10+ Inexpensive High School Graduation Gifts That Are Still Meaningful

High school graduates are ready to set off on great adventures. Whether they are heading to college, taking a gap year, or starting a career. If luggage is out of your budget, a weekender bag like this one is a fantastic, inexpensive high school graduation gift idea.

Weekender bags are perfect for quick trips home, short travel, or even just hauling around things college students need for school projects.

I heard of this idea years ago and loved it. Buy a hard copy of Oh, the Places You’ll Go! and each year as your child moves through school have your child’s teacher write an inspirational message inside the cover.

For those of us (*cough cough like me) who didn’t start thinking about graduation gifts until just before the big day, you could have your child’s current teachers or friends write encouraging messages in the book as a memento.

Jewelry doesn’t have to be expensive to be meaningful. This minimalistic stainless steel bracelet makes a fantastic high school graduation gift. It has a very current design and comes in a variety of finish options and several different options for inspirational sayings for the inside of the bracelet.

For high school grads who are ready to set off on their own, what they really need is some cold hard cash. While this may not feel meaningful, to a broke almost college student money can be what will mean the most to them and you have the option to give exactly what you can afford.

This cute customizable money holder makes a fantastic graduation gift and is such a fun addition to photos as well.

Heading off on your own can be a bit intimidating, especially when your new high school graduate realizes that they are now responsible for feeding themselves. Creating a customized cookbook featuring all of your family’s favorite recipes is the perfect gift to send with your high school graduate as they leave home and it can be super affordable to make.

For college students, the struggle to find enough quarters for the laundry is REAL. Make life a bit easier with this cute little “laundry quarters” pouch. Fill it with enough quarters to get them through the first few months at college.

This is such a cute gift. It is practical and also a weekly reminder to your high school graduate just how much they are loved.

For teens with hopes of traveling the world, this keepsake adventure box is a fun way for them to hang onto all of those concert tickets, postcards, and boarding passes. College students don’t generally have a lot of space available. This is a much more compact way to store keepsakes than keeping them pinned to a bulletin board and it looks so fun on a wall!

This burrito throw blanket may seem like a gag gift, but it’s actually super soft. My teens are constantly fighting over who gets to use this for movie nights. For teens who may feel a bit homesick when first leaving home after high school graduation, this blanket may be the perfect gift.

Adjusting to life with roommates can be tricky for some new college students. These Loop Quiet Ear Plugs don’t block out sound entirely, but they soften loud noise. This makes them perfect for concerts, study sessions, or trying to sleep with roommates who are night owls. They come in several color options and are super comfortable to wear. These would make great inexpensive high school graduation gifts on their own or as part of a college survival kit filled with other essentials.

Even living in a dorm can come with some necessary home repairs. This starter tool kit has all the essentials your new high school graduate may need, no matter where they are headed next.

If you have a book lover graduating from high school this ‘On to the next chapter’ metal bookmark is the perfect graduation gift!

This comes in several different finishes and has the option to customize it. High school graduates heading off on their own don’t have a lot of storage space. This sweet little gift is the perfect reminder that they are loved.