Every year, you vow you’ll get your Christmas shopping done early. But once again, you’re running around trying to nail down items on Christmas gift lists before Dec. 25. And if you’re down to the last minute, you may be down to your last dollar.
Hopefully that’s not the case, but if it is, here are 12 practical last-minute gift ideas that are less than $50.
Before you buy, make sure to factor in shipping costs and how long it will take for your orders to be delivered. Please note that prices below are those at the time of publishing and that they are subject to change.
1. LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
Price: $19.95 at Amazon
Know a camper in your life? This could be a practical gift. It’s a drinking straw that acts as a filter, and it removes 99.999% of protozoa and 99.999999% of bacteria, including E.coli and salmonella. It’s designed so that if you’re out in the middle of nowhere and you need to drink from a pond or a stream, you can.
2. Cameo From a Celebrity
Price: Plenty of options for less than $50 on Cameo
Through the website Cameo, you can gift a customized, celebrity-recorded message. Actors, singers, social influencers, ex-politicians — you can find them all here. But take a look in the white elephant gifts section (and throughout) and you’ll find some actors and performers willing to do a Cameo for less than $50 (maybe a lot of the ones charging under $50, you won’t have heard of… but maybe you’ll get lucky). And no shipping is necessary for this gift; everything is sent over email or text for download.
3. Bocce’s Bakery Santa Claws Holiday Cat Box
Price: $8.99 at Chewy
It’s a goody box full of cat treats. If you’re a cat owner, this could be a swell last-minute present for your feline — or, of course, for someone else who loves their cat.
[Why So Many Americans Delay Holiday Shopping — And Why You Shouldn’t]
4. Cheesecake With Chocolate Dipped Fruit Box
Price: $39.99 at Edible
Give the gift of food to an epicurean family member or friend. These are tiny pieces of cheesecake with a graham cracker bottom, topped with chocolate-dipped fruit. Order it shortly before giving, since it’s fruit and it won’t keep.
5. Projection Alarm Clock With Weather Station
Price: $31.99 at Amazon
This alarm clock radio shows weather forecasts for the next 12 hours as well as offering the barometric pressure trend and the temperature trend.
[Tips to Avoid Overspending on Gifts This Holiday Season]
6. Bath Bombs For Kids
Price: $29.99 at Amazon
These bath bombs come in a 12-pack, and each is filled with a surprise animal toy. They can make fun stocking stuffers for youngsters.
7. Customized Pillow
Price: Starts at $16.96 at Walmart
It’s just a standard pillow, nothing out of the ordinary — except that you can upload a photo that will go on the front and back. So, you could have photos of kids, grandchildren, your pet — anyone or anything you want — put on it.
8. Throw Throw Burrito
Price: $24.99 at Walmart
It has been described as a card game meets dodgeball. You collect matching sets of cards while trying to not be hit by (soft) stuffed burritos. If you’re looking for something fun but kind of weird, especially for a kid, this is it.
9. Wahl All-Body Soothing Massager
Price: $19.76 at Amazon
This two-speed massager features four attachments, offering gentle and deep massages to relieve tension. If you have any friends or family members with aches and pains, this could be a welcome gift.
10. HotHands Hand Warmers
Price: $28.99 for a 40-pack at Amazon
You may just want to go with a practical gift, especially if you have somebody in your life who spends a lot of time outside in the winter. These HotHand hand warmers provide up to 10 hours of heat, and come with 40 pairs.
[Read: Holiday Shipping Deadlines to Know to Ensure Your Gifts Arrive On Time.]
11. Perytong Sleep Headphones, Bluetooth Sports Headband Headphones
Price: $15.99 at Amazon
Somebody you know probably suffers from insomnia. This headband goes around their head and over their ears, providing them with music — and hopefully an easy way to drift off to sleep.
12. Refrigerator Deodorizer
Price: $24.99 at Amazon
This product eliminates refrigerator odors for 10 years, and it looks sleek doing it. It’s a practical gift that just about everyone could use.
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12 Last-Minute Christmas Gift Ideas originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 12/20/24: This story was previously published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.
