‘Tis the season to procrastinate. If you have fallen behind on holiday shopping, don’t panic! There is still time to get gifts to loved ones in time for Christmas.
While it’s true that your options are more limited now, a handful of good choices remain. The key that makes all of these work is that they are delivered using technology, rather than a mail carrier.
And it’s almost guaranteed that the loved ones on your list will enjoy at least one of these gifts.
Gift cards
Need to send a present to Aunt Martha’s condo halfway across the country? Get her an electronic gift card.
These gift cards can be delivered almost instantly to a friend or loved one. Just pick the card you want, and it will show up in the person’s email, or in some cases, by text.
Companies that offer this type of gift card include:
Although the gift card may be delivered electronically, it generally also can be used in a brick-and-mortar location, in the case of companies that have physical locations.
Just make sure you use a little extra caution when selecting a card this year. To find out why, read “Why You Must Choose Gift Cards Carefully This Year.”
Memberships
Purchasing a membership is a great way to offer a gift that gives throughout the year. As with gift cards, you can often do this electronically.
For example, you can purchase a membership to Amazon Prime for a loved one and have it delivered via email on a date of your choosing.
Not sure if someone already has Prime? Not to worry. Amazon explains:
“If your gift recipient is already an Amazon Prime or Amazon Student member, or does not want to activate the Prime membership, they’ll be able to exchange their gift for an Amazon.com Gift Card in the value of the original cost of the Prime membership gift plus applicable sales tax.”
You also can give the gift of a membership to Costco, although the recipient will have to activate their membership in-store.
You can likewise gift a membership to Sam’s Club. But while you can buy these gifts online, they aren’t electronic: They are special gift cards that get shipped. So if you want to gift membership to someone for Christmas, head to your local Sam’s Club today and buy it there.
Last but not least, Money Talks News also offers a membership with a gift option.
Subscriptions
Like memberships, subscriptions keep the holiday cheer flowing throughout the year. So, consider giving the gift of subscriptions such as:
Some publications — such as The New York Times — also give you the option to give the gift of a print subscription and pay for it online.
Our Money Made Simple course
Some gifts last a short while, others for up to a year. But a few gifts last a lifetime — like our Money Made Simple course.
In this course, Money Talks News founder Stacy Johnson teaches you the basics of personal finance, covering 13 topics, including:
- Setting and achieving goals
- Organizing your finances
- Budgeting
- Living more while spending less
- Banking
- Destroying debts
- Credit
- Buying and owning cars
- Income taxes
- Real estate
- Estate planning
As Stacy says:
“Money Made Simple is an online course — no waiting for books in the mail! — with lessons on 13 key financial topics featuring short, easy-to-watch videos, as well as jargon-free articles and worksheets.”
Right now, you can give this course as a gift — to a loved one, or even to yourself — for $24, a savings of more than 50% of the regular price. To learn more, check out “This Last-Minute Gift Will Change Your Life Forever.”
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