Last Minute Budget-Friendly Gift Ideas (Part 2)

The following is a list of my own personal last-minute gift ideas for those of you who are on a tight budget this year (like me). I am either giving these gifts away myself this year, or I have given them to people in the past and they have been very well-received. I hope this gives you a little inspiration if you're a last-minute shopper (Yes, I admit it. I'm not done with my shopping yet).

For a special woman in your life: how about a pretty bottle of hand soap with coordinating hand towels? I love this gift because I ALWAYS see yummy-smelling hand soaps at Marshalls and TJ Maxx, and the bottles are usually BIG and retail for around $5. Asquith & Somerset (which you can always find at Marshalls) make some great-smelling hand soaps and the packaging is so pretty (I am tempted to buy three or four of them every single time I see them). Pick up a nice bottle, then walk on over to housewares and pick out a 3-pack of fancy hand towels for around $7.99 and you're done! Total cost: approximately $13.

For a special (and grooming-challenged) guy in your life: Trader Joe's Spa Nourish Shampoo & Conditioner. These products retail for $2.99 a bottle and, honestly, every guy I've ever talked to who uses these LOOOOOVES them. I don't know what it is about this line and men's hair, but these products seem to really work for men (and women too!). And the best part, they're SLS and cruelty free. My boyfriend gets SUPER excited when I pick up a bottle of this shampoo for him (why is it that guys rarely think to buy these kinds of products for themselves, even if they love them?). Throw in a tube of lip balm and you've got your guy covered in the toiletry department for a good 3 months! Total cost: $7.

For anyone who uses a bath pouf: Six nice bath poufs with a bottle of bath gel or bubble bath. Did you know that experts say you should replace your bath pouf every two months? So how cute would it be to give someone a gift bag filled with six pretty bath poufs, along with a nice bottle of body wash or bubble bath? That's enough bath poufs to last you for the entire year, so it's truly the gift that keeps on giving. You can get nice-quality bath poufs these days for around $2, and you can get an impressive bubble bath or body wash at Marshalls or TJ Maxx for just a few bucks. How cute would it be to open up a box and see 6 brightly-colored bath poufs with a pretty bottle of bubble bath nestled right in the middle? Total cost: approximately $15.

For anyone who appreciates the value of a dollar: have you ever considered giving someone a dollar store or Big Lots gift card? I know it sounds cheesy, but if you have a friend or family member who you KNOW loves dollar stores or Big Lots, why not get them a gift card for $10 or $20? As you know, you can go hog wild at the dollar store with $20, and even $10. A gift card like this is practical and can come in handy. I would be stoked to get one, that's for darn sure! How cute would it be to find one of those gift bags that has pictures of money printed on the side? A dollar store gift card in a little money bag! And instead of tissue paper, you could fill the gift bag with children's play money (also found at the dollar store). Total cost: $5, $10, $20 or more, depending on your budget.

For the young child in your life: a 100-count bag of brown paper lunch bags, a pad of construction paper, glue sticks and crayons. My niece is almost three years old, and even though I spoil her rotten with fancy toys (that I get on sale, of course), the one thing she begs me to do with her every time I see her is "puppet time". Be the awesome auntie without breaking the bank, and just go to the dollar store and pick up the materials listed above. Your niece or nephew will spend HOURS creating lunch-bag puppets and you'll have fun making them too, I promise! Total cost: approximately $4 if purchased at the dollar store.

For the girl in your life who is too young for makuep: I mentioned this in a previous post but I want to mention it again. If you have any plastic eyeshadow or lipstick palettes that you're almost done with (like CoverGirl Eyeshadow Singles), scoop out the remaining product, cleanse and sterilize the palette, and then bust out your nail polish and have some fun! Paint the empty pans with whatever colors you want (you can even swirl the colors) and then let them dry overnight. In the morning, you will have the PERFECT, handmade, personalized "play makeup" for that little girl in your life! Plus, you're repurposing something that you would otherwise throw away, which is always great. Just be sure to include a new sponge-tip applicator in the palette (I'm sure you've already got some of those lying around). Think of how pretty you can make these if you use your sparkly, glittery and brightly-colored polishes! Total cost: $0.00 (yay!)

I hope you enjoyed these ideas, and please, if you have some favorite low-cost last-minute gift ideas, share them with us in the comments! I looooove this kind of thing so please, let's hear from you!