I used to think the toughest part of Christmas was pretending to like mulled wine. Then I tried holiday shopping on a budget.
Every December, I make the same promise to myself: this year, I’ll be organised. I’ll start early. I’ll spend wisely. I’ll do everything in my power to avoid panic scrolling at midnight on the 23rd.
But somewhere between the office Secret Santa and a cousin who has developed a newfound obsession for designer skincare, things unravel. Suddenly, I’m £64 deep into novelty candle territory and wondering if I’ve just paid for packaging over substance.
There’s an art to finding a gift that feels thoughtful yet won’t require liquidating your assets. It’s about knowing when to steer clear of the trending gadget that will end up in the depths of some dark drawer, and when to invest in something small but satisfying.
Little luxuries don’t have to cost a fortune, and you can treat your favourite people to brand new home accessories, trinket dishes, wellness essentials and fashion accessories (bag charms included) that are high-end but low-budget – so long as you follow my lead.
This year, with wallets tighter and expectations unchanged, the brief is clear: gifts that land well, look good and cost less than a round of espresso martinis. I’ve trawled the virtual and physical shops to bring you a selection that won’t induce regret or an overdraft alert.
From stocking fillers that aren’t pure stuffing to under £50 surprises that don’t feel like afterthoughts, here are the best affordable Christmas gifts of 2025. Thoughtful, tasteful and, crucially, within budget. You can even skip the mulled wine.
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Damson Madder Garter Scrunchie - Yellow Tartan
Two perennially stylish sartorial concepts marry in this brilliant festive accessory: tartan and scrunchies. Crafted from 100 per cent organic cotton, it can be worn as a classic scrunchie, or unravelled and woven into a plait.
Buy now £25.00, Damson Madder
Pied de Poule Extra Virgin Olive Oil
A little bit of extra virgin olive oil goes a long way in a foodie household, especially one housed in a vessel as glorious as this. Sourced from the Tarragona region of Catalonia and made from handpicked olives, your recipient can even reuse the bottle once it’s empty.
Buy now £22.00, Not Another Bill
Monchhichi Bearchichi Keyring
Think of Monchhichi as the cuter, vintage cousin of Labubu. Any keychain/bagcharm obsessive would be delighted to receive one this Christmas.
Buy now £16.00, UO
Stripe Little Glass Table Lamp
This miniature table lamp makes for the perfect reading accessory or bar cart companion. Crafted from glass with a stripe design, it requires one E27 25W bulb.
Buy now £39.00, UO
Opinel Kitchen Essentials
Who’d have thought you could bag a set of beautiful kitchen essentials for under £40? A brilliant gift for the budding chef in your life, this selection from Opinel includes paring, serrated and vegetable knives as well as a handy peeler.
Buy now £35.00, Not Another Bill
Monty Medium Shoulder Bag - Butter Yellow & Espresso
Whether you live in the city or the countryside, chances are you’ve spotted one of these stripy nylon totes from Monty. Handcrafted in India and complete with an inside pocket and zip-fastening, it’s the utilitarian accessory you didn’t know you needed. The brand is home to small, medium and large tote styles, as well as cosmetic pouches.
Buy now £45.00, Monty
Quail Dachshund Salt and Pepper Shakers
I was amazed to find that these precious, Daschund-shaped, ceramic salt and pepper mills were under £40. Crafted by British ceramics brand Quail, they’re set to be a much-loved heritage adornment on Christmas tables for years to come.
Buy now £38.00, Liberty
Malin + Goetz Essentials Kit
The ultimate travel kit for the frequent flyer, this Malin + Goetz essentials pack includes the wellness brand’s best-sellers: the grapefruit face cleanser, vitamin E face moisturiser, bergamot body wash, vitamin B5 moisturiser, peppermint shampoo and cilantro conditioner. Superfood for your skin.
Buy now £35.00, Selfridges
The GKOMB
The gift for the person in your life who loves a proper ‘do, the GKOMB is an anti-frizz and anti-static comb designed to help create the perfect, voluminous, brushed-through waves for a post-salon look every time.
Buy now £19.99, The GKOMB
Gold Oyster Shell Trinket Dish in William Morris Pimpernel
Handcrafted in the UK, it’s hard to believe these oyster shell trinket dishes didn’t come from an ancient treasure chest buried somewhere deep in the ocean. Gilded and glamorous, each dish has been hand-painted using liquid gold leaf which extends to the rim of the real oyster shell, perfectly complimenting the sage green and blue William Morris Pimpernel inner design.
