BY LEETA-ROSE BALLESTER
CONTRIBUTOR

Ramen is on the menu, and the gas tank is empty, but no matter what winter holiday you celebrate, there seems to be a certain expectation that you will give someone some sort of gift, even on a student budget.

Holiday shoppers in the United States plan to spend an average of $704.18 per person on holiday gifts and seasonal merchandise, according to the National Retail Federation’s 2011 Holiday Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey.

The income levels of San Jose City College students are about as varied as the reasons for going to college, but most can agree that money is not exactly plentiful.

With the average income of students at $14,400, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, and a rise in school and transportation costs, some students have had to get a little more creative this year.

Deanna Dickerson, 20, said she had intended to purchase presents this year but unexpected changes have left her searching for alternatives.

“I had planned on buying gifts for a select few, but after a few weeks recently, I think it might be cookies and teriyaki sauce for everyone,” Dickerson said.

Some students are cutting back on spending overall but still getting big ticket items for a few people on their holiday list.

Lillian Davis, 23, a social work major student, said she will give out keepsakes for most of her friends and family but plans to spend a bit more on a few.

“I think I’m just going to give everybody pictures of me and my daughter in a frame and maybe splurge a little on my family that I live with because they’ve helped me a lot,” Davis said, “and of course I’m going to splurge quite a bit on my daughter!”

Sombra Guerra, 19, an English major student, said she will be making all of her gifts by hand this year, not just for fi nancial reasons but because she believes it is more meaningful.

“I think that materialistic things don’t last as long as something that is handmade and comes straight from the heart,” Guerra said. “Every girl wants a diamond necklace, for example, but the price may not be what she was hoping, ‘I’m only worth $300?’ Why not make a memory album going through all the months that you’ve been with a certain someone.”

SJCC students seem to reflect a survey conducted by the website Bankrate found that 42 percent of Americans said they intended to spend less this holiday season compared to last year, while only 10 percent of Americans said they would spend more.