
With inflation on the rise, you can still bring your marketing campaign to life without breaking the bank! Check out some of our favorite budget-friendly items, plus some creative ways to use them for maximum ROI!
Kitchen Items
People use their kitchens every day so it’s only natural to want to put promotional products in a space they use often. Giving a useful item maximizes your opportunity to make a long-term impression.
When they say the world’s best pizza cutter, they mean it. This is our sales team’s favorite pizza cutter of all time! It cuts right through pizza and comes completely apart for easy cleaning. You can snag these for under $3 or add a mini pizza box container for an additional charge.
Campaign example: If you are a realtor or insurance company, give these to new homeowners with a coupon to a local pizza place as a thank you for choosing your services.
Potholders are another item that people keep for a long time. This potholder is the perfect size to pull things out of the oven or to protect your kitchen surfaces. We love the large imprint area, too. You can get these for under $3 if you buy 250 or more!
Tradeshow Giveaways
A great tradeshow giveaway puts your brand on display and will keep you top of mind until you talk again. The items below are both useful and budget-friendly.
At just under $7, this item is a great option for companies with lots of employees who want to personalize their promo items.
A cardholder at the front of the notebook makes it easy to slip in a business card before handing it out at trade shows or meetings. This is an affordable alternative to printing variable data for multiple employees, agents, etc.
The paper is also made from recycled stone materials, so it’s soft, tear-resistant, and water-resistant.

Microfiber cloths come in handy for cleaning glasses, phone screens, and laptop screens. Do keep in mind that all microfiber cloths are not created equal, and some fabrics clean better than others. The Ultra Plus outperforms some of the other options, and you can get these with a vinyl pouch for around $2 each at 250 or more.
Pro Tip: Print the company information on the cloth, and then slip individual business cards into the vinyl pouch before giving them out. This is another alternative to printing variable data (i.e. names, phone numbers, and individual contact info.)

Items You Can Easily Mail
In a time when you aren’t seeing people in person, connecting with clients can be more challenging. Over the past two years, we have sent out mail campaigns with small gifts to our own customers and seen great success in helping us to connect with them. Check out our blog on mailer kits for other ideas. Kitting has become a specialty for us, so we can manage your project from start to finish.
Last year we sent out these scissors along with a themed note. From this, we received several orders and reconnections with many of our clients. Price ranges from $6-7 depending on the quantity ordered.
These fully customizable bi-fold (or tri-fold) tek booklets give you maximum room for brand messaging at under $4 each. There are several options items that can go in the booklets, including personal care items, coasters, or tech items. On the inside cover, you could include a campus map, conference agenda, or even a coupon in your booklet!
Pair Budget-Friendly Items with Special Promotions
If you have a clear marketing goal and call to action, we recommend pairing an inexpensive promo item with a coupon, discount, or QR code.
7. Koozies
If your goal is to bring in more customers, give out koozies, and when a customer brings in the koozie, they get half off a drink. This brings in new customers and builds loyalty in repeat customers.
8. Items that can be printed with a QR code
If your goal is to drive more people to your website, use a koozie, stadium cup, or a magnet with a QR code. Link the QR code to the page you would like your customers to go to, this could include your website, social media pages, or even a giveaway or coupon. Most of these items come in well under $2 each.