The procrastinator’s guide to affordable last-minute gifts

Maybe that little reminder just popped up on your phone letting you know that the Secret Santa exchange with your coworkers is actually tonight, not next week, and you have no idea what to get for Craig in HR. Maybe you had every intention of doing your Christmas shopping like three weekends ago, but stuff kept coming up, and you decided that was a problem for future you.

Well, the future is here, my friend, and it’s now called the present. But no matter when, why or how you’ve procrastinated on your shopping this season, I get it. I’ve been there. And I’ve got your back with some last-minute gift ideas that also happen to be budget-friendly. Now, instead of digging around to find that candle your grandma gave you last year so you can stuff it in a sad, wrinkled bag and call it a day, you can read this and hopefully get a better plan in place. 

Here are my no-fail tips for finding the perfect, affordable gift at the eleventh hour:

— Make a list of what they love. Even if it’s last-minute, you still want the gift to feel personal and thoughtful. So, a good strategy is to make a quick list of what you know about their likes, hobbies, etc. and then find a $10–20 item in one of those categories. (P.S. If you’re not sure, be observant at their desk or in conversation, or ask someone who knows them well!) If they’re a tech geek, there are plenty of fun gadgets out there, like headphones or small smart speakers, that won’t break the bank. Do they love to write? Can’t go wrong with a nice leather journal or even a fancy pen.

If you really don’t know anything about the person, don’t panic. There are other ideas on this list that pretty much anybody will love (or you can jump straight to the last bullet point). 

— Don’t be afraid to DIY. Okay, so maybe you’re not Martha Stewart (but if you are . . . hey, Martha!), but the possibilities are pretty endless here. You could make baked goods or candy using an easy internet recipe and put them in festive bags. Or parents love framed photos of their kids and grandkids, and that’s a sentimental DIY that anybody can do.

If you do have artistic talent, you could look at the popular gifts that are trending on sites like Etsy and try to recreate them. Make an ornament, hand-letter a sign, do a watercolor portrait of the family dog, you name it. Pinterest is another great resource — just look up “easy homemade gifts” and scroll to your heart’s delight.

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