A Guide to Gifting Your Co-workers on a Budget

Your co-workers are amazing. You may have started your time at the company as strangers, but over time they have become your extended family. From happy hour laughs to late-night Super Bowl parties, you have made so many awesome relationships that you want to commemorate this year. But when you like so many people at work, how can you give everyone a great gift without maxing out your budget? Thankfully, you can find many thoughtful corporate gifts around $10 and under that your co-workers would love. When you choose meaningful and useful items, they will surely use them around the office and home. Here's your quick guide to gifting your co-workers while you're on a budget.

Set a Budget

Before you start spending, you need to get your finances organized. Since gifting many co-workers at once usually happens around the holidays, you have to keep track of every penny to stay in budget. You naturally will have a list of all your family members that you need to give gifts to, but make some room for your co-workers on this list, too. Take the maximum amount of money you're able to spend and distribute an amount to each person. If you're giving gifts to the whole office, you can expect figures to add up quickly.

By keeping gifts under $10, you can buy quality items for each co-worker without stretching your finances too thin. For example, if you have $500 to spend on holiday gifts and $400 must go toward buying gifts for family members, then you have $100 left for your co-workers. If you have 10 co-workers, you can spend $10 each. If there are 20 people in your office, then the number goes down to $5 each.

Gifts Around $10

You can find many great gifts around $10 that will impress your co-workers. For example, custom work totes, embroidered with your company logo, can make a great gift. It's also a nice idea to find some delicious truffles or specialty candy from a local shop and get the selections gift wrapped. People often get a sweet tooth around the holidays but don't spend the extra money on luxuries like this, so this is always a welcome gift at someone's desk — especially during a break! Another useful item that co-workers love is a tumbler. This type of stainless steel cup can be kept at their desk, which is ultra-convenient for making that midday pick-me-up in the break room.

Gifts Around $5

When you need to stretch every dollar, don't worry — you can still find great gifts around $5! When you put the most practical needs of your co-workers in mind, you will spot some excellent office items that they can keep at their desks. Most ceramic coffee mugs cost under $5 and you can fill them with inexpensive bonuses like a hot chocolate packet and a candy cane. Computer accessories like a phone charger are other items that every co-worker can't have enough of. These gifts can come with three charging ports to accommodate type C, micro USB, and lightning connections. Other great gifts around $5 that are typically found around the holidays are a pair of gloves, stationery, a pack of quality custom company pens and some soothing hand lotion.

Spice Things Up with Add-ons

You can make an inexpensive gift look great by including low-cost add-ons that greatly enhance its value. A small bouquet of carnations alongside a mug becomes a gorgeous gift under $10 that lets your co-worker know that you spent a lot of time thinking about her gift. If you know someone who loves kettle corn, then include a small bag of their favorite flavor with their new coffee tumbler for another great holiday gift. These token items do not cost much, especially if you shop at your local supermarket, but they show that you spent the time to consider what the person really likes.

Final Touches Matter

An inexpensive gift gets even more loving care associated with it when you take the time to wrap it attractively. At your local discount store, you can often find bulk packs of festive gift bags or pre-designed gift boxes for under $2. Grab a pack of bows or ribbons for another $1, and you can deliver the final touches to your co-workers' gifts.

The dedication you put into a gift goes beyond the price tag. It is possible to give great gifts to your co-workers on a budget when you follow these guidelines.