Whether you’re on your way to a birthday party, or a Christmas dinner, you don’t want to show up empty-handed.
Finding a last-minute gift may seem like a challenge at first, but it’s simple really.
Here are some ideas you can use to purchase that last-minute gift on the fly…
If you are buying for an adult, then you might consider picking up a bottle of wine or alcoholic drink mix.
These can be purchased at any grocery store or liquor (package) store on the way to your destination.
If you are buying a last-minute gift for a non-drinking person, your choice of gifts may be a little more tricky. One gift just about everyone would love is the gift of a movie. Picking a movie may be difficult, so I recommend buying a gift card from a movie rental place instead. Place it in a basket, along with popcorn and candy, for a nice presentation.
If you have no time to shop in stores, but have a few minutes to spend online, then you may wan to purchase an online gift certificate that you can simply print and deliver to the person. If you want the recipient to be able to purchase from a large variety of vendors, then you’ll want to get your gift certificate from places like:
Or, you can get a gift certificate that’s good at a restaurant right in their area that you know they enjoy from Restaurant.com.
Even when all the stores are closed, and chances of finding a last-minute gift seems hopeless, I have found that you can stop at any drug store chain or major supermarket, and purchase a gift card on the spot. Most of these stores have a kiosk or an entire store shelf devoted solely to gift cards. You can find them for practically every major store or restaurant that you can imagine. I have even found some of these gift card kiosks in gas stations.
And speaking of gas stations, a gift card for gasoline is also a great gift for an adult.
You will want to take some precautions when buying a gift card. For starters, check out this no-nonsense guide: Dos and Don’ts – Gift Card Advice for Last Minute Holiday Shoppers.
Check out these 5 last-minute budget-friendly holiday shopping tips.
I have been a certified tightwad since I became pregnant with my first child and decided to find a way to stay home with him. I enjoy sharing my experiences in my journey back to financial health and planning for a future — which will include sending 2 kids to college and early retirement.
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