College Care Package Ideas for Every Budget – Even FREE Options!
Here are some college care packages for all!
Have a new college student in your life?
There’s no better feeling for a homesick college student than getting mail from home. It’s even more exciting when it comes in a box!
Between the cost of shipping and the items inside, sending care packages can get pretty expensive. Thankfully, you don’t need to break the bank to brighten a college student’s day! Send a little cheer with one of these care package ideas for every budget.
Fancy College Care Packages
If you want to indulge your college student with a little splurge (or if Grandma is buying), spoil your recipient with one of these more extravagant options.
1. Hangry Kit
Ranging in price from $19.99 to $49.99, these Hangry Kits can get a little spendy. They are ready-made if you’re crunched for time though, and they ship for free with Amazon Prime! We LOVE that you don’t need to stand in line at the post office or pay for shipping with this option, and to be honest, they had us at “hangry.” 😂
2. Inspirational Socks
At around $15 a pair, the cost of filling a care package with multiples of these Notes to Self Socks isn’t as cheap as sending a budget-buy 6-pack of plain ol’ white socks, but their cheerful affirmations would be such a fun morale-booster for a homesick college student!
3. BattlBox
If your college student is the outdoorsy type, consider surprising them with a Battlbox. They’ll get a box full of useful items curated for all their outdoor adventures away from home, whether they’re into hiking, camping, hunting, or fishing. Subscription boxes start at $29.99 plus shipping or choose one of the ready-made gift boxes to send.
4. SprezzaBox
Sprezzabox is one of our favorite splurges for guys. It’s a monthly service that delivers men’s accessories, so it’s a great care package for a college student who is just starting to build his professional wardrobe!
If you want to send a Sprezzabox as a one-time gift, you’ll pay $28 for the monthly subscription (which can be canceled immediately after your first box). To save even more, the best deal is a 12-month membership, which shakes out to be just $20/month when you pay up-front!
We love that you can choose from several different boxes before your shipment, so you know that your college guy will love his new accessories! Boxes include 5-6 items, usually valued at $70 – $130, so you’re getting a great deal even if you pay $28 for a single delivery.
Frugal College Care Packages
Send your college student a little pick-me-up with one of these more affordable options.
1. BirchBox
BirchBox offers a beauty subscription box filled with beauty products specifically curated for you! Simply take a quiz filling out questions about your hair, skin, and style preferences. You’ll then choose if you want samples or full-sized products and how frequently you want deliveries to your college student’s dorm. From there, they will enjoy this gift, starting at $15/month!
2. Walmart Beauty Box
Walmart also sells a fun subscription box full of beauty and personal care items. When you register your college student for a membership, they’ll get a new box every season (four per year) for just $6.98 shipped.
3. Box of Dougnut Socks
These adorable socks look sweet enough to eat, and a pack of 3 is under $16! You can also splurge and switch up the sock box theme to foods your college student loves, like sushi or pizza.
4. Gift Cards
It’s easy to control the budget with this option, too, because you get to choose the amount of the gift card. Plus, you can ship a gift card for much less than it costs to send a big box of goodies! Try searching Raise.com to see if you can get the gift card you want to send at a discounted rate!
Note that some colleges don’t allow for gift cards to be used if the restaurant is on campus. Be sure to check the gift card details or contact the school before purchasing to be safe!
5. Dollar Shave Club
Imagine your college student’s surprise when they have to buy razors for the first time and they realize how expensive they are. Now imagine their gratitude when free razors just show up in the mail! For $5, you can send the Ultimate Shave Starter Kit from Dollar Shave Club. Keep the subscription going with shipments every 2 months, or cancel at any time!
6. Cheryl’s Cookies
Cheryl’s Cookies runs frequent promotions allowing you to snag a 6-cookie sampler, PLUS a $10 reward card for just $9.99 shipped! When you take advantage of this promo, your college student’s cookie care package will arrive with a $10 reward card to use towards a future Cheryl’s purchase, so they can enjoy treats both now and later!
7. Seasonal decorations
Consider filling a box with some fun & frugal decorations for their dorm room. Cruise the aisles at Dollar Tree or check out Bullseye’s Playground at Target for affordable seasonal decor, and use it to put together a themed box for the next holiday on the calendar!
8. Dollar Tree College Survival Kit
Make an affordable College Survival Kit! Fill a basket with Dollar Tree items the recipient will both love and need. Get some ideas for what to put in your kit and download our FREE printable card.
9. Box of Sunshine
Brighten someone’s day with a cheery box full of yellow items and our free downloadable card! You can completely customize the Box of Sunshine to fit your budget and the preferences of your recipient.
Consider sending a different color-themed box every month! Get reddy for midterms, orange you glad we love you so much, a little something out of the blue, we’re pinking of you… you get the idea! 😉
Free College Care Packages
No budget at all? We’ve got you. Let your favorite college student know you’re thinking about them by scoring some freebies and sending them their way!
1. Magazine Subscription
Head on over to RewardSurvey.com to earn a FREE magazine subscription for your college student! Simply complete a survey and redeem the reward points earned for a FREE subscription! Choose from 20 titles such as People, Sports Illustrated, and Travel & Leisure.
2. Make your own sample box
Start setting aside all of those freebies you’ve been scoring from couponing and following our freebie posts. If you’ve been following Hip2Save for a while now, you may already have a stash of freebies in your stockpile! Use them to make your college student a hand-selected beauty or snack box, and pay only the cost of shipping it out to them.
3. Handwritten encouragement
College students love getting mail of any kind – and it doesn’t have to come in a box! For the cost of a postage stamp, you can send your love in a handwritten letter, homemade card, or even a postcard to brighten your college student’s day. Get younger siblings and other family members in on the act, and stuff their mailbox full of good cheer with multiple messages on the same day!
