Cheap Retirement Gifts: Thoughtful And Fun Ideas Under GBP 15

Most retirement gifts are bought by people who liked the person but weren't close to them, on a budget of about a tenner. That's a perfectly good gift as long as it's chosen rather than grabbed.

The cheap gifts that work are specific. The cheap gifts that don't are generic office tat.

Honest note: we make cards, pin badges, prints and party decorations. Socks, mugs and biscuits are recommendations from elsewhere.

Under GBP 15 and worth having

• Novelty retirement socks - about a tenner, funny, and they actually get worn.
• A good card and an enamel pin badge, boxed together.
• Their favourite biscuits or coffee, in a proper box rather than a carrier bag.
• A paperback by an author they've mentioned.
• A framed photo print from a work night out, printed for about GBP 3.

Under GBP 5

• A card with a message that names one specific thing they did for you.
• A plant cutting from your own garden, potted up.
• A printed photo in a charity shop frame.
• A handwritten letter. Costs a stamp, gets kept for years.
• Their coffee order brought to their desk on the last morning.

Free gifts that still count

• A properly written card. Consistently the item people keep.
• A LinkedIn recommendation, written that week rather than promised.
• An offer to stay in touch with a date attached: "coffee, first Tuesday of next month".
• A collated document of messages from people across the company.
• A short speech at the do, which costs nothing and means a great deal.

Making a small gift look considered

• Box or bag it - presentation is the difference between a gift and a thing handed over.
• Group two cheap items rather than giving one on its own.
• Write the card first and choose the gift to match what you wrote.
• Hand it over at the do, not at their desk at 4.55pm.
• Put your name in it so they know who to thank.

Shop retirement cards

How to write it so it lands

• Specific beats generic at any price.
• Box it, don't hand it over in the bag.
• Write the card first.

Where to shop next

• Retirement cards
• Leaving cards
• Funny leaving cards for colleagues
• Pin badges
• Wall art and prints
• Funny retirement gifts
• Teacher retirement gifts
• Retirement gifts for a female colleague
• Nurse and NHS retirement gifts
• DIY retirement hamper ideas
• Retirement card messages
• Leaving card message for a colleague
• Funny retirement party ideas
• Retirement desk decorations
• How much to spend on a leaving gift
• Retirement speech ideas
• Retirement party decorations
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What is a good cheap retirement gift?

Novelty socks, a card and pin badge boxed together, their favourite coffee or biscuits, or a printed and framed photo from a work night out. All under GBP 15.

Is it rude to give a cheap retirement gift?

No. Most colleagues spend GBP 5 to 15. A specific, well-presented small gift with a proper card reads as thoughtful, not cheap.

What can you give for free?

A properly written card, a LinkedIn recommendation, a collated document of messages, or a short speech at the do. These are often what people remember.

Should you join the group collection as well?

If there's one, joining it is usually enough on its own. A small personal gift on top is a bonus, not an obligation.

How do you make a cheap gift look better?

Box it, group two small items together, and hand it over at the do rather than at a desk. Presentation does most of the work.

Do you sell novelty retirement socks?

No. We design and print greetings cards, enamel pin badges, prints and party decorations in the UK. Socks, mugs and hampers are recommendations from elsewhere - the only things linked to our own shop are ours.