With the holidays coming up, you’re probably trying to figure out what gifts to give to all of the special people in your life. If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re either a broke college student like me, or you have a special broke college student in your life. I’m here to help out people in the latter group.
As a broke grad student, I figured I could provide a little insight into the types of gifts a broke college student looks forward to getting this year. So without further ado, here’s the definitive list of gifts that will put a smile on every broke college student’s face.
1. Cash — This one is pretty self-explanatory.
2. More cash — Second verse, same as a first.
3. Even more cash — Same as 1 and 2 except there’s even more of it.
4. Mo’ money — It sounds cooler this way.
5. Hamiltons — Ten-dollar bills are nice.
6. Jacksons — Twenty-dollar bills are nicer.
7. It’s all about the Benjamins — Hundred-dollar bills will probably induce minor shock in your broke college student’s face before they’re able to smile.
8. A check — What??? I had to mix it up a little.
9. Did anyone mention…
Photo by quinn.anya
Yes, I’m implying that no matter how much broke college students pretend to enjoy getting another gift card to a store they don’t shop at anymore, they really just prefer money in its unadulterated form. This gives them the ultimate freedom to choose what to do with it. For example, I wouldn’t be able to pay back my student loans or contribute to my Roth IRA with a Best Buy gift card.
So before you run out and buy something your broke college student is going to return anyway, save yourself the hassle and give the gift of cash.
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Sometimes I am hesitant about giving cash (don’t want it to go to beer) and want to get them something they need (bed sheets for example), so I will generally go half cash and half gift.
Dawn, I definitely agree that there’s a risk involved. I personally wouldn’t spend it on beer, but I know I can’t speak for all broke college students on that one.
When I do get gifts that I really need, it’s great. However, that’s usually not the case, especially from relatives I don’t see very often. Some gifts I’ve gotten stuck with in the past include: a TV that’s smaller than my computer screen, a shower radio, and a seat massager. Total times I’ve used any of them — 0.
I’ve asked for cash for Christmas this year along with a few other items I know I need. I know I don’t need any more junk lying around and I have a ton of things I’ve gotten for Christmas that I haven’t used once. I’ve come to the decision that I’ll either return/e-bay the things not on my list this year so I can get the cash and save or invest.
Something that I have greatly appreciated as gifts while I was a poor college student is (aside from Cash!) is food. My parents would send me a box full of food back from home, since I moved away from a different country. Most of the stuff can be stored for a while too and it lasts me a long time and also saves me a bundle of money.
If the students are in the engineering field, buy them a pad of engineering paper. Sounds dumb, but engineering students cringe every time they have to buy those things because they are so over priced.
Having been a broke college student, followed by broke graduate student I felt the need to chime in here (granted it’s late enough no one will notice). The gifts I most enjoyed getting were cash, foodstuffs, and certain gift cards.
My parents would send foodstuffs and cash regularly (well 2 or 3 times a semester) but for Christmas or my birthday they would try to get gifts. They had a better knowledge of my tastes so they got me things I WOULD have used (CD’s, DVD’s, computer games, etc.) except that going to a tech school meant I had all of these (though not exactly legally). These all got converted to cash through returns or put into storage in their basement.
By my junior year I finally got them to give giftcards. They didn’t want to give cash because it didn’t “feel” like a special gift sice I was recieving an influx of it from them during the year anyways. My undegrad campus had a dunkin donuts on it in the library which was located between the dorms and the engineering building, though far enough off track that it wasn’t worth it to travel through without a reason. Though I don’t drink coffee it gave me an excuse to pass through and grab a warm apple cider especially when headed to the dreaded 8 am thermo classes with the windchill well below -20 deg F outside. Also there was an agreement our schools catering service and DD that allowed dunkin donuts gift cards to be used at the student union for purchasing food (though not at the cafeterias).
Also our school bookstore was run by Barnes and Noble so that these giftcards could be used for textbooks (though the textbooks always seemed to carry an additional B&N markup over the bookstore for the state school across the river).
Giftcards are a viable option if purchased with the students needs in mind. The Target cards got used maybe once a year, when I could find a ride to the nearest Target (about 45 minutes away), and were mostly useless.
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