Secret Santa on a budget? Here’s our fiver gift guide for Fallow students

It may only be November, but with the Christmas markets up and end of semester approaching, talks of decorations and dinners have hit every flat. Likely involved in this discussion is one other strain on the bank account: Secret Santa. Here are eight unserious budget gift ideas to shame or surprise your flatmates this Christmas.

1. Socks

There’s simply no way anyone has made it to the end of the first semester without losing at least one sock, if not one pair. Thanks to Circuit laundry, your dad’s last minute present has been given new value.

The false theatrics of opening socks in the past will no doubt be replaced with genuine joy as you buy the thing your flatmate always returns from town without. As long as it isn’t a pack of trainer socks, you’re in safe territory here.

2. A bread knife

Week Two of uni saw most people inconvenienced by all of the things they had forgotten to buy or bring from home. However, not everyone cared to resolve this themselves: Send your flatmate the politest hint to stop stealing your utensils by simply running to Home Bargains to gift them their own!

Although this isn’t your responsibility, imagine the relief you’ll feel next semester when you find your bread knife safely left in your drawer, as opposed to being hidden near the sink somewhere – or worse, left dirty on the side.

3. A squeegee

Perfect for anyone with a fear of a mouldy bathroom, this practical lump of plastic will complete any Fallowfield ensuite. No shower experience is complete without five humbling minutes spent scraping water from the other side of the floor into the drain.

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Simply scour the car section of any Withington big bargain store for the ultimate cleaning device, and in turn save your flatmate from unwanted silverfish and fungi next year.

4. Squash

Buying a whole bottle of spirits for anyone other than yourself is out of the question. Unless you really love this flatmate, opt for an equally thoughtful alternative: A month’s supply of every student’s favourite mixer.

Extra points are given for attention paid to flavour and dilute strength – remember, just because orange is classic doesn’t mean it’s palatable. Having said that, an Aldi quadruple strength bottle will last them the whole year – peaks and troughs.

5. Circuit Laundry

This gift has two options, one more budget friendly than the other. If you merely tolerate this flatmate, consider paying for a single eco-wash of theirs, available to cash in at any point in the year. Just one cycle, washing pod included, can really make someone’s week.

Honestly, it’s more considerate than buying them a coffee for the same price: Your loving act will have longer consequences, and they’ll think of you every time they smell their clean sheets.

Alternatively, you could become the Fallowfield Mother Teresa, and relieve the trauma of refilling their Circuit balance. A whole two washes for the bankrupting sacrifice of ten pounds is the definition of Christmas generosity. Terms and conditions of how clean they keep the kitchen most definitely apply.

6. Pesto

Is their cupboard looking a little bare with only a few weeks left to go? Fulfil their pre-empt for homecooked meals and expansive food shops with a uni staple: A gorgeous jar of pesto. Be it Lidl or Sainsbury’s, they’ll no doubt see the value of your offering. Four meals worth of unbalanced carbs, masked as health through an illusion of greenness – what’s not to appreciate?

7. An umbrella

The decline in weather has been nothing short of jarring for those of us with 5pm finishes and 9am starts. If you’re a Northerner, no doubt you were waiting for this rain and wind all along.

For all the Southern flatmates out there, however, comes an opportunity to improve waits for the 143 and walks to Midway Wines: A brolly. In just one gift, you’ll be offering style, dryness and a superiority complex against all the people who don’t plan ahead – all they have to do is remember to bring it with them (everywhere, at all times).

8. Lynx Africa

Really, nothing more needs to be said here. Whether it’s a dig at personal hygiene or a loving nudge to someone’s brother status in the flat, surely the best gift is one that’s practical and functional.

Some presents just can’t wait until December 25th, especially if their recipient is reluctant to spend money on something they know they’ll receive in a few weeks. Still, even own brand is better than nothing: Save the person sat behind them in their lectures.