Buy now £12.95, Etsy
Owala FreeSip
Best for: the aesthetically pleasing water bottle of dreams
One of the winners of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2023, Owala was praised for its mantra of ‘hydration made fun’. The brand was founded with the intention to – as they put it – create magic out of the ordinary, transforming the mundanity of daily hydration into a fun experience for all.
The Owala FreeSip is the brand’s hero product, though they have an array of other options fit for kids and avid hikers. The FreeSip is available in five different sizes ranging from 710ml to 1 litre and is offered in an array of lovely colourways. It’s got triple-layer insulation, a handy carry handle, a built-in straw, and a large opening for chugging. We’re big fans of the push-button spring opening for easy hydration on the move.
Buy now £27.99, Amazon
Casio A168WG-9EF
Casio’s the Japanese timepiece giant that’s been at the top of the digital watch game since the 80s. Worn by Marty in Back to the Future and Saltburn’s Oliver Quick as well as Dustin in Stranger Things, it’s a brand that’s just as popular on screen as it is off. Our favourite? The brand’s vintage collection, which leans into the retro aesthetic.
Buy now £49.99, Argos
Whitebox Cocktails
You’ve seen them in that cool new pizza place everyone’s talking about, and in every hip hotel minibar from here to Land’s End.
Now Whitebox Cocktails - the makers of those dinky colourful cans of Pocket Negroni and Squeezy’s Margaritas - is allowing you to pick n’ mix a bundle of its six cutest, tastiest cocktails to enjoy this Christmas.
The weeny serves make brilliantly fun stocking fillers for adults or package up the entire box to surprise your favourite barfly this year.
Buy now £35.99, Selfridges
The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu
Now a Netflix series produced by the creators of Game of Thrones, Cixin Liu’s best-selling The Three-Body Problem takes its name from the scientific query which describes a three-planet system trapped in one another’s gravitational pull. The novel begins with a gruesome history of the Chinese Cultural Revolution before jumping four decades into a timeline which sees the Beijing police ask nanotech engineer Wang Miao to infiltrate a cult-like group of scientists after a wave of suicides.
Wang soon discovers a bizarre virtual reality game which centres around a strange alien civilisation that is near extinction forever due to a series of turbulent, supposedly unpredictable solar events caused by the dangerous gravitational interactions of its three suns. What unfolds is a conspiracy which spans space and time, threatening the destruction of more than one race.
Buy now £9.99, Waterstones
Della Vite Prosecco D.O.C Treviso Rosé 75cl
The brainchild of the Delevingne sisters – Chloe, Poppy and Cara – Della Vita is punchy for a Prosecco but worth every penny. For Valentine's Day 2025, the brand has unveiled a gift-ready version of its Della Vite’s DOC Treviso Rosé in a rose gold embossed gift box. Bubbling with notes of wild berries, rhubarb and fruit, the delicate sparkling wine is 100 per cent vegan-friendly too.
Buy now £22.00, Sainsbury's
Liga Candle Holders
These beautiful, neutral pillar candle holders are made from 100 per cent eco recycled sweetcorn husks. They make a fine addition to any sustainable dinner table and can be wrapped with festive branches for Christmas dinner.
Buy now £18.00, NOTHS
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
Kiran Desai’s long-awaited first novel in nearly twenty years follows two Indian protagonists - Sonia, an aspiring writer studying in Vermont, and Sunny, a journalist in New York - each overwhelmed by solitude abroad.
After a disastrous matchmaking attempt by their families in India, they remain apart, haunted by cultural dislocation and emotional distance. Sonia becomes entwined in a troubling affair with an older artist; Sunny grapples with unacknowledged love and racial isolation.
A sweeping, multi‑generational love story and social novel about home, class, art and the internal geography of longing.
Buy now £18.09, Amazon
Grind Coffee
London-based Grind has built a cult following with its pink tins and eco-friendly ethos, offering compostable pods and refill packs alongside beans. Their signature house blend, available pre-ground or whole, combines South American Arabica beans to create a profile that is smooth, rich and approachable. Expect hints of chocolate, almond and a gentle fruitiness, making it adaptable to most brew methods.
