Welcome to Unitown’s Christmas ideas to help out students who are struggling to get decent presents with practically no money.

Our top tips:

1.    Make your own presents

•    A do it yourself xmas goes a long way! It’s thoughtful, time consuming and shows a lot of initiative to the people receiving homemade gifts.

2.    Waste nothing

•    Had a birthday present from a friend you don’t want? Recycle it and pass it on to someone who’d really appreciate it.

3.    Vouchers

•    Money off vouchers, coupons and loyalty cards are all your friends!

4.    Take advantage of multi-buy offers

•    Buy one get one free can be great for giving people stocking fillers etc. Kill 2 birds with 1 stone easily and save money.

5.    Share the cost of Christmas

•    Have you got any brothers or sisters you can share the cost with?

6.    Make Your Own Wrapping Paper

•    All you need is a good quality and strong coloured tissue paper to produce a lovely and delicately wrapped gift that has a nice personalised touch to it. Finish off with some strips of silk that are frayed at the edges to rival even the most luxurious ribbon that is added to most gifts for something that looks as amazing.

7.    Food gifts

•    Make something for your friends and family – Jam, chutneys, cakes, this can be a lot easier than it sounds and a lot more thoughtful than just buying it.

8.    Set a budget

•    Give yourself a limit for each present and stick to it. If it makes you feel better, tell your family and friends to stick to a tenner a present. That way you’ll all be on the same page and it makes it quite fun.

9.    Markets and stalls

•    This may sound a bit skanky, but there are some real bargains to be had at these places.
10.    Compare prices before buying anything!

•    If there’s something that you know your mum really wants, or your grandma has told you something specific she wants, don’t just go out and buy the first one you see, look around and get the best deal you can on it. You’d be surprised at the amount of savings you could make.

Happy shopping!