Hear that? No, not the sleigh bells — it’s the discontented sigh of another broke college student.

Hear that? It’s not someone scraping ice. It’s students forced to scrape the bottom of their bank accounts to pay for another year’s worth of crummy Christmas presents for family and friends back home.

Instead of getting Mom another set of Santa Claus dish towels and a matching tie for Dad, take some advice from fellow gift-givers here at NIU on what to buy without breaking the bank.

For the dads

Freshman music education major Brett Snyder said a possible gift idea is rags and brushes for his dad to clean and detail his car, because they would be both cheap and useful.

A box of 200 Scott Blue shop towels costs just less than $10, and are “ideal for your toughest automotive tasks,” according to homedepot.com.

James Bailey, a computer science graduate student, said he usually surfs the Web to find appropriate gifts for his dad. Bailey ordered a custom-made shoe-shining kit for his dad, who was formerly in the military.

For those on a budget, a men’s shoe-shine kit from Harry Koenig And Co. can be found at Amazon.com for $14.95 to keep Dad’s shoes glossy and clean.

Freshman photography major Elspeth Klotz said she would go the homemade route when thinking of Dad.

“I’d make a CD of his favorite songs so when I am away at school, he can listen to it and think of me,” said Klotz.

For the moms

Both Snyder and Bailey turned to entertainment when shopping for their moms. Snyder suggested a movie like “The Break-Up,” with Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston, as a good gift to pair with some candy.

“Hershey’s Kisses or something like that,” Snyder said. “Not anything really expensive.”

Bailey, on the other hand, opted for the first season of “The West Wing” on DVD. Although it goes for a hefty $57.99 at Coconuts, a broke student could enlist the financial assistance of a sibling and split the cost. Season One of Grey’s Anatomy is also available, but for less than $30 at Coconuts.

Klotz said her mom would love if she made a her a homemade scarf. A scarf would be cheap and easy to make.

“I know she would love it because it’s something that I made with my own hands and she could actually use it,” said Klotz.

For the sibs

Bailey said he usually asks his mom for gift ideas for his sister if he can’t come up with something on his own. Klotz suggested making either a picture frame or jewelry for a sibling. Supplies for both projects can be found at Michaels, an arts and crafts store. She said her sister would like jewelry because if it was homemade, no one else would have it.

“It will be meaningful if you put a picture of you and your brother or sister in a frame that you made because they will get to see you every day, even though you are away at school,” said Klotz.

Snyder said he would most likely burn movies and music for his brother.

“I’d make a couple of CDs with songs that I know he likes and burn him some movies that have come out in the past year that I know he doesn’t have,” said Snyder.

Lauren Stott is a Campus Reporter for the Northern Star.