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When I was younger, I never faced the dilemma of “what to buy your best friend?” when an important occasion rolled around—any pair of dangly earrings or magazine subscription would do—because we had the exact same taste. However, as I’ve gotten older, the question has begun to get a bit more difficult.
For background, I met my best friend when I was seven years old (Hi, Amanda!). We instantly bonded over a set of Barbies at the housewarming party I attended to welcome Amanda’s family to the neighborhood. Since then, we’ve gone through every life stage (and fashion trend) together. There was a two-year period where every second of our days revolved around Hilary Duff, a solid five seasons of considering ourselves “Gleeks”, and a borderline unhealthy obsession with The Sims computer game.
Courtesy of Olivia Marcus.
Amanda and I now (sadly) live on opposite sides of the country and have grown into our individual tastes and lifestyles. Don’t get me wrong, we still will take weekend trips to see our favorite artist, Phoebe Bridgers (duh) in concert and send each other TikToks all day, but we no longer make all of our decisions as a pair.
Courtesy of Olivia Marcus.
Since we don’t get to spend as much time together, the time we do get has much more significance and the same logic applies to the gifts we give to each other. International Day of Friendship is coming up on Saturday, July 30th and it’s the perfect opportunity to get your BFF something special. Chances are, your friend may not even know that the International Day of Friendship is a thing. This means that you have a chance to surprise your friend and totally make their day.
So what do you buy someone who means the world to you? This question seems daunting but I promise the answer is easier than you think. For starters, nobody knows your bestie the way you do! A great gift also doesn’t have to break the bank. In my opinion, the sentimental value of a gift far exceeds the monetary value.
Keep reading for five great gift ideas to celebrate your friendship!
1. Charm Them
Friendship bracelets aren’t just for summer camp and adolescence. Bring back the trend with a hint of nostalgia by giving your bestie a charm bracelet or an individual charm. Not only are charm bracelets absolutely cool again, but they’re also a great way to express yourself and mark milestone occasions. You can pick out classic or quirky charms that are tailored to a specific interest or an inside joke and keep building on them throughout the years. Eventually, the charm bracelet will serve as a wearable time capsule of your relationship. Plus, whenever your friend wears it, they’ll think of you. Bonus points if you have matching charms!
2. Ask Them Out
No, I’m not suggesting that you finally shoot your shot with your friend (but if that’s the vibe, then, by all means, go for it!). My love language is quality time so I know I’d personally love this inexpensive gift. If your friendship is long-distance, send your BFF a gift card for their favorite local coffee shop with an invitation for a virtual coffee date. Even if you’re in different states, you can enjoy an iced latte over FaceTime and spend intentional time together. Of course, this works even better in person.
3. Keep The Fire Burning
Scent and memory are directly related which is what makes a candle a perfect gift! Pick a scent your friend will love to burn while they work from home, make dinner or get ready for a night out. Candles range from $5 to $100 depending on the brand so it’s easy to tailor this gift to your ideal price point. Whenever they light the wick, it will bring them back to the thought behind the gift.
4. Make A Point
Now my best friend and I are total nerds which means we love to find random, niche topics to become obsessed with. Maybe you’re intruiged by Adam Sandler’s fashion choices, Taylor Swift and Karlie Koss’s friendship (IYKYK), or multi-verse theory—whatever it is, making a hyper-specific PowerPoint about it to send to your friend is random, free, and most importantly, fun. Nothing says “I care about you” quite like 15 colorful slides (with transitions!) about something your friend cares about.
5. Dance, Laugh or Sweat It Out
Use International Day of Friendship as an excuse to have. a. day. Whatever your “thing” is, do it! This can mean getting tickets to that comedy club you always walk by, having a wild GNO, splurging on a fancy dinner, or booking the front row spots at a workout class. Gifting your friend an experience will make a memory—and that, my friend, is priceless.
