Affordable Christmas Gift Guide 2022: Gifts for £30 and under

Have you ever noticed how unrealistic magazine Christmas gift guides are?

If you follow me on Instagram you might have seen my post with a snapshot from a recent magazine gift guide. Under the gifts for friends section, the featured gift suggestions included a £96 bottle of Jo Malone Perfume, £280 shoes and a £320 jumper!

I have always been baffled by these gift guides – I mean who seriously has £320 to spend on a friend? And what if you have several friends to buy for?!

Besides, if I did have £320 to spend on a present I’d rather spend it on a weekend away or a more substantial item than a jumper that looked like it cost no more than £50.

With that in mind, I have put together a more realistic Affordable Christmas gift guide. Aside from children and close family, the most I spend on a gift for others is around £30 maximum, and I know from the responses I have had on social media that many of you are the same.

This affordable Christmas gift guide is designed to be realistic, with items between £5 and £30 each.

This post is updated regularly. Last update: December 2022. All prices are correct and under £30 at the time of publication. Prices are subject to change.

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Affordable Christmas Drink Gifts Under £30

Alcohol based gifts can suit a wide range of recipients, making them an ideal and affordable choice for Christmas gift ideas.

Tequila Rose Gift Set

Tequila Rose is a strawberry cream liqueur that tastes divine! This gift set from The Drinks Shop comes with a 500ml bottle and 2 branded shot glasses.

Cocktail Bitters Gift Set

For cocktail buffs, this set of cocktail bitters would make a great addition to any home bar. Each bottle holds 20ml and the flavours include; Tonic, Peach, Olive, Cucumber and Chocolate – all housed in a 3D embossed tin.

Also included is a handy recipe card which gives hints and tips on how to use the bitters in order to create a range of delicious drinks.

Priced at under £14.00 (Oct 22) you may have enough spare to accompany this gift set with a bottle of spirits or a cocktail recipe book.

The Lakes Gin Cracker Gift

This festive cracker contains a 5cl miniature bottle of The Lakes Gin. A great stocking filler gift idea to surprise someone special this festive season. At under £6 (Oct 22), this is a very affordable Christmas gift.

Dead Man’s Fingers Rum Gift Set

At just £10.07 (Oct 22), this is an ideal gift for any rum lover with 3 classic flavours from Dead Man’s Fingers.

The pack includes:

1 x 5cl Spiced Rum

1 x 5cl Coffee Rum

1 x 5cl Coconut Rum

Build A Box Cocktails from Nio Cocktails

Build A Box Cocktails from Nio Cocktails

These clever postable cocktail mixes from Nio Cocktails are perfect for sending to far flung loved ones you won’t see in person this holiday season. With prices starting at just £19.50 for a box of 3, it’s an affordable Christmas gift choice for cocktail lovers.

New customers can get 15% off their first order with code COCKTAIL15

Crafty Nectar Cider Discovery Box

For cider lovers, a Crafty Nectar Cider Discovery Gift Box hits the mark at £28.50 for 6 Premium Ciders. If you have a little more cash to spend, you can opt for a 12 pack, or make this a subscription to save 5%.

Affordable Christmas Beauty Gifts Under £30

Boots is always a staple on my Christmas gift buying list, as their “Star Gift” offers make otherwise expensive items great value, often with 50% off. The following offers are all valid until 20th December 2022:

Fenty Beauty Bomb Posse Mega Mix & Match Eyeshadow Palette – Was £39.99 now £19.50

Jimmy Choo Flash Eau De Parfum 60ml – Was £53 now £26.50

Ole Henriksen The Smooth Search Skincare Set – Worth £55, only £27

Find out how to maximise savings even further with the Boots Advantage Card in this post.

Glossybox subscription – £14.75 per month (cancel anytime)

A Glossybox beauty box subscription would be a perfect and affordable gift for any beauty loving friend, sister or Mum. As it’s super flexible you can choose to cancel anytime meaning your beauty box could make a great one off Christmas gift. Each beauty box contains 5 premium beauty items worth over £50, making it excellent value for money.

If you’re interested in a 12 month subscription, the cost is as little as £11 per month.

BlowLTD Home Beauty Services

BlowLTD Beauty Treatments – Blow offer beauty treatments with a difference, as the beauty therapist or stylist travels to you! This would be ideal for new mums, those with mobility issues or simply anyone who would love to indulge in the comfort of their own home.

Treat a loved one to an OPI Gel Manicure for just £29, or opt for a gift card so they can choose their own treatment.

Balmonds Skincare

Balmonds are a small family run UK business offering a wide range of products for dry, sensitive or eczema prone skin. I am a big fan of the intensive facial oil, while the award winning Skin Salvation cream is a bestseller. 

Get 20% off your order with code SKINNY20 at checkout

Affordable Christmas Quirky Gifts Under £30

Sometimes you need a gift that’s something a bit different, but that doesn’t mean you need to spend a fortune. Whether for a teenager, friend or partner, here’s some of my favourite quirky Christmas gifts under £30:

Marvel Logo Light

This Marvel Logo light from Prezzybox is sure to be a hit with Marvel fans young and old, and it comes in well under the £30 price tag.

Affordable Christmas Tech Gifts Under £30

You don’t have to break the bank when it comes to tech based gifts. These affordable options all come in at under £30.

Echo Dot 4

The Echo Dot 4 is a powerful speaker with Bluetooth connectivity and Alexa built in. The price of the device can change, but at the time of writing you can bag one for under £30. Prime Day and Black Friday regularly see the price of Echo Dot 4 slashed, so set up an alert to grab a bargain.

Charger Powerbank

For power on the go for a mobile phone, games console or tablet, this handy powerbank is a great and affordable gift. It comes as a twin pack, so you could give two separate gifts or keep one for yourself!

Charger keyring

This handy USB C charger keyring is great for those who are always on the go and need a charger close to hand. Ideal for charging on the train, in a coffee shop or airport, and always to hand on your keys.

Airtag

Apple Airtags are a lifesaver for anyone who regularly wastes time looking for their keys, wallet or other items! Using your phone, you can attach the Airtag to any item you wish to track using a keychain. You can even buy pet collars to attach an Airtag to in order to track the location of your pets.

On holiday this year, we kept track of our luggage by keeping an Airtag inside each case. As someone whose luggage has been lost by an airline in the past, it gave us peace of mind to keep track of our belongings. 

Currently, the price of one Airtag sits just under £30, but you can get a pack of 4 for better value.

Affordable Christmas Practical Gifts Under £30

The word “practical” might conjure up images of boring gifts, but this doesn’t have to be the case! Also, as fun as novelty gifts may be, getting something that can be put to use can be a much more valued gift to the recipient. A lot of my tech-based gift choices above are very practical, but here’s a few more practical gift ideas.

Leuchtturm Notebook

This beautiful Leuchttrum 1917 Notebook comes in a range of colours and styles. If your recipient is a fan of bullet journalling, you might opt for a dotted interior, but it also comes in lined, plain and squared formats.

A high quality notebook like this is a thoughtful and practical gift. You could even team it with a good quality pen or pencil case.

2023 Diary

Even though I use online digital organisers such as Trello and Airtable, I cannot survive without a physical diary. I use one for my part time day job and one for my business. A diary is a great practical gift and I love this high quality but affordable option from Moleskine.

2023 Calendar

A calendar for the coming year is a great affordable and practical gift. I love this Busy B weekly family calendar, with space for up to 5 family members to scribble their appointments. It also features a space for a weekly meal plan and tear off shopping lists. 

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