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Author:
Rachel Renée Russell

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Dork Diaries Book 14

Dork Diaries

#1 New York Times Bestselling Series

JUST FOR YOU!!
Miss Know-it-All's Advice
HOW TO:
Virtual PJ Party
Part 1

HOW TO:
Virtual PJ Party
Part 2

September 27, 2017

I NEED CHEAP BIRTHDAY GIFT IDEAS!!

Dork Diaries Ask Nikki Sept. 27th birthday gifts

Hi Nikki!

My birthday is coming up soon. I’m not exactly sure what I want yet. However, my parents keep asking me what I want, and I’m afraid to tell them because I don’t want to be judged. They are also constantly giving me the “Money doesn’t grow on trees” speech. So I feel like, if I ask for something over $20, they’ll get upset. Could you possibly give me some cheap gift ideas for tweens?

Thirteen,Thoughtful And Thrifty

Hi Thirteen, Thoughtful And Thrifty,

First of all, happy almost birthday!! Squeeee!!!

Second of all, LOVE your name. I should call myself that, too! 🙂

Look, it’s your BIRTHDAY. And your parents are ASKING you what you want! So, I just don’t think they’d get mad at you for asking for what you want. It’s always nice to suggest things with affordable price ranges when you’re making a wish list. But I don’t think you should be afraid to include something over $20 as long as you know you’re not going to get EVERYTHING on the list. It’s called a wishlist, after all. Not a gimme everything list!

Also important to note here—I have no idea what you’re into! So it’s kind of hard to tell you what you should ask for.

BUT when I read your letter, I thought it might be a fun and useful post, not only for you, but for anyone trying to come up with gift ideas. So I brainstormed some budget-friendly gifts for tweens! Hopefully some of them appeal to you, and if not, at least you’ll have a handy list the next time you need to get a present for your BFF!

  1. Nail polish/lip gloss/body shimmer—Basically raid the drugstore beauty section for lots of fun finds!
  2. Bath soaps/lotions/body sprays/candles—Find stuff like this for under $20 at your local Bath And Body Works or Body Shop to get your pampering on! And, let me tell you—they smell SOOOOOO good!!
  3. A Subscription to Girls’ World/Discovery Girls/American Girl Magazine—My BFFs, Chloe and Zoey, recommended this because they just LOVE reading mags! If you want to stay on top of all of the latest trends, hottest celebs and greatest advice, then this idea is definitely for you!
  4. Craft store goodies—Raid your nearest craft store for fun finds like gel pens, art supplies, journals, stickers, duct tape and MORE! All of this stuff tends to be reasonably priced as well.
  5. Jewelry—Not the big ticket stuff, obviously, but if you go to that accessory store in the mall where everyone gets their ears pierced, there’s TONS of cute stuff under $20!!
  6. Coloring books—If you hadn’t noticed, coloring books aren’t just for little kids anymore! There are some awesome, really intricate ones to choose from.
  7. Books—Books range in price, but paperbacks and most hardcovers are almost always under $20.
  8. iTunes Gift Card—Or a gift card to anywhere, really!
  9. Tech—Sure, most tech stuff falls under the category of $$$, but what about new ear buds, a charger, or a USB drive? Or if you have a phone, maybe a fun new case?
  10. Basically anything from a thrift store—you know how much I LOVE thrift stores, right? Well, it’s for a really good reason. The clothes and accessories there are SO affordable! Plus, you can find stuff that’s gently used or even new!
And those are just MY ideas! I bet my awesome readers have a whole bunch more! What are your favorite gift ideas for $20 and under?

Category: Ask Nikki Tags: birthdaynikki

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Comments

  1. sassy girl says

    October 10, 2017 at 7:44 pm

    to be honest, I think your great for being considerate and making sure it is under $20. My advice is that you ask for a gift card that way you get to buy something under $20.Also, you get what you want. go, girl. luv dorks.bye

  2. Teen Titans Go ! says

    October 10, 2017 at 6:49 pm

    Hi Thirteen,Thoughtful And Thrifty I Have Some Ideas
    1 . Coloring Books
    2.Books
    3. Jewelry.
    4.A Gift Card To( Starbucks Target ETC.)
    These Are Great Birthday Ideas For Whoever’s Birthday You’re Celebrating
    #Dorks4Eva
    #TTG Is Out

  3. Anonymous says

    October 10, 2017 at 4:10 pm

    I Love It

  4. Pink_Kitty9 says

    October 10, 2017 at 3:10 pm

    Also: you could ask for the brand new 12th Dork Diaries book! Squeeee! Book 12 is called “Dork Diaries: Tales From A Not-So-Secret Crush Catastrophe” I <3 Dork Diaries!

  5. jojo says

    October 10, 2017 at 2:04 pm

    nail polish

  6. Anonymous says

    October 10, 2017 at 1:03 am

    Hi, I have the same thing! I’m kind of over toys so I went for books!
    Here are some things I think you should try:

    1. Books!!
    Try books there is so much in to books!

    2. Sport
    If you do a sport for example gymnastics ask for a leotard!

    3. Gift cards
    If you really can’t think of anything? Ask for a gift card from your favorite store!

    • Dorkalicious says

      October 10, 2017 at 10:21 am

      books are a great idea girl! Here are my ideas:
      1.) ( If you like to do art, craft, or really anything! ) a gift card to hobby lobby (I love that store!)
      2.) If you are getting a gift for someone else, make sure you know what they like! If they like that store two blocks down from their house, get them a gift card or buy something really super special that she/he will like!
      3.) you could also ask for something that would be useful and you really need it! (like a coat, pillow, stuffed animals. Hey! Stuffies are important!) Or if you really need pens or mechanical pencils for school!
      4.) Our family is all for thrift stores, so if you saw something at a thrift store that you wanted but couldn’t buy right then, ask for that!

