Budget-Friendly Group Gifts: 7 Clever Ideas Under $1.50 Per Person!

As an Amazon Associate, Hip2Save earns a small commission from qualifying purchases in this post. Read our full disclosure policy here.

More Gift Ideas

Here are the best and cheapest group gift ideas!

DIY Christmas ornaments using a clear ball and rae dunn lettering

The more the merrier! 🎁

As great as giving can be, buying gifts for a whole group of people (especially all at one time) and staying on a budget can be a struggle.

Hip2Save reader, Michelle experienced this challenge last year:

“I need to find something to give the women in my church group. There are 119 women to buy for and I’m hoping to stay around $1 for each person. Any suggestions? Have you seen any great deals on anything that might work?

woman next to christmas gifts and amazon packaged gift cards

When working within a tight budget, I like to combine small items into mini packages to increase the gift’s value while still keeping costs low. Having the gifts be the same, lets you purchase in bulk to take advantage of quantity discounts, making that $1 per person goal much more attainable. You can also keep your eye out year-round to score some awesome once-a-year deals.

Read on for group gift ideas that cost roughly a dollar or just a couple of dollars each to help make group gift giving (especially around the holidays) easy on the mind and easy on the wallet!

Here are 7 budget-friendly group gift ideas –


1. A notebook and pen set is just $0.58 per person and will come in handy.

tons of brown kraft paper notebooks with pens


Gifting idea as low as 58¢ with one notebook + one gel pen.

This noteworthy set is perfect for keeping a daily journal, jotting notes, or doodling. Both notebook sets offer a wide variety of designs and colors so each recipient’s gift is unique! Add an extra personal touch and write a friendly note on the first page for them to see each time they open their journal!


2. Candy-filled faux Frappuccino or hot beverage group gift ideas can even be elevated with a gift card.

Starbucks DIY Gift Cup


Gifting idea as low as 49¢ with one clear cup, one lid, one straw + a few candies.

Find me someone who won’t say “OMG, how BRILLIANT!” about these chocolate-filled Starbucks cups… I’ll wait. 😉 This super clever packaging uses clear beverage cups, gold-foiled candies, a little white tissue paper, and a green straw. Feel free to conceal a surprise inside (like a gift card) or give it as is.

While the cost of clear Starbucks cups has skyrocketed, you can still find an affordable 50-pack on Amazon. We like this idea even more since it’ll conceal whatever you decide to put in the cups making it a total surprise for your giftee!

Hip Tip: Check out our clever ways to wrap holiday gifts!


3. Winter Survival Kit will be just what everyone didn’t know they needed.  

gifts for groups — winter survival kit with tissues and hand lotion


Gifting idea as low as $1.33 with one lip balm, one hand lotion, and one tissue travel pack.

Cold weather means crisp, dry air—but it can leave your skin feeling dry and lips dehydrated. Soothe chapped winter skin and lips with a buttery lip balm, mini hand lotion, and a pocket-size pack of tissues to make a complete winter kit.


4. At-home pedicure kit is a winter essential and we even have a “for your mistle toes” free printable. 

pedicure christmas gift from Dollar Tree


Gifting idea as low as $1.23 with one emery board, one foam toe separator, and one nail polish.

Give the gift of an at-home pedicure with an emery board, toe separators, and, of course, nail polish. 💅 You can even grab Lina’s FREE “For Your Mistle TOES” gift tag to complete the whole set.


5. Custom ornaments are perfect group gift ideas for anyone who loves to get a little crafty. 

rae dunn inspired ornaments


Gifting idea as low as 45¢ per ornament.

Make a Rae Dunn-inspired ornament with holiday buzzwords or personalize it with your recipient’s name! Lina’s DIY is easy, fun, and frugal, but if you don’t own a Cricut machine, you can purchase similar decals on Etsy! You could even consider leaving them plain and printing out a cute gift tag with a sweet sentiment.

Make this DIY year-round by swapping out the ornaments and holiday words for a ring dish with their monogram or try fun words like “bling”, “love”, or “his” and “hers” if it’s for a couple.


6. Votive candles will help you spread light and joy during the best time of year. 

Tons of gold mercury votive candle holders with lit tea lights inside


Gifting idea as low as 66¢ with one candle holder and 1 battery-operated tea light.

I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes giving candles as a gift can seem a little generic, but pair them with a glass candle holder and ribbon for a dazzling gift! ✨ Go with a battery-operated tea light for a zero-mess candle and you’ve got a gift that appears much more expensive than under a dollar! You can even consider checking Facebook Marketplace for brides who are reselling “like-new” bulk tea lights from their wedding!


7. Self-care sets are great group gift ideas that will melt away the stress of the holiday season. 

sheet mask set buying small gifts for group


Gifting idea as low as 82¢ with two face masks and four tea bags.

Help your recipient melt away the stress of busy holiday plans with a relaxing sheet face mask and some chamomile tea. You could even go the extra mile with these group gift ideas and DIY an essential oil mister too! Great for spritzing a pillow before laying your head down.

hand holding bottle of anjou eucalyptus essential oil

To make the essential oil mister:

  1. Unscrew the spray top from a glass bottle.
  2. Add 10 drops of essential oil to the bottle — I love eucalyptus around wintertime!
  3. Add a few drops of vodka… strange, I know, but it helps blend the oil and makes the scent last longer!
  4. Fill the rest of the way with water, leaving a little room at the top.
  5. Securely screw on the spray top and gently shake to blend the oil.
  6. To add even more of a personal touch, label the bottle with kraft paper tags to identify the essential oil scent!

