No money for Christmas is an experience many will face, but we’ve got some ideas on what to do when you can’t afford Christmas gifts.

While many will spend the entire year counting down the clock until Santa comes, others will spend the months and weeks leading up to the day in anxiety and worry. 

There are, unfortunately, plenty of reasons Christmas is not as joyful to some as it is for others. One reason is because of finances. 

There’s no doubt that Christmas is one of the spennier times of year, if not the most expensive — but that isn’t the true meaning of Christmas. The season is all about love, family, and friendship, and so of course you might want to treat everyone in your life with a Christmas gift, but you shouldn’t need to go broke to do so. 

It’s a difficult subject to talk about, but you needn’t be ashamed. So many people will experience this during Christmas, and it’s normal to feel guilt when you can’t afford Christmas presents for the ones you love. Truth be told, the people who love you won’t care if they receive a Christmas gift or not, especially if you’re open about your money worries. 

According to a Student Beans survey, nearly 5% (4.9%) of students don’t plan to buy gifts this Christmas. If this resonates with you, we’re here to help with what to do when you can’t afford Christmas gifts. 

If you have got some money to spend on Christmas, check out our cheap Christmas gift ideas for a student budget. 

Jump to:

• What to do if you have no money for Christmas
• DIY Christmas gifts
• DIY Christmas cards
• Christmas freebies

What to do if you have no money for Christmas

“Oh, I can’t afford Christmas” is often thrown about willy nilly, potentially as a bit of an exaggeration, but it can be the truth for many around the Christmas period. 

For students, their student budget hardly covers their rent and living expenses, so when Christmas comes around, many students might worry about their finances and having no money for Christmas gifts. 

And let’s face it, students shouldn’t have to worry about things like this around Christmas, especially with deadlines, dealing with exam stress and general day-to-day life. 

If you do find yourself worrying about your money at Christmas, here are some tips on what to do to hopefully ease some of the anxiety you’re experiencing. 

Try not to be ashamed 

We know this is a tough one, especially if Christmas with family and friends is something you really look forward to.

At the end of the day, your loved ones wouldn’t want you to struggle on their behalf, especially during the holidays when times can be a bit tough generally.

People are going to be especially worried this season, and in turn, far more understanding of everyone’s situation — including yours.

Let them know ahead of time that you simply won’t be able to afford anything this Christmas. Explain why, and if you’re able to, offer alternatives instead.

Don’t spend when you can’t afford it

While it may be tempting to look into loans, credit cards and Buy Now Pay Later schemes, you need to think about how this will affect your bank balance in the long-run.

Yes, we understand that additional support means you could get the things you want to buy this Christmas, but it isn’t without consequences, and could even leave you worse off than before.

Always speak to a financial advisor or your university if you’re experiencing financial hardship, and/or the thought of taking out loans has crossed your mind.

Sell your old items for cash

If you’re insistent on buying a gift then just remember — one person’s trash is another’s treasure. This is true for you, too!

Have a rummage through your wardrobe, drawers and storage boxes to see if you can gather anything to sell. Even just one item could get you some cheap supplies for a DIY gift.

Here are some places you can make extra cash fast:

• Vinted 
• Depop
• musicMagpie
• eBay

Make some extra cash by selling your clothes; we’ve got the best place to sell your clothes online. 

Volunteer this Christmas

Taking this time to help others is the ultimate gift, particularly for those who are struggling this Christmas. 

Consider volunteering at a local food bank and in catering, where help is almost always needed. Plus, it’s a great way to give back without spending, and you’re doing good for those who need it most. If your friends are in the same situation, why not make it a group activity, too?

Go thrifting

Charity shop hunting is not only fun, but it’s incredibly cheap. If you know people who could do with a new tea set, clothes, toys, or pretty much anything, you could find what you need for far less cash at a charity shop. 

If you’re local to Liverpool, have a look at our ultimate guide to charity and vintage shops in Liverpool to help you find some gems this Christmas. 

DIY Christmas gifts

If you’re worried that you have no money for Christmas gifts, consider tapping into your DIY side. 

DIY gifts might actually mean a lot more to the recipient than a brand new gift, purely for the effort you’ve put into making something yourself. 

Here are some DIY Christmas gift you can make yourself that anyone will appreciate:

• Jam — making jam is actually pretty easy, all you need is fruit and sugar (and a pretty jar to pour it into). You can even make chutney in a similar way, which is ideal for Christmas and you can always gift it alongside some crackers. 
• Butter — like jam, butter is also fairly easy to make. Grab some double cream and whip until it’s thick and separated (the liquid is buttermilk; great for cooking so keep it!). You can add sea salt or things like garlic or Maple syrup to give it some flavour, too. 
• Homemade potpourri — this will likely be a hit with your mum. Homemade potpourri is essentially a mixture of dried flowers and spices that help add fragrance to a room. You can also add dried orange slices for a citrus hit. 
• If you have a craft you’re good at, utilise it this Christmas — crochet a scarf, embroider a little dec for the tree, make your own candles, paint a picture, whatever it is, your loved one will appreciate the thought and time gone into making something. 

If you need more inspo, we’ve got easy and creative DIY Christmas gifts for students to try out. 

Save money by hitting two birds with one stone with the best joint presents for parents this Christmas.

DIY Christmas cards

I’ve always been of the opinion that cards are a lot more sentimental than gifts — but that could just be the Literature grad in me…

Sometimes a few nice words, a poem, even an essay in a card can go a long way without having to fork out on Christmas gifts. Even better if you can DIY a Christmas card yourself, too.

There are so many different avenues to take with DIY Christmas cards. They can be as simple or as complicated as you want them to be (or as far as your skill set allows). Think of tree shaped cards, snowflakes, pop-up, glitter, sequins, all sorts! 

Have fun with it and be creative; you’ll probably find it’s quite therapeutic. Here are a few of our favourite DIY Christmas card ideas…

If you really want to up your game this Christmas by shopping more eco-consciously, take a look at our sustainable Christmas gifts guide for some inspo that doesn’t hurt the bank or Earth. 

Christmas freebies

Nowadays, a lot of companies and brands are dishing out freebies for various reasons. Student freebies, birthday freebies, even Christmas freebies when the season rolls around. 

Christmas freebies can be anything from food to gifts and beauty, so it’s definitely worth seeing what you can get.

Here are some of the Christmas freebies around right now:

• Free Christmas food from the LIDL Freeway Truck — follow the truck around the UK (can do so by downloading the Freeway map) and nab a box if you’re one of the first 250 visitors at each stop. 
• Free Tesco Christmas food — Tesco Christmas markets are dotted around the country near Christmas, allowing you to sample festive food and drinks.
• Free Guylian advent calendar — Chocolate brand, Guylian, are giving away free advent calendars via their Facebook page when you enter their competition (follow the page and tag 3 friends in the comments; easy job).
• Coca Cola shopping vouchers — win 1 of 1,700 £50 shopping vouchers with Coca Cola’s Christmas competition. All you have to do is download the Coke app, tap prizes, and fingers crossed!

Christmas isn’t Christmas without a Christmas dinner, but sourcing all the ingredients can add up quite quickly… We’ve found the cheapest supermarket for your Christmas dinner shopping list to help you make the most savings this festive season. 

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