How will you spend your Thanksgiving break?
When you're a broke college student, Christmas can bring more pain than good cheer to your wallet.
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If you're short on cash, Canal Street is great for gift shopping.
With holiday displays out, the storefronts on Fifth Avenue are beautiful to look at on an afternoon of intense holiday shopping. But if you're strapped for cash, it's best to avoid this avenue of temptation.
The key to affordable Christmas shopping is to find sales, sales, sales. Visit Target or department stores such as Macy's, where you can find a gift for anyone on your list. After Black Friday, almost every major retailer will be bursting with discounts and price drops each weekend.
Christmas gifts are best when they last beyond the season. Save money by not buying the newest fall items. New merchandise will be full price and may not have much staying power come next Christmas. Instead, opt to buy a staple piece to add to a loved one's wardrobe, like a durable coat or pair of leather boots. Take Express' belted wool military coat that costs $168 — somewhat steep, but it's the same look as a double-breasted Burberry coat, which can cost upward of $900.
An even better option is to buy accessories, not apparel. They make perfect stocking stuffers and are often dirt cheap. Pashmina scarves are a great gift idea for anyone — your 14-year-old little sister or your 80-year-old grandmother. You can buy the real deal from thepashminastore.com for around $35. If haggling is one of your strong suits, head to Canal Street to pick up a pashmina for everyone on your list for as little as $5 each (or less, if your powers of persuasion are strong enough). And for fun (but perhaps not sturdy) gifts, Canal is always a great stop on the Christmas shopping tour.
Also consider buying gifts outside of clothing stores. Something practical, like a bath set or housewares, is often less expensive and still appreciated. A signature collection gift set in any scent from Bath & Body Works is available for just $25. Or, if you know your mother's favorite perfume, surprise her with a new bottle — stores like Macy's often carry gift sets with smaller bottles for a lower price. If the person you're shopping for is handy in the kitchen, Target offers huge sales on housewares, as well as free shipping for online orders of $50 or more. Check out their sleek stainless steel 18-piece grill set for dad.
Above all, be open to anything you see for Christmas gift ideas. Street vendors and hole-in-the-wall gift shops can offer even cheaper and more personal gifts than department stores can offer. Better to spend $10 on something quirky and likable than to spend $100 on something impersonal.
