Business owners should express their appreciation to employees and subcontractor staff to show them how valued they are in the business. After all, relationships grow out of kindness and gratitude. But what do we give them that won’t break the bank? Today, we are sharing affordable gift ideas for others. Instead of hunting for these items, we shared various options and tips below to help you.
Gift Ideas
- Artificial or real succulent plant that requires little to no watering
- Wireless or Corded Earbuds
- Homemade dishes, plates , or engraved cutting boards
- Customize a mug for a staff member.
- Purchase Lunch for them and their family.
- Grocery store gift cards
- Wine and Beer Artisan types
- Additional affordable gift ideas
Full disclosure: if it says “affiliate” next to the company name, we receive a small referral commission if you click-through and purchase something on the affiliate’s site. We are an Amazon (affiliate) Associate and will also receive a small referral commission if you were to click-through and purchase something on Amazon (affiliate).com at no additional cost to you. Happy shopping! Thank you for supporting our small business!
Artificial or real succulent plant that requires little to no watering
A real or artificial plant (affiliate) is always an excellent gift for a staff member. It can be for someone who works from home or in an office environment. A splash of green in an office makes the room more comfortable and less sterile. Below, I am sharing plant (affiliate) gifts I found on Amazon (affiliate)(affiliate). Feel free to click it to purchase.
Artificial Succulent Arrangement in Round Gray Cement Planter Pot
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Artificial Succulents in Pots With Geometric Patterns 4 pk
Buy Now →(affiliate)
Wireless or Corded Earbuds
We all use earbuds. Whether wireless or with a microphone, we can use an extra pair of earbuds. This would also include wireless headsets and Conduction Headphones. They are a valuable gift for any colleague. Click the earbuds below from Amazon (affiliate).
Noise Canceling Earbuds in-Ear Headphones, 5 Years Warranty
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Noise Cancelling earbuds, JBL Pure Bass Sound, Bluetooth 5.3
Buy Now →(affiliate)
Homemade dishes, plates, or engraved cutting boards
Another gift idea is to find a store that offers engraving to customize a product for your employee/staff member. Adding the first name, nickname, or initials can be fun to give something more meaningful. Finding something small that can be placed in the office or their home and customizing it for a particular person means you took some time to decide what to write. It does mean a lot. Below are gift ideas I found on Amazon (affiliate).
Buy Now → (affiliate)
Customize a mug for a staff member.
There are many mugs to choose from in this Amazon (affiliate) collection. Maybe you want to add their name, favorite sport, favorite photo, family picture, or anything else. They can also be insulated tumblers. Think about that person’s favorite hobbies and pick a phrase or image related to them. You can create them in larger quantities to save money and give them to several people.
Buy Now → 
Gift: Personalized Water Bottle Gifts for Women
Buy Now →(affiliate)
Purchase Lunch for them and their family.
Another affordable gift idea for your employees and subcontractors is to treat them to a meal. You can host an in-office party for your staff and their families. Getting the whole event catered or cooking yourself to save money works. Either way, people do appreciate a free meal. You can even have prizes and awards for the best employee of the year, the best team of the year, etc. Acknowledgements are always crucial in the workplace.
Some companies offer their employees a free dinner. Giving gift cards to restaurants or reimbursing them may be an option for you and your business. Be sure to check with your accountant to ensure you can do this gift idea. You may or may not be able to use it as a tax deduction. You also may have to include it as income on your employees’ paystubs. Get more information from your accountant before doing this one.
Grocery store gift cards
Groceries are so expensive nowadays because of inflation. Giving any form of gift card is considered a fringe benefit. Read more about it here in this post. If you want to provide them with grocery store gift cards, make sure you know how to track them in your accounts. Talk with your accountant first.
Wine and Beer Artisan types
I found that giving wine and beer is kind and appreciative only to people who drink it. Consider buying artisan types with unique flavors. Check out online stores like Goldbelly, iGourmet, and Yummy Bazaar for some unique and regional gift ideas. While some people like dark beers or red wines, others prefer lighter beers or white wines. Ensure you know exactly what the recipient likes before purchasing. Taking a few seconds to ask staff members what they like will make the gift more meaningful.
Sending beer and wine in Pennsylvania is an issue. But other states may be OK with mailing alcohol. Be sure to check with your state and the recipient’s state before sending anything.
You can visit Fine Wine and Good Spirits’ website to shop their gifts section to see what you can buy.
Tax implications for giving gifts!
You can only deduct $25.00 per person per year for business gifts. If you ship it, you can deduct the shipping as well. Read more by visiting this post that talks about tax deductibility from FreshBooks (affiliate).
Always keep paper or digital copies of the gift receipts, even if you can only deduct part of them.
Additional affordable gift ideas
Update 2025: There are many other gift options beyond the ones I mentioned above. Below is a list of them.
- Bags & Totes gifts – these bags could be embroidered. At Custom Ink, you can create your own design.
- Self-care gifts for women (affiliate) or self-care gifts for men (affiliate)
- Desk accessories (affiliate) – extraordinary things that will help them at work to keep them organized.
- Water bottles – custom or high-quality water bottle brands like YETI Rambler 26 oz bottle (affiliate).
- Experience Gifts (no clutter gift ideas) – Visit our post on our sister blog, Sabrina’s Organizing, called “Tons of No Clutter Gift Ideas“
- Travel Accessories – visit this post for more ideas
- Handmade gifts – visit this post for more ideas
- Vacation gifts accessories (affiliate) – do they love the summer, the beach, camping?
- Hobby gifts, accessories/neat gadgets – do they like to knit? How about riding their bike? Give them a gift card to do their favorite hobby.
Well, there you have it. Whatever you choose to give to your staff, make it a thoughtful gift rather than a generic one. Showing how much you appreciate them is essential. After all, they support you and your business’s success, giving them the courtesy of your time.
Visit our other gift ideas posts for more inspiration:
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