Last Minute Christmas Gifts

It’s getting closer and closer to Christmas and odds are that a good number of us will still have presents to buy!

It’s getting closer and closer to Christmas and odds are that a good number of us will still have presents to buy, I know I have! With only 4 shopping days left I’ve come up with a fool proof list to use if it comes to Christmas Eve and I’m still struggling to find a gift for Great Aunt Edna.
Below is my magic seven last minute gifts that can be used no matter who’s receiving them!

Vouchers
The gift we all dreaded when growing up, vouchers or a gift card. Now we can thank our lucky stars that such a thing exists! Vouchers are somehow more acceptable than cold hard cash to give as a present, mainly because it shows that you have made some sort of effort to buy a gift. Nowadays you don’t even need to visit the store the intended vouchers are for! Petrol stations, supermarkets and even corner shops now sell gift cards of varying amounts! No longer are you required to brave Marks and Spencer’s on a Saturday afternoon to buy your Nan a £10 gift card that she will use to buy those slippers she wanted in the January sales. Vouchers are the perfect cop-out present for any occasion and anyone you are buying for! With any luck you’ll also receive a complimentary card that you can write that last minute message in too!

Chocolates
A last minute gift that is usually reserved for Valentine’s Day or as an apology for missing an anniversary, yes that means you lads! Chocolates are a quick and easy way to get away with a present for a loved one. You have a good choice as well, for a close relative you can pick up a box of Thornton’s or Lindt, for a brother of sister how about a tub of celebrations and who doesn’t love a Toblerone at Christmas? What’s even better is that chocolates are relatively cheap, so you can get that last minute gift without having to spend a small fortune!

Re-using old gifts
Okay, we might get a bit of stick for this one but surely what the receiver doesn’t know won’t hurt them? Reusing a gift that has been given to you, or upcycling as we prefer to call it, is a great way of giving a last minute present! We’ve all received things in the past which end up at the top of the wardrobe or hidden away in a cupboard never to see the light of day. What better way to both declutter your home and save yourself from the faux-par of not having a decent Christmas gift to give than upcycling that bath set or unwatched DVD. Just be sure that the gift you intend to re-use wasn’t sent by the person you are giving it too!

Wine
This is a gift that can strictly be only used for adults but it is still one great last minute present! Wine, or any alcohol for that matter, is a perfect gift if you are seriously struggling for last minute gift. Most corner shops and supermarkets stock a variety of alcohol to choose from and you may also have the luxury of a local off-licence. This one is particularly good if you happen to know the person’s favourite tipple as it shows that you have put some thought behind the gift, when in reality you have spent 5 minutes picking something up down the road. For those who are really cutting it fine you could also use a bottle of something that you already have in (unopened of course)! We’ve used this trick a few times when we’ve not had the chance to buy for (or forgot about) someone’s birthday. If you’re in luck they may even choose to share this one with you!

Cash in a card
Probably the most unimaginative option of this list and something of a last resort, putting money in a card can always be used if necessary. As mentioned earlier, somehow a voucher or gift card is seen as more acceptable than cash but cash can be used nevertheless! If you are resorting to this, I would recommend picking out a very fancy card with lots of room for you to write something witty in which will hopefully spare your blushes. For those who are struggling with words, why not use something like the poem below?
Twenties are purple,
Fives are blue,
I forgot your gift,
So this cash is for you!

Lottery Ticket
This is probably my favourite on the list, not least because it’s one of the cheapest, but it has the potential to be the best Christmas gift ever! Buying someone a lottery ticket or a number of lottery tickets is a great way of showing someone that you have made an effort to buy them a gift without having to actually make much of an effort. This is perfect for those people who have everything and are really hard to buy for, grandparents I’m looking at you! You also have the chance of being the person responsible for changing someone’s life around, hopefully if they did win they wouldn’t forget who provided the winning ticket!

NCC Home Learning Course
Are you still struggling to find that perfect gift? Then why not the gift of learning? The NCC Home Learning office is open until Christmas Eve and you can also place orders online throughout the Christmas holidays! With courses ranging from Autism Awareness to Zoology we provide something to suit everyone. What’s more, we currently have a special offer where you can receive a 20% discount on all orders made online by using the code XMAS20.
Need some more information? Then contact a course advisor by Telephone: 0800 970 2522 or Email: [email protected]