The holidays are around the corner, and so is the season of getting gifts for the people you are closest to. Being a great gift giver seems hard, especially on a high-schooler’s budget, but it’s actually not too difficult.

Everyone wants to buy their best friends their dream gifts. However, it’s hard to do when you’re running low on cash and what they want isn’t really cost-effective. A good way to get them what they want without emptying all the contents of your wallet is to find a cheaper alternative. Cheaper doesn’t automatically mean bad quality!

For example, if one of your friends wants an expensive new eyeshadow palette from Sephora, get them a palette of similar color from a cheaper brand. Makeup brands like NYX, L.A. Girl, and J. Cat make good quality makeup for a fraction of the price.

If your friends want nice clothes, sites like romwe.com and beautifulhalo.com have cute clothes (even high-fashion brand replicas) for guys and girls.

If you’re super broke, get them a gift everyone appreciates. Treat them to some food from one of their favorite places. Chances are, you won’t need to go anywhere crazy expensive. Everyone loves some good fast food. Places like Chipotle, In-N-Out, or McDonalds are most teenagers’ favorites. Even just a drink from Starbucks, I know I would appreciate it. You could also get them a gift card. About $15 at most fast food restaurants goes a long way, so you’ll be feeding them for quite some time.

Inviting someone out somewhere is also really fun. Take your friends to the mall, eat out, and go shopping together. No need to wonder about what they want there! Watching a movie together is also a really good option.

You could also take them to an amusement park. Season pass holders for most parks, like Six Flags and Knott’s Berry Farm, have days where you can bring a friend free, so you don’t have to spend a lot of extra cash.

Even just having a get-together at the beach, a park, or a friend’s house is great.  It doesn’t have to be an expensive outing at all!

Also, who said a gift had to be bought? Handmade gifts are just as great as store bought ones. They don’t have to be something made out of popsicle sticks and glue. Draw a picture of you and the person you’re giving the gift to, even if you can’t draw all that well. Print out pictures of you and them and make it into a collage. They will appreciate how much you treasure your friendship. If one of my friends made me a collage of all of our best moments, I would literally cry on the spot.

Whatever you give them, make sure you give it to them with love. Tangible items that express how much you care about someone are always the best gifts, and they shouldn’t have to cost too much.