4 Thoughtful Last-Minute Gifts That Don’t Require Shipping or Shopping

PS: It’s probably too late to get it shipped on time, anyway!

It’s that time again! That oh-so-familiar final stretch that gives us last-minute-shoppers’ nerves a jolt. Hey, there’s no shame in it. Some of us perform better under pressure.

But if you haven’t got all your shopping done you’re probably beginning to feel that uneasy urgency in your stomach telling you better get on it before it’s too late. And this year, it’s probably too late for online shopping anyway, despite what the online retailers are saying. It’s the shipping that’ll getcha!

The problem is, the pandemic has put the shipping industry in the weeds. 86 those estimated delivery dates! The amount of people online shopping this year has caused even the biggest online shopping giants (ahem, I’m looking at you Amazon) to fall into a near frenzy with lost packages, shipping damage, and delivery delays. And everyone’s feeling it.

You still have people to shop for but don’t want to brave the crowds

What can you do if you still have people on your list to check off but you don’t want to join the never-ending lines of last-minute shoppers?

Don’t go for the cash gifts just yet…there are some seriously great gifts that you can get without leaving home that your friends and family will love you for!

Unlike a card full of cash, these no-effort gifts will have them feeling all warm and fuzzy knowing that you really get them. This year, you’ll be the thoughtful gift-giver that really sees the people in your life.

And who doesn’t want to spread that kinda’ love at the most wonderful time of year?

I know I do!

These last-minute gifts have something for everyone on your list. They’ll have them glowing and sending big hugs from 6 feet away (or 100 miles away). Grab ’em digital gifts that pack a big ol’ glittering holiday punch, like the mulled wine that put a glow in your 17 year old’s eyes because he snuck a few glasses when you weren’t looking.

Gift Idea # 1 | Adobe Creative Suite Subscription

Adobe Creative Suite is the gold standard for digital creatives and a must-have for anyone and everyone creative. Get them a 1 year paid subscription in their name and they’ll love you forever.

WHO IS THIS FOR?

• Photographers at every level, from just fudgin’ around with their digital camera to the professional photographer.
• Videographers, vloggers, YouTubers, or anyone who creates video content.
• Digital artists of every kind.
• Small business owners, freelancers, and side-hustlers who create any kind of marketing material or print marketing or forms.

THE COST:

• If you want to make them cry tears of joy, get them the Full Adobe Creative Suite for $599.88, and truly make their year!
• Don’t want to shell out all that cash? Can’t blame ya! Get them the full Adobe Creative Suite monthly plan for $52.99 per month.
• Or, get them a less expensive package that gives them only what they need, like Photoshop and Lightroom only for $9.99 a month.
• See all their plans here.

THE CATCH: They may already have Adobe Creative Suite, so you’ll want to get them a redemption code if that’s the case. If they don’t have it yet, get them a subscription in their name. Either way, come up with a creative way to “gift” it to them then pay for their subscription on their account so they can keep working with what they’ve already created.

Gift Idea # 2 | E-books they’ll love on Audible

This one is great for pretty much anyone, even your Aunt Sarah who knits scarves with the gals once a week. Or even your college student that can’t seem to find time to read for her own pleasure anymore.

It’s by far one of the best subscriptions I’ve signed up for, period. At first, it seemed like I might not really use it much. I love books. Real books. One’s that I can hold in my hands, underline and highlight to my heart's content and shove my face in when I’m at the beach and want to block the sun from hitting my face.

But once I got a book I really liked on Audible, I was hooked. I listen to books with my headphones while I’m driving, grocery shopping, on my Google Home speaker while I’m cooking, cleaning, or doing anything around the house, while I work out, and even to help me fall asleep at night! And I have quadrupled the number of books I read each year.

WHO THIS IS FOR:

This is a great gift for everyone on your list, including yourself! Here are some book suggestions for gift-giving:

For the small business owner, freelancer, and side-hustler in your life, check out these book recommendations:

• Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss
• Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight
• Turning Pro and The War of Art by Steven Pressfield
• Influence by Robert B. Cialdini

For the mindful creative who’s always finding ways to grow personally and professionally:

• The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks
• Non-Violent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall Rosenberg
• Everything is Figureoutable by Marie Forleo
• 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson

For the students in your life who you want to help hack the future or find their calling:

• How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams
• The Alchemist by Paulo Cohelo

For the financially savvy person in your life, grab them one of these books:

• Charlie Munger: The Complete Investor by Tren Griffin
• The Little Book that Still Beats the Market and You Can Be A Stock Market Genius by Joel Greenblatt
• Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin with foreword by Mr. Money Mustache

THE COST:

• A single book is always $14.99.
• If you want to pay for a one-year subscription upfront, simply get Audible Premium Plus for $149.50.
• Don’t want to shell up all the cash now? Get an account in their name and set it to charge you monthly. This way, it’s $14.99 per month and they get credit for 1 book every month.

