11 Best Gifts Under $10 | Reviews + Guide

Let’s be honest. The perfect gift doesn’t always have to be an expensive one. The best gift is one that is a thoughtful gift and one that will make the other person feel loved and special. You can totally get gifts for under $10 that the other person will love. 

So, here is a list of 11 inexpensive gifts for when you’re on a budget. 

Top Gifts Under $10

1. Nite Ize DoohicKey Keychain Multi-Tool - Best For Hikers

Keychains are the best inexpensive gifts to give someone. This Nite Ize keychain has multiple tools built into it, including a bottle opener, a box cutter, 3 wrench sizes, a metric ruler, a standard ruler, and a flathead screwdriver. You can clip this multi-functional keychain to your bag strap or any other convenient loops or hooks. 

Moreover, the keychain is very compact in size, making it travel-friendly. You also don’t need to worry about the durable steel construction getting stuck in the airport TSA line. This keychain is airport and travel-friendly! 

All in all, this is a pretty great gift for anyone. It has a lot of functionality and can also be used on hikes and adventurous trips. 

2. Letmy Tactical Flashlight - Best For Adventurous People

This is no ordinary flashlight. The Letmy tactical flashlight can give a maximum output of 300 Lumens and is 30% brighter than ordinary flashlights. This mini LED torch can produce an intense beam of light up to 600 feet. This makes it great for anyone who likes to go hiking, fishing, or go on spontaneous adventurous trips. 

With so much light intensity, the torch is only 3.6 inches in length. So, it can easily fit in the palm of your hand. You can also easily fit it inside a pocket or clip it onto a belt loop. Additionally, it has three light modes: high, low, and strobe. 

Moreover, the torch is made from extremely durable military-grade aluminum alloy and steel, with a hard anodized finish. This makes the torch surface anti-abrasive, drop-resistant, and waterproof. 

The package also comes with a quick guide to help you know more about the torch and its batteries. 

3. Dash Mini Waffle Maker - Best For Foodies

Who doesn’t love waffles? And who doesn’t love mini versions of everyday things? Combine the two, and you get this adorable Dash mini waffle maker. You can even make hash browns, waffled cookies, and biscuit pizzas. Thus, this is an excellent addition to the kitchen for someone with a sweet tooth. 

The mini waffle maker has a 4-inch cooking surface, giving out single-serve pieces every time. So, it is a great Christmas gift as it emits the perfect cozy vibe. Additionally, you can also give this as the perfect housewarming gift. 

All you need to do is plug the waffle maker in, and the delicious waffles will start to cook in no time. The dual non-stick surfaces will provide an even and consistent cook, giving you tasty golden waffles each time. 

Moreover, the package also includes a mini recipe guide to help that one friend who has no clue about cooking or baking. 

4. Hyeta Water Bottle - Best For Hydration Lovers

With the amount of time we spend on self-care and skin care products, I think we can all agree we forget to hydrate our bodies regularly. A handy water bottle can help with forgetting to drink water. This is where the Hyeta 32 oz water bottle comes in. 

This cool-colored water bottle is illustrated with motivational quotes and times to drink. You can easily measure your daily water intake and keep yourself hydrated. The water bottle also comes with a straw, making the drinking process more fun. Hence, you can keep it on your work or school desk and sip away all day long.  

Additionally, the flip-top lid includes a durable lock, which makes the bottle anti-dust and anti-leak. The bottle is made of BPA and toxin-free plastic. It is also resistant to fall and does not break easily. 

So, this is a great holiday gift for your friends and family who really need to up their water intake. You can also give it to kids to get them into the habit of drinking water regularly. 

5. Lavender Essential Oil Roll-On - Best For Self-Care Hobbyists

Beauty and self-care gifts are some of the best presents you can give to someone. This aromatherapy roll-on is made from USDA-certified organic lavender essential oil. Lavender essential oil is one of the most popular essential oils used around the globe. So, if you had to choose one essential oil, it has to be lavender because of its ancient healing properties. 

This oil can be used both cosmetically and therapeutically for deep healing and calming reasons. Just rubbing some of the oil on your temples and wrists will help calm your mind and body. 

The built-in stainless steel rollerball allows for precise and controlled dispensing to any specific part of the body, while the premium amber glass bottle provides the best UV protection to help maintain the oil’s composition and prevent oxidation. 

But enough about the chemistry of it all. The roll-on bottle is very travel-friendly, being small enough to fit in any bag and pass through airport security with ease. You don’t have to worry about any spills during storage, either!

