Easter is one of the most important Christian holidays, but realistically it’s something we’ve all adopted as an excuse to indulge in lots of chocolate, some great family dinners and the giving and receiving of Easter gifts… because what’s not to love?!
Most universities have a small break over Easter, not least taking into account the Bank Holiday Monday. But whatever you’re doing to commemorate everyone’s favourite chocolate-y feast, it can be easy to see your spending spiral as gifts and bills rack up and suddenly you feel under pressure to provide for all. Never fear, skint readers, for Student Discount Squirrel is here… and despite the Easter Squirrel not quite being a ‘thing’ yet, we’re determined to make it so.
So, where best to shop this Spring for personalised gifts?
EASTER GIFTS AT ICELAND
When you’re considering your Easter eggs and gift ideas shopping list, Iceland likely wasn’t the first retailer that popped into your head – but there’s plenty in-store not to be sniffed at when it comes to seasonal sales. They have just about all the supermarket Easter Eggs you’d find elsewhere, as well as a whole range of chocolate novelties small and large. Prices start from £1 for an egg up to about the £10 mark for a luxury buy, and there are lots of other assorted sweets and chocolates to stock up on.
EASTER LUNCH AT ICELAND
If you’re taking part in – or worse, hosting! – a traditional Easter Sunday lunch, Iceland also makes for the ideal shopping destination. Their roasting joints can often be cooked directly from frozen, and there’s plenty of great alternatives for vegetarians and vegans alike.
You can buy all of the ingredients of a great roast for a fraction of the price that you’d pay elsewhere without compromising on taste… and that’s why Student Discount Squirrels go to Iceland.
HOTEL CHOCOLAT – DELUXE EASTER EGGS
OK, so not really a budget option, but the perfect place to buy a chocolate Easter gift for someone you’re really looking to spend on. Hotel Chocolat is the ultimate in cocoa indulgence, there are some spectacular Easter eggs and there are smaller, cheaper options if you really don’t have the cash to splurge.
Their extra-thick filled Easter Eggs are £27 and make for a really special gift, but for the utmost in luxury choc, the Ostrich Egg comes in at £80 and comes in an elegant gift box and with a whole box of chocolates to boot.
MORE AFFORDABLE PRESENT AND GIFT IDEA OPTIONS
If you’re celebrating Easter the day after the actual event, or not seeing someone you’re giving an Easter gift to until afterwards, Hotel Chocolat can become a lot more affordable.
Nip in-store in the days following Easter Sunday and you’ll find any left-over stock gets heavily discounted… but of course, the recipient of your present never need to know!
AMAZON EASTER GIFT IDEAS
Amazon loves a good sale event, and they celebrate the birth of Christ by… well, slashing prices. The Spring Sale is set to host a whole heap of bargains that you can take advantage of to buy gifts for others or for yourself. In some cases, some of the buys may even make for a great investment for your everyday work and life. Oh, and they sell easter eggs too!
Now, we can’t guarantee what will be on offer and what won’t, but we have some inside information. The all-new Echo Dot (that’s the latest in Alexa smart speakers) comes extremely highly-rated by tech early adopters and is expected to retail for less than £30 during the sale period – that’s £20 off the RRP, which is unheard of for tech this fresh. If you’re a Google user, you won’t be able to go without it!
EASTER GIFTS THAT LAST, NOT JUST TO EAT!
Other expected reductions include the Amazon devices (so that’s Kindle Paperwhite, the Echo, and the Fire TV Stick), Amazon Music, Amazon Prime, and flash ‘lightning deals’ across Home, Garden and Tech departments. In the case of the latter, be sure to check back regularly if you’re looking to make a purchase on a set item… as if it features, you’ll only have a short period of time within which to take advantage of money off.
THORNTONS EASTER EGGS AND CHOCOLATE
Now here’s a Great British high street name we can all get on-board with this chocolate-y season! Yes, Thorntons is a family favourite too, well, everyone, and if you’re after a name or message to be iced across anything in the brown stuff, it’s the place to go.
The Easter range for Thorntons this year includes Easter Eggs of all sizes, chocolate bunnies, chocolate boxes and even gifts Easter-themed bouquets of flowers. You can also find options of chocolate gifts for vegetarians, vegans, those with allergies and dietary requirements and those looking for reduced or no-sugar chocs.
PERSONALISED PRESENT IDEAS AT THORNTONS
All can be personalised and shopping on the Thorntons online shop means you can also choose to have them despatched directly to the recipient, to save you doing some kind of Easter-bunny-esque trip around the houses to drop everything off. Again, Thorntons often over-stock, so if you’re celebrating after the big day, nip into a store for some great reductions.
Of course, as with any non-essential spending, the main thing to consider is how it will affect your bank balance. Are you in a position to buy just one more Easter Egg? Should you really be splurging on flowers for all and sundry? Make sure that gifts are necessary and appropriate to the occasion, and, if they are, that you’re buying them as responsibly as possible – and that goes for the price as well as a retailer!
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