      I hope I helped! Dork on!

  7. KawaiiCookie12 says

    October 9, 2017 at 11:18 pm

    I have some ideas!

    1. Stickers
    Stickers are not as in the range of “fun” according to all of my WAY older sisters but I think stickers are awesome! What’s your opinion on stickers?
    2. Travel pack makeup
    You could take these makeup packs on the go! Just don’t put too much eyeshadow on…
    3. A tiny dream catcher
    These little, tiny things can catch a bad dream in a jiffy! And at the break of dawn, the bad dreams that were caught in the dream catcher will disappear….FOREVER!

    Hope I helped out!

  8. Anonymous says

    October 9, 2017 at 10:01 pm

    Maybe ask for a little plushie of some sort if you like stuffed animals, or a small toy or object you find in the stores!

  9. Isabellamarie10 says

    October 9, 2017 at 9:43 pm

    My friends birthdays are soon i dont know what to get them.

    • Mia says

      October 10, 2017 at 12:45 pm

      I think you should get them a home made present.

  10. cupcakechic72 says

    October 9, 2017 at 7:24 pm

    Thanks SO much!! My birthday was in August but NOW I know EXACTLY want I can ask for for CHRISTMAS!

  11. Pink_Kitty9 says

    October 9, 2017 at 5:24 pm

    Um… Could anyone be too old for toys?! Because I just saw an ad for this cool toy series called LOL suprise, and they have this thing called Big Suprise, and Big Suprise has 50 suprises, including the chance of a 1 krt DIAMOND CHARM!!!! 🙂

    • { } says

      October 9, 2017 at 7:03 pm

      DUH! No one is old enough for toys! My sister and I, along with my wayyy older cousins played dolls with us a few years back. It was the funniest time I ever played dolls in my life 😀

  12. Isabellamarie10 says

    October 9, 2017 at 3:10 pm

    I think you have a lot of suggestions but what about a phone case.

  13. EMMA says

    October 9, 2017 at 3:02 pm

    Earbuds on! I would get earbuds, they are like, 3 bucks! That’s WAAAY under 20$

  14. Spicy says

    October 9, 2017 at 12:58 pm

    Cool I don’t really like American girl though

  15. thanks4readingmyuselesscomment says

    October 9, 2017 at 12:43 pm

    squishes?? a cozy blanket?? a cool baking book? i hope i helped!!

    • shocked girl says

      October 9, 2017 at 4:25 pm

      I love all these things, if u went my school we would be bezzies !!!!!!!!

      #bff if met

    • #1DorkDiariesFAN says

      October 11, 2017 at 3:14 am

      I love squishes!! That’s such a good idea!!

  16. Art gir says

    October 9, 2017 at 10:22 am

    Room decor, or if u want ur parents can get stuff from thrift store and recycle old stuff by having old into new (making room decor, or anything) time with ur parent

  17. Miss Crazy for Dork Diaries says

    October 9, 2017 at 9:52 am

    Cute, trendy, cool bags!!! For cheap!!

  18. Ms. Beautiful says

    October 9, 2017 at 8:32 am

    New Phone Case

  19. Experty Girl says

    October 9, 2017 at 6:02 am

    Come on!!! this is what i do: i go to a mall or a store and find something that matches my personality! Its real helpful, you should try it too

  20. NIKKI says

    October 9, 2017 at 1:02 am

    🙂

  21. Sticker girl says

    October 8, 2017 at 9:22 pm

    STICKERS 4 EVER!!!!!!
    I ❤️ Stickers
    # TOTALLY ADDICTED TO STICKERS!!!!!!

  22. Mrs.Beauty says

    October 8, 2017 at 1:10 pm

    I totally agree with Nikki!!!! Now aren’t you really a wonderful dork NIkki? You know exactly what to say, when it comes to us girls. You are the best! You know what? You actually gave me ideas on what to ask for my birthday!

  23. DIY says

    October 8, 2017 at 11:05 am

    maybe your own DIYs?
    it’s not a bad idea at all
    P.S. DIY=DO IT YOURSELF

  24. dorkie kiss says

    October 8, 2017 at 5:10 am

    I WILL WIN THE DORK OF THE YEAR! just saying. good luck cos I have read ALL the books and am the top dork at my scool. #dorkalichious good luck cos i will win mwa ha ha

    • Dorkalicous says

      October 10, 2017 at 2:33 pm

      I have read all of the books also, including max crumbly locker hero, and I have also drawn the MacKenzie’s stink eye look, Chloe, Zoey, Nikki, (In a big poster in my room) And given her drawing a little twist of my own, and started an illustrated diary! I guess it’s a battle between Dorkie Kiss and Dorkalicious! Reply to my comment or Dorkie Kiss saying your vote! Whoever gets the most wins dork of the year!

      #winningattemptLOL
      BTW I don’t want to be mean! Sorry if you took it that way!
      #forgiveness!

  25. IamCCPbutCreative says

    October 7, 2017 at 11:22 pm

    Well, I know how you feel! Exactly! So, what I asked for is a coffe mug. Or if you are a bookworm like me, ask for a book! Or, ask for a Cool Wrist Watch! Or a room decor things like a mirror or something! Or a make-up set if you are girly girl or a football if you are a tomboy (got this from a previous comment). Done!

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