THE CATCH: If they already have an Audible account, you can simply gift them a book or two. Bonus! If they don’t like the book that they got, they can always trade-in their title for one they secretly were wanting to read. Hey, how would you know? You're not a mind reader! Easy peasy lemon squeezy. But if you’re not sure, and you can’t do a little Santa snooping, go ahead and create a new account for them.

Gift Idea # 3 | Get them a class on Masterclass

I loved my Masterclass subscription so much. I had it for a year and I could learn cooking from Gordon Ramsay one day, guitar from Carlos Santana the next, and writing from James Patterson & Malcolm Gladwell another day. Or all in one day. This is an amazing gift and packs a ton of value by offering video courses taught by the best people in their fields. You’ll be able to find something for everyone in here.

THE COST: A single class is $80. A year subscription is $180 and you get access to all the courses. Go for the year subscription. They’ll use it!

THE CATCH: No catch here, really. Except maybe that if you hurry up and grab this one, you can get a 1-year subscription for yourself for free when you gift them a year subscription!

WHO THIS IS FOR:

Learn Photography from teachers like:

• Annie Liebovitz
• Jimmy Chin

Learn Cooking from teachers like:

• Thomas Keller
• Gordon Ramsay

Learn music from teachers like:

• Carlos Santana
• Alicia Keys
• Hans Zimmer

Film buffs, aspiring directors, and actors will learn from teachers like:

• Martin Scorsese
• Samuel L. Jackson
• Natalie Portman
• Spike Lee

The writer in your life will love learning from teachers like:

• Neil Gaiman
• Aaron Sorkin
• David Sedaris

Even the person who’s always rearranging furniture in your life will learn interior design from Kelly Wearstler! And there’s just so much more. This one is definitely worth checking out.

Gift Idea # 4 | Creative Live Creator’s Pass

Creative Live is a place where creatives, entrepreneurs, writers, and even health-conscious mindful meditation and yoga enthusiasts can find really affordable, really great courses online that they can learn at their own pace taught by people some of the most talented in their field.

In fact, in just researching what’s new with them last night, I bought a course on podcasting for only $23! Why? Because I’ve been curious for a long time about podcasting and this way, I can learn the basics and get started if I feel like it’s for me. And saving the headache and time of going in blind and figuring everything out on my own ( just to maybe find out it’s not for me) for only $23.00, that’s a steal. There’s so much here that anyone can find something that they’d love to learn.

WHO THIS IS FOR:

• Pretty much everyone. There are so many classes, that I could probably build a novel out of this article. Get on there and explore. They’ve got hundreds of classes broken down into these categories:
• Photo & Video
• Art & Design
• Music & Audio
• Craft & Maker
• Money & Life

THE COST:

This one is super affordable. You can find individual classes for as low as $9.00 sometimes! Plus, they’re always streaming multiple live free classes all day every day. So, if you don’t know, now you know. If you haven’t checked it out yet, y’all have been missin’ out!

Or get them a Creator Pass. They have 3 options here:

• One year paid subscription is on sale now for $129 annually, down from $299.
• $15 per month with an annual commitment.
• $39 per month, no commitment.

THE CATCH: None.

The great thing about Creative Live is they offer so many classes for so many things that you almost can’t go wrong — everyone can find something they want to learn here.

Procrastinators and lazy gift-givers, rejoice!

When it comes to holiday shopping I’ll admit. I myself am kinda lazy. I wait until the last minute…and you know what? I don’t feel bad about it and neither should you. Because these gifts give more than material gifts could ever give. These are experiences that make our lives richer and help to make us better, more dynamic humans.

Now go on! Enjoy shopping from your couch…in your pj’s…on a Thursday night…with a glass of wine in hand.

All while knowing you’re gonna make some people in your life very happy with not a creature (that’s you!) stirring…nothing more than your mouse (click!).