Making Christmas Count: How College Students Stretch Their Holiday Budgets

Lydia Chapman

Senior Reporter

On a chilly afternoon, Serena Thompson stands in the middle of Walmart, clutching a small Funko Pop in her hands. The fluorescent lights hum overhead, Christmas music plays a little too loudly through the speakers, and she bites her lip as she flips the price tag over one more time.

Eight dollars. Clearance.

She exhales, relieved.

“It’s silly,” she said. “I knew my sister would think it was hilarious. And when you’re a college student, finding a perfect gift that doesn’t break your bank account feels like winning the lottery.”

Thompson, a junior IT major, doesn’t have a holiday season filled with big budgets and glossy shopping bags. Instead, she relies on something far more practical: a savings app connected to her bank account.

“It pulls like two dollars here, five dollars there,” she said. “Suddenly I have $50 saved and I’m like… wow. I can actually do this.”

She’s not alone. Across campus, students are swapping big-ticket presents for thrifted treasures, handmade creations, and the occasional lucky clearance-aisle find. With finals looming and finances stretched thin, holiday shopping becomes less about extravagance and more about intention, giving from the heart instead of the wallet.

Dawn Olson, associate professor of marketing and business, says the stress students feel around holiday spending is deeply relatable but often misplaced.

“There’s this urge to show love through material things,” she said. “But students aren’t expected to outgive their parents or their families. Gift-giving is about stewardship, knowing what you can do and doing it honestly.”

She encourages students to set boundaries, communicate budgets, and remember that traditions like White Elephant or themed exchanges exist for a reason: they’re fun and affordable.

“Handmade gifts are treasures,” Olson said. “Relationships matter more than the price tag.”

For junior nursing student Caroline Baumgardner, thoughtful giving has always mattered more than the cost.

“I bake a lot,” she said. “Cookies, cakes, whatever someone loves. I’ve crocheted things, made ornaments, even sweatshirts.”

One of her favorite gifts she’s ever made was an ornament for her grandparents, crafted from an actual nutshell.

“They thought it was so special,” she said. “It meant more to them than anything store-bought.”

Baumgardner usually spends about $20–25 per person, but says her approach to gift-giving has matured since coming to college.

“You’re just more grateful for the little things,” she said. “You realize you don’t need to spend a lot for something to be meaningful.”

Thompson’s own process is a slow treasure hunt, one that starts well before December.

“I’m impulsive sometimes,” she said. “So saving a little bit each time helps. And finding rare gems in random places.”

That means thrifting, scanning Facebook Marketplace, and waiting for that little spark of recognition.

“If I can leave the store without it, it’s not for me,” Thompson said, quoting her mom. “But if I see something and instantly think of someone? That’s when I get it.”

Baumgardner and Thompson both agree on one thing: the cost of the gift has nothing to do with the meaning behind it.

“Gifts don’t define the relationship,” Baumgardner said. “It’s not contingent on what you spend.”

Thompson put it even more simply: “Don’t stress about the price. The people who love you care more about you than the receipt.”

Dr. Olson echoed the sentiment.

“Remember the purpose of the gift,” she said. “Connection, thoughtfulness, and being present. Those things don’t depend on money.”

And for students managing finals, families, tight finances, and the pressure to make the holidays “perfect,” maybe the greatest gift of all is remembering that what is given, and who gives it, matters far more than the cost.