So, this is a great gift for your friends and family. It will be like an amazing smell and an easy-to-carry stress reliever for anyone! 

6. Paper Mate Flair Felt Tip Pens - Best For Calligraphy

These felt tip pens are a great gift for the holidays for that friend or family member who loves to draw and create art. Felt tip pens are the kings of the stationery world, with stationery lovers boasting huge collections of them. So, this is a great gift for someone artsy.

The pens are smear and fade-resistant. So, you don’t have to worry about any smudges ruining a precious drawing. Additionally, the water-based ink will not bleed through your paper, while the paint guard prevents the tip from fraying. 

You can get these soft felt tip pens in varying numbers but the one under $10 contains 12 different colors, namely: black, blue, green, lilac, lime, magenta, pink, purple, red, sky blue, tangerine, and yellow. 

7. UCreate Poly Cover Sketchbook - Best For Artists

A sketchbook is a perfect gift for someone who loves painting, drawing, or artsy writing. This UCreate polycover sketchbook has a weight of 70 lbs with a durable black and white poly cover. 

The spiral-bound spine and the perforated pages will make it easy to take out your masterpieces after you have finished painting them. Thus, this is the perfect sketchbook for beginners and intermediate artists. 

Even though the paper isn’t thick enough, artists can still use this sketchbook for their rough sketches or to practice different art techniques. Either way, you will be giving them something they can get a lot of use out of. 

8. Bonve Pet LED Strip Lights - Best Trendy Gift

If you have been anywhere near Instagram or TikTok for the past year, you must have seen LED strip lights featured almost everywhere. With these, you can light up any room in a variety of colors to get a cool and stylish effect. 

The Bonve Pet LED lights are very easy to install, you just need to tear off the tape, and the strong adhesive will stick to any clean, dry, and flat surface in just seconds. The three colors displayed by these lights are red, blue, and green. 

You can actually control the strip lights with a stable Bluetooth connection app and a 44 keys IR remote. Additionally, you can program the lights to change according to any music playing. Imagine the lights changing at every beat drop of your favorite song. Now that’s a great Christmas gift to give to someone. 

Moreover, you can set the LED lights to switch on/off automatically at the chosen date and time. 

9. Freshcut Paper Pop-Up Cards - Best For Flower-Lovers

Do you remember the cute pop-up cards you used to make in your craft classes when you were in school? Well, FYI, they can serve as extremely cute gifts as well! Buy these special cards from Freshcut Paper that pop up with a beautiful bouquet every time you open them. 

Whether it’s Christmas, a birthday, or you just feel very affectionate, these pop-up bouquets of flowers will brighten up any day. A blank notecard is also included with the card, so you can write any personal message if you wish to. You also get an envelope ready to mail anywhere in the United States. 

The high-quality paper, the vivid colors, and the whimsical designs will surely amaze anyone who receives this beautiful gift. Additionally, the card is made from 100% recyclable paper. 

10. Amazon Basics Sketch And Drawing Art Pencil Kit - Best For Beginner Artists

Another artist gift for you! This Amazon Basics sketch and drawing art pencil kit is perfect for any amateur or intermediate artist. The kit consists of six pencils (H, 2H, B, 2B, 3B, and HB), three charcoal pencils (hard, medium, and soft), and four compressed sketch sticks (2 charcoal and 2 conte.)

The kit also includes 1 regular eraser, 1 kneaded eraser, 1 dual-barrel sharpener, and 1 blender/smudge stick. So, any artist can draw out their masterpieces using this simple art kit. 

Due to its simplicity and variety, this art pencil kit is perfect for artists of all skill levels. Whether it’s a friend just getting into the world of art or someone who is already extremely experienced, any artist can get a lot of use out of this kit. 

11. Suck UK Drumstick Ballpoint Pens - Best For Music Lovers

Do you know anyone who has an annoying habit of tapping their pen on the table while they’re working? Well, you can turn the habit into more annoying by giving them these drumstick ballpoint pens. 

These drumsticks will make even the most boring homework or work assignments interesting and fun. If you have a younger niece or nephew, these pens would be the perfect Christmas present for them. Although, their parents might not be too grateful towards you after. 

Moreover, even fidgety friends and colleagues will appreciate this musical gift. Turn your notepad into a drum pad and your pen into a drumstick, and tap your work away in harmony!

Buying Guide For Perfect Gifts Under $10

The Christmas and holiday season visits you every year, but you might not have enough money to buy everyone in your life expensive gifts every year. But do only expensive gifts show that you care about someone? Not at all!

