5 Cheap Christmas Presents That Look Expensive For People on a Budget

Want some cheap Christmas gifts that look expensive without having to go to the local Costco? Thanks to the Internet, there has never been a better time for people on a budget, or even the frugal among us, to do some Christmas shopping that doesn’t feel cheap. It turns out there are hidden gems in your favorite online store – Amazon – that your recipient will swear must have cost at least a few hundred dollars.

It’s Christmas, Time to Pull Out All the Stops!

You can stop taking out that extra credit card to help you with Christmas shopping and instead go through our list of gifts that make you seem like royalty. And we’re not talking about Monopoly-money rich either. We’re talking about gifts that will make the giftee step out to see where you packed the Ferrari.

And since Christmas is the time when family and friends come together to celebrate another year they got to spend together, share meals, and light-hearted moments, it’s the perfect opportunity to give thoughtful gifts that look more expensive.

Why People Prefer Expensive-Looking Things

But that begs the question, why is it people prefer expensive-looking presents on holidays? Is there no truth to the adage “it’s the thought that counts?”

Well, according to psychologists, people attach a stigma to things that look cheap. And it’s all the society’s fault. Over countless years, we’ve been groomed by society to associate price with the value of an item.

The lower the price, the lower the value we attach to an item.

Case in point, when presented with the option of choosing between a practical but cheaper item, and an expensive but impractical item, people are more likely to go for the impractical item.

Marketers have known this for quite a while. That’s why you’ll often see expensive items placed next to standard ones. It’s all a psychological game that preys on your innate association with price and value.

And this should matter to you when giving out Christmas presents. More often than not, you’ll not be the only one giving them a present. Yours will be among a dozen of more presents that will be valued side-by-side. The more expensive your gift appears, the more value the giftee assigns to it.

A Couple of Things You Need to Know About Expensive Gifting

But before you go out of your way and get your boyfriend a really expensive gaming rig because that’s the most expensive gift for PC gamer boyfriend you can get for Christmas, there are a couple of things you need to know about expensive gifts.

#1: Spending More Money on Gifts Doesn’t Equate to More Memorable Gifts

If your sole reason for buying expensive gifts is to get more love from the recipient, you might want to hold off splurging on a gift.

If the recipient knows you love them, expensive gifts aren’t really necessary. In fact, they create mixed feelings in the giftee who might feel the money for the gift could have been spent on something more practical.

Let’s take an example of a husband who’s always getting his wife expensive gifts for Christmas. Think expensive jewelry and that sort of thing. While the while will look forward to every Christmas holiday, she’ll also be thinking that the money could have been better used for remodelling the house or even adding a backyard pool for the kids. Simple gifts would have made her happy, making inexpensive gifts that look expensive, more practical and even more meaningful.

That’s a bit counterintuitive, especially when you consider what this study found out. Researchers back in 2014 concluded that when people want to show how much someone means to them, they don’t want to come out like cheapskates. It feels wrong to cut costs when shopping for a loved one’s gift. That’s why they go for high-ticket items to show that the purchase was made in love.

No price stands in the way of sentimental buys (so long as the money’s there) even though it’s not a must to spend big on a loved one.

#2: High-Ticket Christmas Gifts Might Strain Your Relationships

When you build expectations with a tradition of dishing out pricey Christmas gifts, you’ll be straining your relationships. That’s not the only problem that expensive gifts create.

When you’re one of the few family members –or friends- who give out expensive gifts, you create a rift in those relationships. Case in point, that uncle who gives lavish gifts to their favorite nephew might offend other relatives who don’t have the financial muscle to buy expensive presents.

#3: Gifting Expensive Items Might Ruin Your Finances

People that can’t afford to throw big money on pricey gifts out themselves at risk of future financial difficulties after Christmas.

Breaking the bank to get your boyfriend the latest MacBook Pro because it looks like the best expensive gifts for boyfriends birthday while you’re on a $200 weekly salary may mean having to explain to the landlord why you’re late on rent.

If buying an expensive gift is not affordable, don’t imagine how your boyfriend would feel knowing that it’s the expensive gift you got him for his birthday or Christmas that led to you getting evicted. They’d feel guilty, and that gift would be nothing more than a bad memory. And that’s not the kind of memories you’re going for on Christmas.

That’s the downside of gifting expensive items on Christmas, or on just any other holiday or occasion. But since people still prefer stuff that looks expensive, you’ll have to find a way to get cheap gifts that look expensive. And before you start taking out your crafts bag from the garage thinking this is one of those DIY guides, we’re going shopping for these budget-friendly Christmas gifts  on Amazon.