Holiday Guide: How to give budget-savvy Secret Santa gifts

Paige Leskin and Rebecca Savransky

With the holiday season approaching, planning ahead for gifts is a must. With these suggestions and tips, you’ll be prepared and won’t have to bust your wallet to buy presents for everyone on your list.

For a foodie: When you’re shopping for your friend who loves to cook, eat and entertain, getting them the perfect gift is easy. You can choose from fancy chocolates, decorative baking or cooking supplies or ingredients for his or her favorite dish. You can also buy gift cards to restaurants they love or to their favorite dessert place.

For a coffee lover: If you’re looking for a gift for your friend who can’t go a day, let alone an hour, without that caffeine jolt, you know they’ll be happy with a coffee mug with a phrase or picture, a holiday-themed set of coffee grounds or a gift card to their favorite coffee shop. Whether they frequent Starbucks or make it their life goal to find that perfect corner coffee shop, these gifts are sure to make their day.

For a music lover: For your friends who love music, are always going to concerts and pride themselves on finding new artists to listen to, shopping is easy. Find out which bands your friends are into, and buy posters or a vintage record to complete their collection. You’ll need to do a little research to make sure you’re getting the right one, but these items can easily be found in places like Amazon or a local store.

For a fashionista: Everyone has one friend who’s always the most dressed-up person in a room, constantly sporting new clothes and obsessing over the latest trends. If you’re shopping for your fashion-loving friend this season, look for the latest winter clothing trends, such as scarves, gloves and hats. Other options include winter socks to brave the Chicago winter or jewelry to add some sparkle.

For a sports fan: If your friends always have sports games on in the background and are often rushing home so they don’t miss seeing their favorite teams play, they’ll love a sports gift. Find out your friend’s favorite sports team and get him or her a jersey to wear or a poster to hang on their wall.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @paigeleskin

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @beccasavransky