Open your wallet. See all that money in there just saved up for your holiday shopping? No, of course you don’t. Being a college student is a full-time job, except instead of raking in tons of cash, this place seems to keep sucking it away. So what are you going to do for gifts? Your mom may be happy with just a card or call, but your friends are going to be pissed when all you have for them is an excuse. Never fear, shoppers, for I have compiled a list of cheap gifts for your college friends before heading off on break. These promise to keep your season – and wallet – full of holiday cheer.

Returnable items

The best gift of all is a surprising one, and nothing is more surprising than returning everything you’ve borrowed this past semester, including money. Think of the joy on your friend’s face when you hand them that $20 you took for food, or that copy of ‘Harold and Kumar’ you borrowed the first week of school. ‘Tis the season of giving, after all. Price: free

Modern mix CD

Forget music mix CDs, for those are gifts for the ghost of Christmas past. These days, to give a cheap homemade gift, try a homemade DVD. Just ‘get’ your favorite movies or television episodes onto your computer, place them on a blank CD and hand them out with a nice red bow tied around the case. It’s the perfect cheap gift for the modern age. Price: $1

Redeemable gifts

For the creative sort, I recommend college-style coupons. These can be specifically tailored to anybody and are a perfect pick-me-up during the winter. They can be anything from one free cup of coffee next time you’re at Dunkin’ Donuts to … well, let’s just say they can be private coupons as well. Whatever you do, I’m sure the recipients will enjoy them. Price: free to make, then it’s up to you

Second-hand gifts

If you actually want to hand out something tangible but don’t want to pay top dollar for it, check auction sites like eBay. Not only do they have some of the most unique items available, it also makes your job easier by using filters to search. Instead of walking the entire mall looking for that one perfect item of drinking memorabilia for a friend, all you have to do is type in the words, hit enter and view everything under the sun.Price: varied

Boost in a can

You know what people need during finals? No, it’s not a quiet place to study, but energy drinks! Nothing says ‘I know you’re going to ace that test’ better than pure liquid adrenaline. The average energy drink goes for about $2 a can, so make a nice bouquet for your friends and keep them thanking you all night long. Price: $2 to $10

Used books

For all those upperclassmen with new freshman friends, I have the perfect gift. Freshmen are as cheap as you are and hate having to shell out money, especially when it’s for school. Go and find your old textbooks for the classes that everyone takes (Psychology 205, Philosophy 191, Biology 121) that you either forgot or were unable to sell, and hand them out like candy. You’re never going to read them, and they’ll open up your home for more cases of beer and people to pay for it at parties. Price: $2 to $10

For the needy

And to give those people who deal with loud roommate sex on a regular basis, one word: earplugs. Strong earplugs. Price: $1

Happy Holidays!

Published on December 7, 2005 at 12:00 pm