Giving good gifts is a matter of knowing the person well and catering to their preferences. Then, the price tag does not matter. A beeswax lip balm for someone with dry lips and a honey body lotion for someone addicted to skincare. This is how you get the perfect gift for someone. 

To help you figure out your inexpensive gift list, here is a handy guide to help you out with your holiday shopping. 

1. Personal Touch

The best thing about giving a gift to someone is making the gift personalized. That shows that you really know the other person and are considerate about their interests. Why give a general gift when you can actually focus on the person’s interests and make them feel cared for? 

For instance, any person into skincare would love some chamomile deep cleansing cream or some coconut foot cream. Someone who is facing anxiety issues would definitely appreciate a one-minute gratitude journal to jot down their thoughts. A freelance writer would love a mouse pad or a laptop cover. 

Other fun options for personalized gifts are a jade roller, a gua sha set for a home spa, a makeup bag, a keychain, a luxury candle, a dog food bowl, etc. By now, I am sure you get the point, which is to personalize the gift. This way, you’ll be able to get fabulous gifts for everyone on your list without emptying out your wallet. 

2. Usefulness

Another important thing about a gift is its usefulness or utility. This literally means that the gift must be somewhat useful to the recipient to make it worthwhile. Just because you’re giving someone a $10 gift doesn’t mean the gift has to be completely useless. 

The best gifts are the ones that are fun and useful at the same time, like adorable Christmas mugs, quirky keychains, soap bark products, some hand salve, teapots for tea lovers, coffee makers for coffee lovers, and fandom sketchbooks. You can find your own unique combination of fun and utility to cater to each person’s interests. 

3. Quality

I know you might be thinking that gifts under $10 cannot be high quality. But that is just a false assumption. If you buy gifts that are normally very expensive but are available for under $10, that gift obviously won’t be of high quality. 

Instead, go for products that are normally available under $10, like keychains, creams, or a puzzle. This way, you can rest assured that the product you are buying is of good quality. 

I am sure you imagine the embarrassment when the gift you gave someone turns out to be even just a bit flimsy. So, ensure high quality within your set budget. 

4. Setting

The setting is an important factor to take into consideration while choosing the perfect gift for someone. For instance, white elephant exchange parties or Yankee swaps are quite popular around the holiday season. Since these events are characterized by unique gag gifts and quirky prank gifts, you need to keep that in mind while going gift shopping. 

The scenario completely changes when it's a family Christmas party or a friend’s party. Then, you actually need to buy a gift that is thoughtful and useful. Or, you can always give a prank gift to someone you have a great rapport with! 

How do I get a high-quality gift for under $10?

Quality is the biggest issue when it comes to buying inexpensive gifts. But this issue can easily be solved by choosing the gift correctly. You need to go for gifts that are normally available in this price range. That way, you can be sure that your gift is of high quality. 

High-end designer leather bags are not usually available under $10, so if you find one within that price, you will obviously know that it is of low quality. But keychains, art kits, and sketchbooks can be found within this budget. 

So, choosing the right product will ensure high quality. 

Is $10 a small budget for a Christmas gift?

Not at all! As I have explained throughout this article, it is the thought that counts. You can buy the best brand dress you can get with all its high prices, but what if the color is the person’s least favorite? That would just show a lack of thoughtfulness on your part. 

On the other hand, getting an inexpensive yet high-quality gift for someone that is of their favorite color would come off as so much more caring and affectionate. So, if you know the person, you can get the best gift for them for under $10. 

Some great gift options are inexpensive jewelry, silicone muffin makers, face creams, funky glasses, a lavish bath bomb, cat clothes for someone with a kitten, salt and pepper shakers, a decorated mug, a new toy, a potted plant, etc. 

Are $10 gifts good options for stocking stuffers?

In my opinion, $10 gifts might be too expensive to be used as stocking stuffers. Stocking stuffers are supposed to be very cheap and small. So, if you are out to save money, you can just buy $5 stocking stuffers. 

Or, if you would like to spend your money, go ahead and get the $10 stocking stuffers. There’s no rule anyway! 

Verdict

The Nite Ize Multi-tool keychain is one of the best options for Christmas gifts because of its functionality and compact nature. Hikers and travelers will recognize the importance of this handy tool. 

Another fun option for a great gift is the Dash mini waffle maker. I mean, It’s waffles! Need I say more? And the Hyeta hydration water bottle is just another great option to help inculcate healthy habits with a splash of cool colors. 

Thus, I hope this article helped you believe you can buy great gifts under $10 as well. Have a great time gift shopping this holiday season!