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7 Best Group Gift Ideas When You’re on a Budget

Here are the best and cheapest group gift ideas!

The more the merrier! 🎁

As great as giving can be, buying gifts for a whole group of people (especially all at one time) and staying on a budget can be a struggle. Our reader, Michelle, was experiencing this challenge last year:

“I need to find something to give the women in my church group. There are 119 women to buy for and I’m hoping to stay around $1 for each person. Any suggestions? Have you seen any great deals on anything that might work?“

When working within a tight budget, I like to combine small items into mini packages to increase the gift’s value while still keeping costs low. Having the gifts be the same, lets you purchase in bulk to take advantage of quantity discounts, making that $1 per person goal much more attainable. You can also keep your eye out year-round to score some awesome once-a-year deals.

Read on for group gift ideas that cost roughly a dollar or just a couple of dollars each to help make group gift giving (especially around the holidays) easy on the mind and easy on the wallet!

Here are 7 budget-friendly group gift ideas –

1. A notebook and pen set is just $0.68 per person and will come in handy.

  • Paper journal lined pocket notebooks, 24-pack $12.99 ($0.54 each) OR Kraft Paper notebook journals, 24-pack $22.99 ($0.96 each)
  • Gel pens, 120-pack $16.98 ($0.14 each) (regularly $32.99)

Gifting idea as low as 68¢ with one notebook + one gel pen.

This noteworthy set is perfect for keeping a daily journal, jotting notes, or doodling. Both notebook sets offer a wide variety of designs and colors so each recipient’s gift is unique! Add an extra personal touch and write a friendly note on the first page for them to see each time they open their journal!

2. Candy-filled faux Frappuccino or hot beverage group gift ideas can even be elevated with a gift card.

  • Starbucks white disposable hot paper cup, 50-pack $39.99 ($0.80 each) OR Non-branded plastic cups with dome lids, 100-pack $21.77 ($0.22 each) (regularly $21.99)
  • Christmas Green White Straws, 50-pack $6.99 ($0.14 each) (regularly $7.50)
  • Candies: Hershey’s Kisses, Rolos, Werther’s Originals, or Reese’s $3.99+

Gifting idea as low as $0.55 with one clear cup, one lid, one straw + a few candies.

Find me someone who won’t say “OMG, how BRILLIANT!” about these chocolate-filled Starbucks cups… I’ll wait. 😉 This super clever packaging uses clear beverage cups, gold-foiled candies, a little white tissue paper, and a green straw. Feel free to conceal a surprise inside (like a gift card) or give it as is.

While the cost of clear Starbucks cups has skyrocketed, you can still find an affordable 50-pack on Amazon. In fact, we like this idea even more since it’ll conceal whatever you decide to put in the cups making it a total surprise for your giftee!

3. Winter Survival Kit will be just what everyone didn’t know they needed.  

  • Nature’s Bees cocoa butter lip balm, 24-pack $21.78 ($0.91 each) OR Lip Naturals Lip Balm, 50-pack $29.99 ($0.60 each)
  • Jergen’s travel-sized hand lotion, 24-pack $15.90 ($0.66 each) (regularly $20.33)
  • Kleenex Tissue travel packs, 3-pack $0.99 ($0.33 each)

Gifting idea as low as $1.59 with one lip balm, one hand lotion, and one tissue travel pack.

Cold weather means crisp, dry air—but it can leave your skin feeling dry and lips dehydrated. Soothe chapped winter skin and lips with a buttery lip balm, mini hand lotion, and a pocket-size pack of tissues to make a complete winter kit.

4. At-home pedicure kit is a winter essential and we even have a “for your mistle toes” free printable. 

  • Emery boards, 144-pack $10.21 ($0.07 each) (regularly $14.99)
  • Foam toe separators, 24-pack $5.99 ($0.25 each) (regularly $9.95)
  • Shany nail polish, 24-pack $29.99 ($1.25 each)

Gifting idea as low as $1.57 with one emery board, one foam toe separator, and one nail polish.

Give the gift of an at-home pedicure with an emery board, toe separators, and, of course, nail polish. 💅 You can even grab Lina’s FREE “For Your Mistle TOES” gift tag to complete the whole set.

5. Custom ornaments are perfect group gift ideas for anyone who loves to get a little crafty. 

  • White ornaments, 24-pack $7.86 ($0.33 each) (regularly $16.86)
  • Black vinyl, 6-feet $5.36 ($0.07 each – about 2 feet per 24 ornaments)
  • Decorative ribbon, 10 yards $9.80 ($0.16 each – about 6″ per ribbon)

Gifting idea as low as 56¢ per ornament.

Make a Rae Dunn-inspired ornament with holiday buzzwords or personalize it with your recipient’s name! Lina’s DIY is easy, fun, and totally frugal, but if you don’t own a Cricut machine, you can purchase similar decals on Etsy!

Make this DIY year-round by swapping out the ornaments and holiday words for a ring dish with their monogram or try fun words like “bling”, “love”, or “his” and “hers” if it’s for a couple.

6. Votive candles will help you spread light and joy during the best time of year. 

  • Mercury glass candle holder $1 each or Clear Votive Holders, 96-pack $41.94 ($0.44 each)
  • Battery-operated tea lights, 100-pack $45.99 ($0.46 each) (regularly $50.99)

Gifting idea as low as $0.90 with one candle holder and 1 battery-operated tea light.

I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes giving candles as a gift can seem a little generic, but pair them with a glass candle holder and ribbon for a dazzling gift! ✨ Go with a battery-operated tea light for a zero mess candle and you’ve got a gift that appears much more expensive than under a dollar! You’ll probably want to keep a few for yourself to add to your own holiday decor.

Don’t want to order from Dollar Tree? You can find a similar mercury glass holder 36 pack for a little over a dollar each!

7. Self-care sets are great group gift ideas that will melt away the stress of the holiday season. 

  • Dermal sheet mask set, 26-pack $15.99 ($0.62 each)
  • Stash Chamomile tea, 100-pack $21.99 ($0.23 each)

Gifting idea as low as 85¢ with two face masks and four tea bags.

Help your recipient melt away the stress of busy holiday plans with a relaxing sheet face mask and some chamomile tea. You could even go the extra mile with these group gift ideas and DIY an essential oil mister too! Great for spritzing a pillow before laying your head down.

To make the essential oil mister:

  1. Unscrew the spray top from a glass bottle.
  2. Add 10 drops of essential oil to the bottle — I love eucalyptus around wintertime!
  3. Add a few drops of vodka… strange, I know, but it helps blend the oil and makes the scent last longer!
  4. Fill the rest of the way with water, leaving a little room at the top.
  5. Securely screw on the spray top and gently shake to blend the oil.
  6. To add even more of a personal touch, label the bottle with the kraft paper tags to identify the essential oil scent!

Write a little note with some great usage ideas, like an air or fabric freshener! Feel free to switch up the scents with soothing lavender or invigorating peppermint. When it comes to buying small gifts for groups, this idea is creative and sure to be appreciated.

Gift giving to a large group doesn’t need to cost a fortune.

Buying small gifts for many people can always make the value seem much more than what you actually spent! With just a small budget and these clever group gift ideas, you can bring some Christmas cheer to just about anyone, no matter how many people you need to buy for.

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