How parents can save money on teachers’ gifts this Christmas, according to personal finance expert

It might be the season of goodwill but, for parents, December can mean a never-ending to-do list accompanied by enormous worry about how to pay for it all.

Sorting out a present for class teachers is one task that can tip parents over the edge. With this in mind, CashLady.com’s Personal Finance Expert, Dan Whittaker, has put together some ideas on quick and easy thank you gifts for teachers that needn’t cost a week’s wages or a nervous breakdown.

“When it comes to the question of how much you “should” spend on a gift for your child’s teacher, the honest answer is – nothing! There are a number of ways that you can show your appreciation free of charge, or if you were looking to spend something these six ideas can cost just £5 per gift. Frugal is the new thank you!”

Homemade

“The least expensive option is to have your children make something heartfelt. Salt dough Christmas decorations are incredibly quick and easy to make. Your child can decorate them and their teacher will remember them each year when they decorate their tree. Likewise, a simple set of cork coasters can be painted and will give teachers somewhere to put their favourite mug. Even a hand painted card or picture will be enough to show your child’s teacher how much they’re appreciated. There really is no need to buy expensive gifts to show real gratitude. These ideas shouldn’t be more than about £5 each, or could even be free with items found around the house.”

Sweets and chocolate

“Sweets and chocolates are a Christmas must have so you can’t go wrong with a simple box of Celebrations. If you want to make the gift more personal, clean out some food jars and decorate with ribbons or yarn then fill with sweets or chocolate that teachers can dip into over the holidays. These are great if you have multiple teachers or teaching assistants to buy for as they are very cost effective. The jars are free and the confectionery costs a maximum of £5 if you make the most of supermarket offers. You could even label them with something a little note like ‘thanks for being so sweet’ for extra ‘ahh’ points.”

Funny or personal

“Depending on your relationship with the teacher, you might want to get them something a bit more personal or humorous. You could put together a teacher survival kit by buying an inexpensive pencil case and putting things like a stress ball, paracetamol, red pens and tea bags inside. You’ll also find lots of good deals on photo calendars at the moment so could make one with silly pictures of the kids in class or inspirational quotes for the year ahead. Online marketplaces like eBay and Etsy sell canvas tote bags that you can print slogans on, such as Miss Smith’s bag of books for around £7. The personal touch might be a bit more of a stretch at around £10 in total so maybe save for those teachers who have gone the extra mile.”

Relaxation

“Most teachers really do earn the Christmas break, so why not give them something to help them relax. Wrap an old shoe box in nice paper and fill it with things like bath salts, a sachet of hot chocolate, some tea lights and a magazine they might like. Shops like Aldi have designer inspired candles now too and everyone likes a nice smelly candle. You could also dig out an old gift bag, put some tissue inside and buy a couple of nice bath bombs as a thoughtful but inexpensive gift that shows you know how hard teachers work. Genuine appreciation often goes much further than spending lots of money.”

The classics

“It can seem like there’s a bit of a trend for parents to outdo one another and send elaborate gifts but, in reality, most teachers are happy with a bottle of plonk or even some flowers. You’ll likely have sussed out which teachers enjoy a beer or a glass of red at the various Christmas fayres or summer barbecues by now. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with sending a good old bottle of wine, prosecco or bucks fizz, or a couple of cans of beer. If you’d rather avoid alcohol then a bunch of flowers or a small plant is another traditional alternative. You could even go festive with a classic poinsettia.”

Vouchers

“If you’re part of a parents’ whatsapp chat (and let’s be honest who isn’t) then organising a collection is a really inexpensive way to get the class teacher a decent amount of vouchers that they can spend how they want. Voucher schemes like Love2Shop or One4all let them buy from multiple places, or even just an Amazon voucher will be well received. If a class of 30 contributes £5 each that’s £150! Even just £3 each would be £90.”

“We all want to make sure we send good cheer and thank all of the people who have helped us over the year. However, costs soon add up, as does the pressure. Try to keep it simple and know that teachers aren’t judging who got them what. Like many of us, they’re just happy to have a break over Christmas and enjoy time with family and friends. That’s what the spirit of Christmas is really about after all.”

Dan Whittaker is a Consumer Finance Expert at Financial Conduct Authority authorised and regulated credit broker CashLady.com. Dan has released these comments to help Brits save money ahead of the colder Autumn months, which is particularly crucial during the current cost of living crisis.