Don’t send your college student off without checking this list first!
I have made the college survival laundry baskets for all my “kid” cousins for years. I add toilet paper, disinfectant wipes, bandaids “protection”, microwave popcorn, soup, plastic flatware, hangers, toiletries. Plus a gift card for Target or Amazon. They and their parents love that they don’t have to get all of it!
That’s such a great idea and help to her parents, acgold! Thanks for sharing!
We have 3 in college & honestly they just love getting mail. Send dollar tree cards once a month or so. I know we can all call/text/FaceTime the college student, but mail is fun 🙂
Three in college! Wow! Go MOM! I think snail mail is way more fun than an email!
This is so true! I work in the student post office at a small university and I often hear the students expressing gratitude for receiving snail mail (and sadly others commenting on how they never get mail 🙁 My daughter just graduated this May and my son is starting this fall and I try to put together a care package for midterms and of course finals. I usually go to the dollar store and make up goodie bags with food and drinks, etc as well as putting an encouraging note in. This way I can give a few out to my kids friends as well without breaking the bank. Three in college! That’s amazing!
I put together care packages for my bestie’s daughter 3 times a year. She loves peanut butter, so I send that, and free protein bars I get, some pads, and other random stuff. She loves & appreciates it.
Great idea and she’s very lucky to have you, Lpmousse!
I ask my college student each year to update the list of preferences for chocolate, salty/crunchy, candy, quick meals, etc. as well as non-food items so we know we are sending faves whenever hubby and I put together a care package (or family ask what they might send). We try to include items the roommate will also like as I recall how much I appreciated being included in care packages my roommate received. We also try to send something fun/unexpected as often as possible; seasonal items/decorations are always appreciated.
I love the idea of including the roommate! Thanks so much for your comment, Susan!
I put together care packages for my bestie’s daughter and cousin’s daughter a few weeks ago. Razors, shaving gel, food, fun freebies or cheapies I had acquired. I collected the stuff over many months and then sent it. They both adored the packages. It’s the stuff inside, but it’s also that you thought of them.
i did this with all of my sons friends when they went off to universities…don’t forget things like can openers nothing worse than wanting some spaghettios at 2 am and not being able to get the can open:)
To save on postage, go to usps and calculate shipping and experiment with regional B and flat rate boxes as ur shipping container. These boxes are not based on weight but distance so u can stuff them full of heavy food items. Once u determine the cheapest box, order a set of 10 (they are free) thru usps. Al’so, it’s cheaper not to mention easier to buy postage online so u can skip the lines at ur post office. Once its ready to be mailed, take to the post office and they have a counter for packages with prepaid labels. U just drop it and go. Not necessary to stand in line. Priority boxes come with automatic $50 insurance too!
This is helpful. I always end up just picking something from Amazon and sending it directly through them to save the money and hassle of shipping! I’ll look into this idea now!
Here’s my huge college supply list for my daughter. This makes a great gift!
Supply List:
Small square laundry basket
Laundry soap
Dryer sheets
Hair straightener
Blow Dryer
Curling iron
Clothes steamer/iron
Facial cleansing brush
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DTYN4N8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Stun Gun/Pepper Spray combo
https://www.amazon.com/SABRE-Pepper-Spray-Keychain-Self-Defense/dp/B07XLX163D/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=stun+gun&qid=1626963938&sr=8-6
Lint roller
Cotton balls
Nail polish remover
Q-tips
Hangers – *use thin ones because closet space it small
Pads/Tampons
Lysol Wipes
Toothpaste
Electric toothbrush
Deodorant
Body Wash
Loofah
Face Wash
Pore Cleansing Strips
Shampoo/Conditioner
Fingernail Clippers
Nail Polish
Lip Balm
Body Lotion
Brush
Comb
Goody brand black rubber bands
Towels
Wash clothes
Hand towels
Shower caddy (she chose a washable mesh one from Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/Attmu-Toiletry-Organizer-Conditioner-Accessories/dp/B00MGB4YRQ/ref=sr_1_12?dchild=1&keywords=shower+caddy&qid=1626963722&sr=8-12Queen Bee Perfume (highly recommended inexpensive perfume)
https://www.target.com/p/queen-bee-by-good-chemistry–8482–women–39-s-eau-de-parfum—1-7-fl-oz-/-/A-52702683
Microfiber Hair towel wrap
https://www.amazon.com/YoulerTex-Microfiber-Absorbent-Turban-Drying/dp/B07KM3CMZM/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=hair+towel&qid=1626963775&sr=8-2
Reusable dishes/silverware for 1 or 2
Insulated water bottle
Coffee mug
Mattress Pad
Extra long twin sheet set
Robe/slippers
Shower flip flops
twinkle lights/extra lighting
I hope this helps! This is my third college kid, and we’ve figured out what works for us.
Thanks so much for the helpful list!
Be careful with the gift cards. On Most college campuses you can not use the gift cards at restaurants. It even says it in the restaurants and some on the gift cards. Learned this the hard way!!!
Thanks so much for the warning!
I buy Dollar Tree cards too- they haven’t raised the price. Only on postage. I buy for every holiday- even ones we don’t celebrate. I buy silly kids cards and foreign language ones. The sillier the better. They love them. For kids, Iike cousins I don’t see often or friend’s kids, I start sending them anonymously ( but I tell their parents, so they don’t freak out, someone is stalking their child!)). It becomes a game for them to figure out who is sending them! I also send $1.00 items from Walmart+ and Amazon. Nothing embarrassing, just silly. Kids birthday plates, balloons, loot bag stuff, car air fresheners. It takes them about 5 months to figure it out. They look forward to the surprise.
Such fun and thoughtful ideas! I’ve been wanting to buy the Notes to Self socks. So many good ones that it is hard to choose!