Write a little note with some great usage ideas, like an air or fabric freshener! Feel free to switch up the scents with soothing lavender or invigorating peppermint. When it comes to buying small gifts for groups, this idea is creative and sure to be appreciated.


Willing to spend a little more? Here’s a bonus gift idea…

saavy heart shaped soaps paired with juvale soap saver bags


Gifting idea as low as $5.33 with two soaps and one soap saver bag.

Spoil your crew with heavenly scents! This group gift idea is not only practical, but it’s super easy to recreate. Simply buy a pack of soap saver bags and a variety pack of handcrafted soaps. Give each person one soap-saver bag filled with two smaller soaps or one bar soap. Right now, you can score Saavy soaps or Crate 61 soaps for a discount! You’ll even have a few soaps left over that you can keep for yourself or add to another gift.

Crate 61 soaps paired with juvale soap saver bags to make an affordable group gifts or stocking stuffers


Gifting idea as low as $5.69 with one soap and one soap saver bag.

To further reduce the cost, shop around for cheaper alternatives. Though we like the quality of the Juvale soap-saver bags, Amazon has several other affordable packs worth considering!


starbucks cup as gift wrap buying small gifts for group

Gift-giving to a large group doesn’t need to cost a fortune.

Buying small gifts for many people can always make the value seem much more than what you actually spent! With just a small budget and these clever group gift ideas, you can bring some Christmas cheer to just about anyone, no matter how many people you need to buy for.


Need more gift ideas? Head this way!


About the writer:

Sara is a self-taught blogger and photographer with 8+ years of experience having work featured in various building, travel, and fashion publications, most notably Bassett Furniture and Fossil.


Join The Discussion

Comments 18

  1. txgirl

    Love these ideas! Always looking for affordable holiday gifts for the ancillary staff at my kids’ school. Thanks for sharing!

    • Sara (Hip Sidekick)

      You’re so welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed this post, txgirl!

  2. Angela F

    Along the same line, does anyone have inexpensive ideas for a take home β€œmidnight snack” for wedding guests? I’m planning and paying for most of our daughters wedding and want it to be cute and unique.

    • Sara (Hip Sidekick)

      Hey Angela,

      After reading your question I had an idea pop into my head! Maybe you could create a sign that says forget me “knots” and have some donut knots/holes set out for people to take.

      “Forget me nots” signify true love and symbolizes fidelity and being truthful to someone you love. It couldn’t be more fitting for a wedding. πŸ₯° Plus, donuts tend to be pretty inexpensive.

    • tspascoe

      Angela. Pick a couple of the bride and grooms favorite snacks and label ‘Her favorite’ ‘His favorite’. Or perhaps a food item that’s unique to the location/area (candy, chips, pretzels). Granola bars, bottles of water, ect…

    • Linda

      Mini bottles of wine and small baby bell cheese and maybe some chocolate

    • Anna

      I’ve seen take out boxes and let the guest take their share of leftover cookies from the cookie table. They had stickers on them and were cute.

  3. Patricia Goff

    Kroger had gift sets for 50% off one week. When I combined coupons and rebates I ended spending less than $5 for each gift set. A few of them were less than $3. I gave them out to everybody at work and saved a few for stocking stuffers.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      Such a great score! πŸ™ŒπŸŽ‰Thanks for sharing with us, Patricia!

  4. Happy Aunt

    It’s a time commitment, but I know someone that makes up batches of homemade cinnamon rolls in round cake pans that recipients can keep frozen until they are ready to be baked.

    As for snacks after the wedding, popcorn comes to mind. Could br plain, flavored, or made in to balls. Make a sweet and savory party mix and put it in individual bags. I’ve seen homemade fudge before too.

    • alexandra

      The cinnamon roll idea sounds great! Does she give them each a whole batch? Do you leave them in the pan when given?

  5. Kim

    I know it’s too late for this year, but after the holiday keep an eye out for 75% or 90% off sales and you can make something really impressive and spend practically nothing. Only drawback is that you have to store it for a year.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      YES! Such a great tip, Kim! β€οΈπŸŽ‰ Thanks for taking the time to mention the after Christmas clearance! I need to keep this in mind too!

  6. Errrr

    This may be an unpopular opinion, but I’m not a fan of giving a gift for the sake of giving a gift. I have countless generic mugs, blankets, notebooks, kitchen towels, and candles I’ve received over the years as a result. It just creates clutter in my home, and I can’t get rid of it fast enough. I appreciate the thought, but I wish the madness would just end.

    • Dee

      I agree. Make a donation to a charity or find a way to increase my salary and benefits if I work for you.

      Gifts for a church group? I’d rather you donated a can of food for the neighborhood food pantry than buy me a plastic cup full of chocolates.

  7. Marie

    Lottery scratch offs are fun gifts.

  8. Nkiser

    we hired a photo booth so people can take pictures home for keep sakes. it was the best decision and cost effective over buying crud. good luck and the guests loved it.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      How fun! Thanks for sharing! SO glad to hear that was such a hit! πŸ™ŒπŸŽ‰β€οΈ

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

It's not your Grandma's coupon site!

Sign up for a Hip2Save account (it's free) to access all of the awesome features!

Forgot Password?

Don't have an account? Register

Forgot Password

Don't have an account? Register

Become a Hip2Save Insider

Don't Miss Out! Join our large community of insiders - it's totally free! Once you join, you'll be able to save & share your favorite deals, rate posts and recipes and add items to your HipList and Cookbook! What are ya waiting for?!



Already have an account? Login

Thank you for rating!

Would you also like to leave us a comment?