Inexpensive Gifts for Clients
Unique thank-you gifts for any time of year
Finding the perfect low-cost holiday gifts for business associates, clients, and customers can be tough when you’re on a tight budget—which most everyone is right now. But you still want to show your partners and colleagues how much they mean to you and the success of your business. Below, we’ve pulled together simple, inexpensive gift ideas that let them know you’re thinking of them without breaking your budget.
When you’re putting together budget-friendly holiday gifts for clients, customers, employees, and service providers, keep these things in mind:
Factor in packaging and shipping. The heavier or bulkier the item, the higher the delivery cost.
Appeal to a broad audience. You can’t please everyone, but if you can make most people happy, you’re on the right track.
Buy in bulk and keep it easy to source.
Keep it gender-neutral. Choose items that everyone would be comfortable using.
At-home spa day
A spa day is something everyone could use. A small assortment of lotions, oils, lip balms, bath bombs, soaps, and hand sanitizers is easy to put together—and universally useful.
Buy products in bulk from a beauty supply company to save money. Then remove and eplace the branded product labels with personalized labels featuring a fun holiday message. Travel-size bottles are perfect for gifting and handy for road trips and vacations.
Send something saucy
Add some flavor to the season with a selection of hot sauces, oils, marinades, vinegar, or salad dressings. Order in bulk, then swap out the branding with festive personalized labels.
We also tossed in fun, holiday-themed stickers that can be customized with your own branding or slogans. Customers can use them on water bottles, laptops, and more.
Morning pick-me-up
You can never go wrong with gourmet coffees or teas. If you have a smaller gift list and know your clients’ preferences, they’ll appreciate receiving their favorite morning brew even more.
For coffee, include gourmet beans, a personalized mug, flavorings, spices, or sweeteners. For tea lovers, consider organic teas, a teapot, a strainer, honey, and sweeteners.
A gift for the senses
One thing everyone learned while spending more time at home: nothing beats a clean, great-smelling space. Create a gift box filled with items to keep the home, clothes, and linens fresh.
You can focus on one room—like the office, kitchen, or bedroom—and choose scents to match. For the kitchen, pick herbal, spicy, or citrus scents. For a workspace, stick with calming, productivity-boosting fragrances that aren’t overwhelming.
To add a thoughtful twist, tuck in a personalized matches box or a small holiday ornament to go with the candle. It’s a low-cost extra that elevates the whole gift.
Stick it!
Custom stickers are always in style. People love adding them to laptops, water bottles, notebooks, and more.
If you own a brewery, send beer-themed stickers to vendors and clients. If you’re a nonprofit, create sticker packs that highlight your cause. Stickers are a small investment that brings smiles—and keeps your brand top of mind.
To make the gift go even further, bundle the stickers with a blank notebook, reusable water bottle, or even a plain tote bag so recipients have a ready-made place to show them off.
Pancake breakfast
There’s nothing better than fresh pancakes with butter and syrup on a weekend morning. Create a gift featuring personalized pancake mix, maple syrup, and maybe a small ornament.
Make it simple so recipients just add basics like water, oil, and eggs. You can also regionalize the gift with local syrups, dried fruits, or spices—or switch it up with a waffle or scone kit.
To make the gift even more fun, include a holiday-themed spatula or cookie cutter. It’s a small, inexpensive add-on that makes the box feel thoughtful and complete.
Reusable bottles
With almost everyone carrying a reusable water bottle these days, an infuser bottle is a great, healthy gift idea. Your recipients will be able to enjoy refreshing fruit-infused water year-round.
You can buy infusers for as little as 60 cents to upward of $30. And plastic water bottle infusers are great when it comes to shipping costs since they’re lightweight.
Water bottles aren’t your thing? Try a thermal travel coffee mug or even a hot tea infuser. If most of your gifts are traveling to the Northeast or Midwest, maybe a bag of hot chocolate and a festive holiday mug.
Comfort and coziness
We customized cozy socks and a scarf with a scalloped tag and postcard.
Whether warm and fuzzy for winter or playful for everyday wear, socks are always a hit. A quality pair runs $9–$20, less in bulk. To keep it simple, choose unisex sizes.
If you know your clients personally, customize with their interests—think French Bulldog socks or a team scarf. For West Coast recipients, swap socks for a beach towel, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
A little gift of green
We bought gold pots and succulents, then added scalloped labels with our tropical holiday templates.
Succulents are perfect low-cost gifts: inexpensive, easy to ship, and low maintenance.
Buy them online or at a local nursery for better selection and wholesale pricing. Keep shipping in mind—dry the soil, wrap the plant securely, and pack it snugly. Don’t forget to mark the box “perishable.”
On-the-go gift
We personalized each item in the bag with round labels, a banner tag, and a flat card.
If your clients or employees eat lunch on the move, a travel lunch bag is a thoughtful option. We filled ours with reusable containers and a thermal mug.
Want to save on costs? Swap the mug for reusable flatware or add a favorite snack with a personal note. The value is in the thought and personalization.
Organization in the bag
Organization makes a useful gift for anyone. A tote bag with a journal and pens is simple, affordable, and practical. Buy in bulk, or DIY with your own custom labels and iron-ons.
If you want to DIY your gift or only need one or two, simply add your own custom labels to the journal and try iron-on fabric transfers to create your own special bag.
Still want more?
The affordable gift ideas we created above are just that, ideas. Don’t feel limited to water bottle infusers, spa gifts, and socks. Replace water bottles with a coffee mug or succulents and a scented candle. The best part is you can make all of the labels, cards, and tags featured above using our free holiday templates.
Simply pick your product and choose from our huge catalog of designs you can personalize for your gifts. Order them online using Avery WePrint, our professional printing service, or buy blank labels or our printable in-pack products.
