Getting Personal

                Worth Every Penny - Gifts that won't cost the Earth :: Gifts
            
                The credit crunch has meant that most people are trying to cut back on their purchases. But, it is still important to show the people you love how much they mean to you and avoid the embarrassing experience of giving a truly terrible gift. However, with a little bit of extra thought, you can give fantastic, thoughtful and appreciated gifts without breaking the bank.

Personalised gifts are a great way to give a gift that appears extravagant and pricey for a fraction of the cost of many conventional gifts. This makes the recipient feel special and makes your gift stand out above all others. What is great about personalised presents is there are wide ranges that are suited to many different tastes and many different occasions. If you are buying a gift for an avid cook, buy him an apron with one of his favourite pictures printed on the front. If you are celebrating a couple moving into a new house you can buy a personalised door mat and for every occasion there is the highly popular personalised champagne.

A simple bouquet of flowers can be surprisingly expensive a cheaper alternative is a romantic plant. This lasts much longer and is more unique. Make sure you spend time choosing one that they will love. Or buy them a grow-your-own plant, this will provide them with a fun hobby as well as a plant to brighten up the home. Bring an element of comedy by making your loved one a cake and topping it with candles that spell out a funny message such as 'How Old?' This is bound to bring some laughter and the fact you have spent the time making a cake will win you extra brownie points. Unusual gifts are also popular and often cheap, you can dedicate a tree or even part of mars to that special someone! You can also buy them a share in their favourite football team or even in Disneyland for a touching gift. 

If you are buying a gift for an occasion, buy an experience day for two and book it for the special day. This combines both a present and a birthday event and cuts the cost of the occasion. It is also a great surprise gift and will make the day one they'll never forget - this is a particularly good idea if it is a landmark birthday. There are plenty of experience days available depending on your own tastes. If you are the active type you can have a go at paintballing for a day full of laughs and adventure. If it is a more romantic occasion such as an anniversary, try a pamper day for two. Or, try something new and take a dance class together. You can learn romantic and passionate dance moves to keep the spark going in your relationship or simply to have fun and learn new skills. 

There are also plenty of cheap and cheerful gifts for less than a tenner for those who are really strapped for cash. If the recipient is particularly hard to buy for, give them a personalised calendar. Each month has a different scenario spelling out their name in lights, flowers and more. This calendar is suitable for anyone and is remarkably affordable. You can also find personalised mugs on many internet sites. These are available in a variety of styles to suit the individual, if he is a big football fan there are many humorous football mugs available and if he or she are one of the many of us that guiltily enjoy the drama of X factor on Saturday nights, buy them a fun personalised X factor style mug. A great yet cheap present is a print for someone's room, you can buy them one of their favourite bands or if they are a budding musician a novelty personalised musical print, still for way under a tenner. Finally, almost everyone loves chocolate and so a great gift is a unique personalised chocolate bar for little more than the cost of a box of chocolates.

The key to finding great presents for under a tenner is thought ahead of the date. You are unlikely to find a great gift if you are running around the high street on the day. Instead invest some time into finding a great bargain, the internet is a fantastic place to find fun, unique and most importantly affordable gifts that won't cost the earth.

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