Cheap gifts for 13 and 14-year-old girls

[Mic]

With so many posters already done with their Christmas shopping, I thought I might get some help with my list. Actually, it's not "my" list, it's my daughters' lists I have trouble with. One daughter is 17, and she buys some of her own gifts with babysitting money, but I always give her @$50 to buy gifts for a few friends. My biggest problem is my 13-year-old daughter, who buys for 20 girls every year! A few of her closest friends are only children, and purchase really nice gifts for my daughter, so we naturally spend @$20 each on them(for $100 total). Last year my husband took DD to Walmart to purchase items for the girls who had bought her a gift, and spent another $150 in addition to the $100 I had already spent. My husband is glad that my daughter is so well-like, but the number of gifts we need to purchase is getting bigger every year. I need ideas for something that is unique and special, but inexpensive. Each year daughter picks out bath sets at Walmart(they seem to have one aisle of nothing but "girl" gifts) for some friends($10-12 each), and then picks out a few individual items for the other girls (like lip gloss, lotion, bath beads/oil, etc.) to put in small bags(@$8) total. Does anyone have any ideas for a more economical way to gift to so many? There is no way to cut down on the number of gifts... my daughter will get a gift for everyone who gets her one. However, 3 of the girls will be going to WDW with us in January to celebrate DD's 14th birthday, so I probably won't spend a lot on their Christmas gifts(the $273 hopper ticket should be enough!) So I still need @18 gifts for girls who are 13-14 years old. Please help!!!

 

[scorpad99]

Aeropostale.com has a huge clearance on hoodies (they came to 9.09 a piece) with the code TAKEOFF these hoodies were originally 40 bucks, I got a few for my DD (12) for Christmas and they are really well made. So check it out!

 

[tiggger1]

what about the cute hoodies at Steve and Barry's. They are around $5-10 and really cute.

either that maybe she can make her own soaps, bath salts and lip gloss and put them in cute bags..

 

[tiggger1]

another thing she could do is a girls night baskets. all yo need it to go to the make up section at Walmart and buy those tiny finger polishes, a couple face masks packets, some toe separators and maybe a foot scrub. most of them are under a $1. then get a chick flick movie (they have some cute ones for $3 and some candy.. also sometimes you can find pj's for cheap or thrown in a pair of slippers

 

[Perditamarie]

Here are some ideas ( I really like the hoodie and lip gloss ideas too):

* disposable cameras
* if they have cell phones, phone charms or cell cases
* fashion sunglasses from Claires or similar
* movie/book combos (Pride and Prejudice, Narnia, etc)
* magazine subscriptions

 

[Aliceacc]

Here's my all time favorite teacher gift: A fleece throw.

How doesn't love to curl up with a warm soft blanket on a cold night? I always get them for under $10 (in fact, I got some at Bath & Body works the other day for $9.99. Not fleece this year, chenille. But they're gorgeous!!!)

Could she get one of those for each friend??

(And I'm heading to that aeropostale site now with my own kids in mind... thanks!!!)

 

[krcit]

Bath and Body has some cute gift baskets right now for $8.50 or $10.00. free shipping on orders of $55. I think the Aeropostale idea is a great one also. They have cute stuff.

 

[Adi12982]

http://www.silverjewelryclub.com/Default.aspx has REALLY nice items - everything is 5.99 - if you get a pendant you can add a necklace for $4 (that is for everything - the item, shopping). I have bought A LOT from them lately - it has all been good quality, as described. They will be my Christmas and Birthday gifts for adults, but I think they are cute for teenagers too It will also seem like she spent a lot more! So it would be between $108 - $180 for all of them!

 

[eatatmidnight]

FYI When I entered that Aeropostale code, it had expired.

 

[brymolmom]

Maybe too late this year - but IMO the best way to handle this load of gifts for the least money is to shop all year long.

How about getting a nice ornament at the after christmas sales - likely can get really cute ones for the $3 - $5 range. AND this could be a 'traditional' gift too - they could always expect a nice ornament from your dd.
OR a nice frame (totally on clearance - check out Kohl's periodically) - with a picture of your dd and the friend or a group of friends, etc - in it.
Pedicure sets - find clearance nail polish and get one of those pedicure sets- you can find them cheap on clearance.

 

[Eviie]

Well i'm 13 and just like you, my mom spends too much money on my friends but since 6th grade i've lowered down the amount of gifts. In 6th grade i spent a ridiculous amount of money on my friends ($300!!!!!!!) never in my life will i spend that much for just friends, i am SORRY! :O This year i'm giving cute little baskets to 4 closet friends with a set of cute earrings, braclets, nail polish and topped off with some pj's & slippers. And for everyone else i have stuffed teddy bears from all the christmas in the pasts that i bought for my friends but only gave out some. Those will be given out again to just the 'FRIENDS' and not bestfriends. I really don't know what to say. But if you ask me something i can prolly' answer you

 

[scorpad99]

Sorry about the Aeropostale code, it did expire on the 5th! But add yourself to their mailing list and you will catch another sale b4 the holidays , I`m sure! This is my second huge purchase of their clearance stuff! My DD is going to be so shocked with all I bought her for Christmas from there!

 

[englishteacha]

I had a friend in jr. high who always gave us something with our name on it-Christmas ornament, a bracelet, etc. 15 years later I still have most of it.

What about a cute pair of earrings or a necklace? You could let her go wild at the Dollar Tree-give her a limit of $5 a friend and put together goody bags with things they'd like.

She could make something for each of them. What about designing a calendar with pictures of fun events they attended? She could make them on the computer. She could buy a couple packages of Christmas ornaments and write the name of a friend on each one, with the year on it. I give one of these to each student in my homeroom (I try to find apple ornaments). Or, she could get clear glass ornaments and paint them (you can do cool stuff putting the paint inside) in her friends' favorite colors. I made these for my family one year and they loved them.

Maybe instead of gifts she could have a slumber party over Christmas vacation? She can tell her friends that instead of giving them all a present, she's giving them a party. Get some giant pizzas to bake in the oven, a few boxes of sugary cereal and milk, and lots of nail polish and movies. That has to be less expensive than last year's presents! Oh, and be prepared, as a parent, NOT to sleep!

 

[HeatherC]

How about a set of earrings or bracelet from Claire's? Most kids that age love that store and the prices are pretty good. A lot of times they will have those sales where you buy 1 get one or buy one get one 1/2 off.

Some other ideas from Walmart that we've done are:

a new scarf or slippers
cute little tote bags
those fuzzy socks everyone loves
fun pens and notepads
fuzzy fleece blankets
$5 gift card for movie rental in a popcorn bucket

I try to limit the price to under $10 a gift for kids for things like birthday parties, etc.. With Walmart right down the road, I've been pretty successful.

Good luck to your wallet!!

HeatherC

 

[badblackpug]

www.eyeslipsface.com It is a make-up site and allit's make-up is $1 a piece. She could do little gift bags for her friends.

 

[DebMcDonald]

I love the lunch totes from the Lean Cusine website, I ordered three for my 14 year old friends and I thought they could use them as a purse or look cool if they bring a lunch instead and the best part is part of that money goes to breast cancer.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

go to Hobby Lobby and get a $5 photo album. They have a million colors and they are just the thing for the girls to keep their pictures in. Perhaps you could start it by putting in the first picture of the girls together.

Try the dollar spot at Michael's. My sis always gets some of the CUTEST stuff there. They have little bubble bath /lotion sets and cute stationery sets notepads, magnets, etc..