dying right when you need it most. A portable phone charger will be appreciated by any receiver.
4. Magazine subscription- Nylon ($19.95)/ Sports Illustrated ($39).
Sometimes mindlessly flipping through magazines just hits the spot. Some say magazines are a thing of the past, but I think this gift is cool because your sibling will continue to get it at least every month. Plus, there are hundreds of amazing magazines, so there is surely something to cater to your siblings bizarre and obscure interests.
Mom, Dad and other family members:
1. Personalized Coffee Mug ($9.72)
If there is one thing that I know to be absolute with my parents, it is that you don’t mess around with their coffee. Slowly but surely, I am starting to understand the relationship between adults and caffeine, and although it scares me I have realized it is necessary. Personalize a coffee mug by writing a fun nickname you have for a parent, or whatever you feel inspired to do.
2. A Framed Family Picture (7.99)
Parents love to stare at their kids. They love to take family pictures at inconvenient times, and introduce you to all their friends come the holidays. A picture of their children is something moms and dads cannot get enough of, and lucky for us- we can easily provide this to them. Take a family picture, put it in a cheap frame, and voila- your mom has already shed a tear about how proud she is of you on Christmas morning.
3. Spa kit (12.50) for Mom/ Bartenders Guide ($16.99) for Dad.
Some gift really depend not the type of personalities your parents have, but I think these 2 gifts would be enjoyable to almost all. It seems like moms rarely get a time to truly treat themselves, and your dad has been making his same “signature” drink for 10+ years. Get mom a spa kit for some much needed pampering, and dad a bartenders guide to inspire some creativity when it comes to cocktail hour. Another reminder to both of your parents why you are the favorite child.
Whether you plan to spend a lot, or make something from scratch- it is the gifts with the most thought that are genuinely special. Enjoy the season of giving, and I hope the holiday generosity is kind to you.