Top Tips for Buying Birthday Presents on a Budget

Party invitations are a thrill for children, less so for present-buying parents! However fun does not have to be expensive. Here are some great gift ideas that will delight the recipients without breaking the bank.  

The present box: Buying gifts throughout the year (during the sales or ad-hoc promotions) and setting them aside saves money and avoids the last-minute panic shopping dash. Great gifts to keep an eye out for are the mini Orchard Toys games, which are usually not gender specific, cater for a broad age range and retail at £5.35. Look out for craft or gardening kits, books and outdoor games such as skipping ropes, hula hoops, goalie gloves or frisbees, which have lasting play value. 

Multi-packs:  Multi-packs can be divided up to create gift sets, which can be very cost effective. Mix and match the items to suit the age and interests of the birthday child. For younger kids, a bundle of ten books (The Works usually sell ten books for £10), a party pack of bubbles or a bumper pack of assorted playdough makes a great gift. 

Savvy shopping:  High street discount shops all stock very well priced toys, craft items and books.  There are also some good resources online such as www.poundtoy.com and The Entertainer.

 Favourite ‘go to’ gifts:  Having some ‘go to gifts’ helps stop the panic, last minute buying of something far too expensive.  Presents that get children outdoors or being creative are always a win; something like a magnifying glass and a bug identification book (which come in under £10), ‘scavenger hunt’ type cards, a kite, pavement chalks or a gardening or craft kit.  

‘Non toy’ gifts:  Children are often inundated with toys on their birthdays, so a fun t-shirt or some funky socks can work well, especially if you can find something featuring their favourite superhero or TV character. These can be very reasonably priced in high street chains and most supermarkets and parents will be pleased you’ve bought their child something to wear.

Club together:  Club together with other parents in the class and buy one larger toy, voucher or experience. The birthday child will get a much bigger present and it will have cost you each less.  

Eco ideas 

Handmade: With a little time and creativity, handmade presents are a very cheap option; hair scrunchies, superhero masks, embellished t-shirts, crochet toys, personalised totes or hand knitted beanies.  

Scrap schemes: These are a great source of free and cheap craft materials, such as paper, fabric, elastic, ribbons, beadsand sequins. Not only do these make crafting even cheaper, they also help the planet by using up materials that would otherwise have gone to landfill, so it’s win-win! Try www.reusefuluk.org.

Pre-loved: Gifting pre-loved is becoming more acceptable. So many toys are untouched and unloved and whether it’s something your own children don’t want or a toy purchased from a charity shop, children really don’t mind! It’s also worth noting that many pre-loved marketplaces and charity shops also sell brand new toys that are looking for a new home; some real bargains can be found that anyone would be very happy to re-gift.  If you aren’t sure about gifting a preloved item, then why not use ‘Preloved Presents’ wrapping paper which makes it a little less awkward and highlights the benefits of gifting secondhand.  

Grow your own: Gift wrap a plant pot with a little bag of compost and some seeds for a gift that will keep growing!

Creative gift-wrapping can zing up the contents and it doesn’t have to cost a thing. Use pages from an old magazine or street map, leftover wallpaper or personalise a brown paper bag with lots of colour.

For more birthday party tips, check out my blog ice cream and jelly or check out my Instagram page @icecreamandjelly_uk.