ALT-2 Shopping Tips for last Minute Gifts
Belated birthdays are no fun for anyone. So instead of panicking and getting nothing at all, or buying flowers or a card, try some of these simple suggestions.
I'm assuming, here, that you have two hours during a day when businesses are open. If you have ten minutes, or it is three in the morning, you will probably end up with chocolate roses from a corner store and get the reaction you deserve!
First of all, stop and think for a moment about the person you need a gift for. While we all like very personal, well-planned gifts, we also usually really appreciate gifts that are useful, and that we wouldn't have bought for ourselves. Even as a romantic gift, these items can sometimes work, with the right kind of preparation.
For music collectors or enthusiasts, you can purchase a rack of blank CDs. These go for about ten to tweny dollars a stack, and can be wrapped quickly in a piece of chamois cloth bought at the same store, which can be used later to wipe CDs or records clean without scratching. If your friend has a large CD collection, a skip doctor for their CDs comes in very handy and is a good last-minute gift.
If you're buying for a film enthusiast, blank dvds or VHS tapes can be used instead. Wrap these and attach a gift certificate from the mall theater, or wrap them with uncooked microwave popcorn packages. Tape the packages together all around the gift, and use them as wrapping paper.
If your friend is an amateur photographer, a gift certificate for a number of rolls of film (or memory cards) from a local chain store makes a great, and quick, gift idea. While you're there, pick up a card to stick the certificate into.
If you're buying a romantic gift, while flowers are popular, they are also an obvious last-minute present. A houseplant, a blank book or dream journal, or some craft supplies the person would use in their projects are much better, more thoughtful gifts that don't take much time to choose. You can even sit down and write a letter on good paper telling the person what you love about them, or how they make you feel, and then add it as a card. For many, this is much more romantic than any flowers for sale at a store, and shows that you took time to make a gift. If you play up how long it took to write, you will even get bomus points.
Adding flowers to these quick gifts, rather than giving flowers alone, makes it less obvious that you were on the spot for a last minute gift.
If the person has pets, a quick stop at the bookstore for a coffee table book about the breed or type of animal they have is another great idea. Most big chain bookstores also offer giftwrapping services.
For comfort lovers, a heavy large mug and a packet of unusual tea can suffice. If you're not sure that they like tea, go to the kitchen department and get them a teapot. Everyone uses boiling water, and if you pick an attractive pot even those who already own one may use it for display or as a backup.
If you're down to the wire, and truly desperate, buying a pile of disposable cameras from the corner store and then insisting that the two of you use them together on a specific outing (that will be your treat) may solve the problem. It will show the person that you care about spending time with them and hide the fact that you didn't plan ahead very well. Also, it will give you a reason to spend some time having fun together, which can be the best gift of all. Be sure that you announce the plans and the day you will follow thourhg when you give the gift, and to atone for your forgetfulness, plan to pay for the developing as well as the outing.
If you have at least two hours to find that last minute gift, spend one hour thinking about the person and their tastes, and the other hour atthe store. Thinking of simple things that they can use will make it much easier to find a last minute gift.
