Oh No! You’ve Missed A Christmas Gift! What Now?

It’s one thing to manage the mad rush of the festive shopping experience, it’s another to realize you’ve missed off a vital purchase. Luckily, there’s no need to worry. It’s always the thought that counts, and most people understand if your present might arrive a little later or if you had to pivot your purchase.

Either way, it’s not nice to feel unprepared, even if you had plans and intentions of being so. Perhaps you were planning to purchase that wonderful garment for your daughter only for it to be out of stock when you really needed it, or maybe you have nothing for your partner because, as of the moment, nothing you found in the department store suited their taste.

Despite the excited exclaim of this post title, we hope to reassure you that not having everything to hand, even with holidays like Christmas around the corner, is no great failing. This is a celebratory event worth appreciating after all, not an examination you have to pass. Busy parents need to understand that because we’re certain you have so much to deal with anyway.

Never fear, because we have a number of excellent gift ideas that are quick to obtain, while still retaining the thought and love you intended behind the original gesture:

Private Number Plates

Private number plates can be a great gift to offer. That’s because registering them now can be achieved in a moment, and then you wait to install them on your car. So it’s not a gift you’d expect to have in your hands already, but you can also implement a healthy message for someone based on their identity or nickname, which allows them to personalize their car and proudly showcase something important to them. 

This is a gift best offered to a loved one or relative you are close to because of course, some administration on their part is required to adopt and legally wield such a number plate. Or, if you do this for a car you share, you can also offer a nice surprise that will affect you both. Alternatively, you could suggest that they get to pick the plate registration including its combination of letters and numbers, and you’ll be happy to pay for it (within a certain budget). That can offer some autonomy which they will be happy with.

Gifting A Streaming Service Or Package

Sometimes, it’s best to play it simply and easily. Gifting a streaming service of package can be a good place to start with. For example, a year subscription to Netflix, Disney Plus, or Apple TV can be a good place to start.

You might even bind this to a hardware purchase that may offer next-day delivery like an Amazon Fire TV stick, which allows non-smart televisions to use the operating system necessary for compatibility with such apps. This gift allows them a year’s worth of awesome content without ever having to worry about monthly bills or costs, and it can save them a great deal of cash as time goes on.

This also has a side benefit. If you love certain shows and want to share them with a relative or friend, giving them access to them could be ideal.

A Vinyl LP

For the music lover in your life, vinyl can be a fantastic gift. Not only does it help you gift a form of art they’ll be sure to appreciate, but you can also make a statement with it. That might be introducing an artist they’re not aware of but will love, or purchasing a limited edition of an artist they love.

Luckily, all of this is available on Amazon or other vendors, and you can even head out and patronize the record store in your local area if it’s available (these stores do deserve support). A wonderful vinyl can be a collector’s item and a treasure that lasts for some time, and it’s much more tangible and comfortable to listen to a pressed record than to plug into whatever streaming service is out there.

Audiobooks

Carrying on with the audio theme, an audiobook can be a wonderful gift, too. These have become all the rage and are often listened to on commutes, taking the place of podcasts, reconnecting people to fiction and non-fiction alike.

Here you can share a book you’ve loved with a friend, or share a guide to business for the little entrepreneur in your life. Moreover, through platforms like Audible, you can easily gift credit and allow them to purchase the titles they most enjoy.

Online Courses

An online course can also be a fantastic gift, like the annual streaming service option but one that offers more substance and potential. That might be a program of online guitar lessons, or a course to help them learn another language. Again, gifting a digital subscription like this allows you to offer it any time, and send it from any place as long as it’s through email.

For example, if you know that your son is planning to visit Thailand next year, you might help them enroll in a Thai course so they can more easily enjoy their visit. Little thoughtful gifts like this can be rushed and still be precise and necessary to help someone. Moreover, when you invest in an online course, you invest in their potential and future well-being. If there’s ever a gift that suggests you believe in someone, it’s this. That sounds lofty of course for a last-minute gift, but win-wins are always possible during the holiday season.

Event Tickets

There’s nothing quite like reserving tickets for a future event, especially if you’re considering a last-minute gift. Not only does it grant someone the excitement of a future event, but it shows you know their tastes.

For example, perhaps there are already summer event tickets being sold in your area, or an artist they like is coming to visit a nearby city. You might even buy two tickets so you can go with them at the time, or give them the plus one they’re looking for.

A Donation In Their Name

If you have an activist in your life, sometimes a donation to a cause might be more important to them than a gift they’ll use once and never again. For example, perhaps your loved one is vocal about disability rights, and donating to their favorite organization or even personal initiative can showcase a real investment in that cause.

Just make sure that your relative or friend is the kind of person to appreciate this, as someone driven towards a cause can often identify with it, and it will be as if you had gifted them directly. Of course, pairing this with something a little smaller, even like some chocolates, can be a nice addition so they’re not entirely empty-handed. Either way, your choice will be appreciated, you can be sure of that.

Home Comforts & Candles

Who doesn’t love a resplendent home comfort? From beautiful candles that last for dozens of hours while filling the space with a warming fragrance, to blankets, throws, and even slippers, purchasing that kind of joy for someone shows you care about their wellbeing.

Depending on how close this person is to you, a particular gift can be funnier or more of a novelty. For example, a large pair of novelty monster-feet slippers can seem ridiculous on the surface, but the indulgent comfort they offer can be wonderful for a teen, or even a teen in an adult body.

With this advice, you’re certain to find a Christmas gift that may be last-minute but is no less appreciated by your loved ones.