Some people really enjoy gift-giving, and some people are just stressed out by the thought of white elephant gifts, but in the Venn diagram of these shoppers are the last-minute gift givers. We’ve all been there – whether you suddenly realized at a family gathering that you needed to get a gift for your cousin, or you just waited too long to order a gift for your dad, last-minute gifts belong in a category. But buying a last-minute gift doesn’t have to be stressful. There are some last-minute holiday shopping tips and tricks to keep in mind, especially if you’re past your prime shipping days.
Because right now, you guys, shipping is hit or miss. USPS recommends priority mailing by December 19th, but we all know things can change based on shipping dates. Beyond that, you’ll need to pay extra to get priority shipping or use another carrier. So if you need a last-minute gift, here’s our first tip: Get off Amazon. Then read the following tips so you can give someone a gift they’ll actually love and use, and the purchase won’t be too stressful.
Don’t just browse online retailers.
Browsing online retailers can be overwhelming. Stay away from online shopping unless you know what you’re looking for. With shipping times getting tighter and only a handful of brands that can really be trusted to offer two-day shipping — and even that’s risky — it’s best to avoid casually browsing the Target app for your Christmas shopping. You need a plan.
Go into the store and actually see the items.
Look, I know you’re already nervous about last-minute gifts, but it’s really good for you to walk into the store. Home Goods, Target, Walmart, Walgreens, TJ Maxx, your local boutique – there are still so many great gifts in stores and it’s much more enjoyable to walk in and find what you need. This is especially useful if you don’t know what to get at the last minute and need to be inspired.
Go emotional.
You know what makes a great gift? Something sentimental. Honestly, they often make great last-minute gifts, too. Give the person in your life a framed photo of a special memory, find their grandmother’s handwritten recipe and save it, find a friend with a Cricut machine to customize something for them – there are lots of great, The last minute emotional gifts are there. It doesn’t have to be complicated or even DIY, it just needs to make sense to them.
Use the Klarna App.
I use Klarna for almost everything. Birthdays, any big hospitality events, holidays – this is a great, easy way to pay without a credit card (I always swear I’ll pay it off next month but never do) and it just helps You budget – it’s like paying in installments, but you get your stuff right away. During the holidays, this is the best option to compare prices. If you know you want to buy something as a last-minute gift, search for it in the Klarna app. Not only can you use the Pay-in-4 method if you wish, but the Klarna app will also pull up all available stores and give you shipping costs and which retailers offer cashback and other rewards through Klarna. It’s pretty cool, and I’m definitely not an app guy – but I use it a lot when I’m shopping.
Think about the person you are buying from, not the gift itself.
I know, that sounds super iconic, but it’s easy to get so caught up in gift shopping that all you can think about is What Give gifts instead World Health Organization Gifts are being received. Don’t just buy stuff for the sake of buying stuff – if you’re shopping at the last minute, take the time to really think about what you’re buying for. What do they like? What will they appreciate? What do they need? Maybe one of your recent interactions (like commenting on their cute sweaters and them mentioning that they’ve been trying to wear more knitwear) will help point you in the right shopping direction.
So, what are the best last-minute gift ideas for your loved ones?