Buy now £9.95, Grind
Bimba y Lola Blue Ropes Key Ring
Marine knots meet Mediterranean colour in Bimba y Lola’s rope key ring. Bold, practical, and delightfully unprecious, it’s ideal for those who like their charms more functional than frilly, but still capable of brightening a rainy commute.
Buy now £36.40, Bimba y Lola
IDEA Sorry I Don’t Work Here Cap
For those who like a quippy slogan, put IDEA on your radar. The brand was founded as a vintage bookstore – which is still on London’s Wardour Street – but it’s since branched into menswear, with caps, tops and bags printed with tongue-in-cheek phrase.
Buy now £45.00, End Clothing
Patent Buckled Mary Jane Flats
Paint the town rouge with a pair of delightfully glossy patent Mary Jane flats from Charles & Keith. Style them with a pair of white ribbed socks and a pair of vintage Levi 501s for the ultimate French It-girl look.
Buy now £55.00, Charles & Keith
CREED Women's Sample Inspiration Fragrance Gift Set
Creed's fragrances are legendary, but they don't exactly come cheap. Before you stump up for a full-size bottle, get your hands on this discovery set which includes five vials. You can see how they develop and how long they last before picking your fave.
Buy now £45.00, John Lewis
A Cook’s Tour by Anthony Bourdain
While many foodies have devoured Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, his fantastic A Cook’s Tour is one for the gastronomical globe-trotters. The radical chef and unconventional writer dives into the heart of Southeast Asia’s culinary movement, exploring everything from consuming the still-beating heart of a live cobra in Saigon to enjoying an ice-cold beer in the midst of cross-country travel mayhem.
Buy now £12.09, Amazon
Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream
Certainly the best named anti-cellulite treatment around, this thick, whipped cream is now a cult classic for a reason. The hero ingredient is guarana, an Amazonia vine that contains five times the amount and power of caffeine, allowing it to deliver a potent stimulating and draining effect to help reduce the look of cellulite as well as smooth the skin’s surface.
Coconut oil, cupuaçu butter and Brazil nut extract all work to keep up incredible hydration so skin feels like satin and looks tightened, plus the sweet nutty, scent will transport you to Rio in seconds.
Buy now £21.00, lookfantastic
London: Portrait of a City by Reuel Golden
This photographic chronicle captures London in all its glory, grit, and eccentricity over 150 years.
From grand boulevards to quiet backstreets, Reuel Golden compiles a visual celebration of change, continuity, and everyday life. The city emerges as a living canvas, where history, culture, and ordinary moments coexist, offering a panoramic and intimate tribute to London.
Buy now £43.90, Amazon
Chelsea Peers Enchanted Glade Print Button Up Long Pyjamas
Another absolute winner, if you’re yet to try a pair of ultra-soft and stylish pyjamas from Chelsea Peers, you’re in for a treat. This set from the brand’s latest autumn/winter collection feels like something out of a fairy-tale. I’m head over heels for the easy breezy three-quarter length sleeves paired with a 70s-style bell-bottomed trouser silhouette. They’re not wildly expensive but feel wonderfully luxurious, thanks to the 95 per cent recycled fibre jersey.
Buy now £45.00, Chelsea Peers
Beaded Phone Ropes
Available in cobalt, blue, black and orange, these stylish beads actually serve as a functional phone charm - perfect for the person in your life who either loses their phone often, or simply needs it close by at all times.
Buy now £14.00, Not Another Bill
Kocktail Espresso Martini, 50cl
Housed in a chic glass vessel, Kocktail’s premixed expresso martini has been crafted with premium ingredients. From Italy’s favourite coffee liqueur, Borghetti, to Wheatley vodka and a cold brew by trendy oat milk connoisseurs Minor Figures, we’ll safely class this option as the Gen Z espresso martini. We mean that as a compliment. The 500ml bottle has a 20 per cent ABV.
Buy now £27.00, John Lewis
Tajin Keyring
Simply can’t bear the idea of bland food? Why should you, when you can add a Tajin charm to your lunch bag and enjoy chilli and lime flavours whenever the occasion calls? This one is refillable, so you can always have a stash of tasty seasoning when you need it.
Buy now £2.00, Mex Grocer
