Last Minute Gift Ideas

If you’re like me, every year at the holidays there are always a few last minute gifts that just seem to catch me off guard. Luckily, we have a grocery store just down the block and I have found a treasure trove of hidden gems there to satisfy my last minute madness!

12 Last Minute Gifts from the Grocery Store

• Fruit Basket
  Whether you buy one pre-made or you grab some fruit and nuts to make one up yourself, this is always a great gift for someone you know that is health conscious or has a house full of kids or company over the holidays.
• Old Fashioned Popcorn Basket
  Grab some popping corn, butter flavored oil (or coconut oil), flavored popcorn salts and a 2 liter of root beer and gift it along with a Redbox rental gift certificate.
• Pizza Night
  Put together a pre-made pizza crust, a jar of a good pizza sauce, sliced (or a whole) pepperoni, a chunk of mozzarella cheese, and anything else you think would make a great pizza and you’ve got a fun dinner for that special couple.
• Flower Arrangement
  During the holiday season, most grocers also carry festive plants or flowers. Surprise someone with a beautiful bouquet to brighten their home.
• Breakfast Treats for Kids
  You’ve heard of that aunt or uncle who buys their nieces & nephews the most obnoxious toy they can find? Instead of a toy, treat the kids to a special cereal that they might not get to eat at any other time of the year (think “your favorite cereal growing up – and possibly their mom or dad’s too”). It’ll definitely guarantee you ‘favored’ status!
• Cards and Stamps
  My grandma got to an age where she could no longer go out and buy birthday/anniversary/get well/sympathy cards to send during the year. One year, I chose some generic cards for her and gifted them to her with a roll of stamps. She was thrilled to not have to ask for someone to go after one for her every time she needed it and I felt good giving her back her independence in some small way.
• Cleaning Products
  I know it might sound crazy, but there are people out there who LOVE to clean and who would enjoy nothing more than cool new things to do it with. Find some fun functional cleaning supplies like bright colored sponges, cleaning cloths, spray bottles, gloves, etc. to make them smile!
• Magazine Subscription
  Easy peasey. Pick up any magazine on the rack and what falls out? A pesky subscription card! If you’re short on time and need a gift that keeps giving for an entire year, buy a copy of the magazine that you know your special someone would like and then either fill out that pesky card with their vitals and mail it along with your payment, or check out an online subscription outlet and order that same magazine online (usually for less)! Give the magazine with a note saying that they can expect one every month for the next year.
• Coffee Please! (or Tea)
  One trip down the coffee and tea aisle might be the trick to satisfy a number of people on your gift list. Most grocers these days carry a variety of coffee from your basic 2-3 lb. cans to gourmet choices that you grind yourself, fair trade, organic, and everything in between. Grab a pound of coffee or a couple of boxes of nice tea and give it along with a flavored creamer or two or some nice locally-sourced honey for the tea drinker.
• Local Craft Beer
  The perfect gift for the person who you know gets giddy at the idea of a new IPA or wild flavored Porter. A six-pack of this meaningful to a beer connoisseur and is sure to bring a smile.
• Lottery Tickets
  For that hard-to-buy-for adult in your life, give the chance to strike it rich (or not)! We all love to take a chance, but we usually can’t justify spending part of our budget to do it… What fun to open an envelope with a small pile of scratch-off lottery tickets. You could also include some of those gold-wrapped chocolate coins just for grins.
• Snack Attack!
  Don’t want to waste money on a toy that will be long forgotten once the big day is past? Food is always a great gift to give anyone – even kids! Put together a basket/or box of individual packages of kids favorite things… their own ‘snack station’! Some ideas: granola bars, fruit snacks in their favorite characters, fish crackers, single-serve cookies, dried fruits, juice boxes, etc. They will love having an arsenal of goodies to choose from during their school break or to be able to pack in a lunch when they head back to classes. (This is also a great idea for a college student).

There you have it – twelve gifts that are sure to please and that you can find at your local grocery store. Happy Shopping!