Because most people have the whole day off from work on Christmas Eve, it’s expected to be one of the busiest shopping days of the year. Some 23 million shoppers are expected to be out there rounding up gifts today. But the recipients don’t need to know you waited until the last minute to buy their presents, do they?
Some ideas:
HIT THE SUPERMARKET
CNNMoney, with the help of a Coupons.com expert, suggests perhaps the easiest shopping excursion of all—to the grocery store—where you can pick up some nice olive oil and vinegar, bring it home and tie a bow on it. Or you could round up some staple supplies (toilet paper, toothpaste, laundry detergent) that a college student might appreciate. Or, if someone on your list loves coffee—or hey, if he drinks it at all (you don’t have much time)—buy some beans:
For a jolt of warmth this holiday, grab a nice brand of coffee and pair with two coffee mugs. Some grocery stores may even sell a coffee press. If you have a preference for a mocha or hazelnut flavored variety, find chocolate bars to match — put these in the mugs and voila!
This one’s actually a little tricky: Because there’s a chance someone else shopping at the last minute is picking up one of those ubiquitous individual coffee makers for this same person, and those coffee makers use those little disposable cups, not beans. Oh well, at least you know the person sorta likes coffee, right? That demonstrates that some thought went into the process.
SHOP IN YOUR CLOSET
A WSJ story on last-minute gift recommendations includes advice such as avoiding department stores (they’re overwhelming and also overpicked by this time) and seeking consumable goods like food and wine—because you know they’ll be enjoyed, and they won’t be just more clutter in the recipient’s home. Even easier is grabbing something that’s used but rarely used in your own house. Even etiquette experts say regifting is acceptable under certain circumstances:
Re-gifting may seem gauche. And no one wants your old crystal candy dish. But maybe that dress you’ve never worn will better suit your sister.
Giving away your own stuff can work particularly well for children. [Urban Clarity’s Amanda] Wiss’s aunt once opened up her jewelry box and told her she could pick a bauble as her gift. “I was 13 or 14 and thought it was awesome,” she says.
I’ll second that thought: My kids received a box full of old Star Wars figures last Christmas, and they are still thrilled with them.
BE A TOOL? NO. BUY A TOOL? MAYBE
Here are FrugalDad’s 10 suggestions for last-minute gifts for the DIYer in your life. All of the items listed are worthwhile (Leatherman, a GOOD flashlight, diagonal pliers), but I especially like the idea of knee pads—because it’s something that a lot of DIYers (myself included) would find helpful in a pain-reducing way, but I’ve never bothered buying because I figure I’ll just suck it up and get the job over with. More on knee pads:
Categorize them as accessories but I consider them a tool. Many jobs are close to the ground causing extra stress on the knees. These would even work great in crawl space and similar situations.
COME ON, JUST BUY JEWELRY ALREADY
The NY Times discusses how this week—and today in particular—is a boom time for jewelers thanks to “last-minute men.” The men interviewed in the story own up to the fact that they’re procrastinators and often feel clueless when it comes to gift-giving, which is why they always seem to defer to pricey jewelry, and always at the last minute. What’s especially amusing is the way that jewelers quoted in the story are total pros at painting their customers in the best light. One says:
“I think men, I don’t want to say they’re not as thoughtful, because that sounds wrong, but their thoughtfulness seems to tip toward the last week before Christmas,”
And another says:
“I would not necessarily call it last minute, as long as it’s still the right moment.”
Wow, that one could wind up in a TV ad before you know it. Something tells me this isn’t the first time these jewelers have dropped these lines—on frantic, stressed customers, if not reporters.