5 Great Last-Minute Christmas Gift Ideas
It’s the night of the 23rd December. You’re lying in bed and scrolling your Instagram feed with glee. You can’t help sporting a silly grin as you think about the half work-day you’d have on the eve of Christmas and the sumptuous dinner you’d have with your buddies later that same day. “Yay”, you say to yourself. Your lids start to get heavy when suddenly, a single thought have you bolt upright with horror – “I haven’t bought my gifts yet!!” If this is you while reading this article, fear not, for we’ve compiled a list of five great last-minute gift ideas that will help you make it through that Christmas gift exchange dinner. And with swagger, too.
Deliveroo – Gift of food
You know that burger joint your buddy really likes? How about sending him a delivery of his favourite burger and truffle fries by using Deliveroo? The story behind Deliveroo goes as such that the founder moved from New York to London and found much difficulty in getting great quality food delivered. He therefore decided to solve his own problem and well, in turn solve the same problem faced by many other city dwellers. Deliveroo claims to have partnered with the best restaurants – “from hotspots to national favourites” – and to deliver your food in an average of 32 minutes! All you need to know to fulfil this gift to your friend is his address and to make sure that he’s home during the period that you intend to have Deliveroo make the delivery. Now tell me, who doesn’t like a nice warm surprise meal from their favourite dining? Go download their app now or simply place the order on deliveroo.com.sg
Photo credit: Deliveroo.com.sg
Audible – Gift of books
Does your friend love to read but laments that she just doesn’t have the time to do so nowadays (go on, blame your phone)? Well, a gift subscription to Audible would be the perfect gift for her then. Audible is a company that produces digital audio version of books, magazines and newspapers in addition to radio and television programmes. It was started in 1995 as a digital audio player manufacturer before it slowly gained success over the years, first with Apple in 2003 to provide their catalogue of books on the iTunes Music Store to subsequently being acquired by Amazon in 2008 for US$300 million. An Audible gift subscription is great for someone who spends a lot of time on their daily commute as they could simply plug in their earphones and relax while a book is being read to them. It’s also simply perfect for those who spends quite a bit of time every day driving – now they can keep their eyes on the roads and “read” at the same time!
Photo credit: Audible.com
Spotify – Gift of music
Spotify is a music streaming company founded in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2008 and as of now, provides its services in 78 countries and regions globally. Its services are termed “freemium”: basic service comes with advertisements or automatic music videos and paying for a subscription removes ads and also accords you a better streaming quality. Does your friend seemed perpetually plugged in to music? This would make a fantastic gift and it’d only take minutes for you to give her a gift subscription on their website.
Photo credit: Spotify.com
iTunes – Gift of entertainment
Does your pal have that one or two movies that he has failed to catch at the cinema? Give him the chance to watch it over the Christmas break then. You can do it by searching for the movies on the iTunes store and then follow the instructions to rent them as a gift for him. Once done, he will be able to watch them at a time of his own convenience. You might even help him score a private movie date with his love interest. Now, how’s that for a good gift?
Photo credit: Apple.com
Giving.sg – Gift of charity
Perhaps your buddy has all that he needs and you simply can’t think of anything to give him. Not at the last minute, anyway. How about doing some good in his name then? Giving.sg is an online platform that allows you to select which charity or cause you’d like to support with a monetary donation. Once you’ve made your decision, all you need to do is to follow the online donation instructions and you’re done. If you’re donating to an IPC (Institutions of a Public Character), you’d even be able to claim tax deduction. Doesn’t that just sound perfect? You get to give a gift and help fund a charity or cause, and at the same time, claim some tax deduction for yourself. That truly is what we call a gift that keeps on giving.
Photo credit: Giving.sg