Can you think of a time when you realized almost too late that you needed to get a gift for someone? You were too busy.
You forgot.
You had no idea what gift to get and kept putting it off.
This article will give you some ideas and strategies for dealing with the times when you need a last-minute gift.
Some things you can do in advance and some are just for emergencies.
If it is an emergency then there are several things you can do.
The first is go through some last-minute gift choices that require little preparation.
The usual choices are chocolates, wines and flowers.
These can be purchased at many outlets such as gas stations.
Instead of wrapping them put them in a gift bag, this removes the need for sticky-tape, bows and ribbons.
If you can, get the shop to wrap it for you.
You could even keep a gift bag or two in the car if you do this a lot.
If you do buy from somewhere like a gas station then try to remove any indication of the shop and price.
A great last-minute gift for most special occasions is a bottle of Champagne.
If you have a little more time then consider a gift certificate or voucher.
These can even be bought in advance.
Then all that you need is a suitable greetings card.
You need to ensure that the voucher has a good general choice of shops.
You would want one from a big chain or a large local mall.
If the recipient is on the Internet then you could even send the voucher electronically.
Many large Internet sellers such as Amazon and iTunes have voucher schemes.
If you do send the voucher electronically then you need to ensure that the method of sending is secure.
It is better to print off the voucher and add a personal message.
This shows that you have put a little thought into the gift.
To avoid the situation in the first place you need to have a list of all of the occasions for which you need to give gifts.
If you use the Internet or a calendar then ensure that these events are listed with a reminder if possible.
Some Internet calendar systems and smart-phones will give you a reminder of an event several days before.
Some people have a 'Gift First Aid Kit'.
This is invaluable when you need to supply a gift at short notice.
You need a drawer or box to hold your kit.
The kit will contain emergency gifts, greetings cards, postage stamps, wrapping paper and the like.
You will find this is useful for Christmas and Birthdays too as you will have everything you need at hand.
You should have a good selection of greetings cards for all occasions.
You should ensure that you have some cards without specific messages so that you can always create a suitable card.
If you forget or cannot get a gift then a card is always welcome and shows that you have not forgotten.
You can say in the card that you did not want to send a gift in the mail and you will present it when you next meet.
If you do this then you must ensure that you have a gift by then.
You can keep your eyes open for suitable gifts throughout the year.
Look for clearance and sale items at places like outlet shops.
Especially if the bargain is for a brand that the recipient will recognize and is of high quality.
Examples are perfumes, toiletries, ornaments and the like.
You will want to make a list of what is in the drawer.
You may even find that you have a lot of your Christmas gifts when that time comes around.
Note that if the items are there for a long time then you will want to check if there is a date beyond which they should not be used.
This article is intended to help you find those last-minute emergency gifts and help you to prepare in advance to make this sort situation easier to deal with.
If all else fails a simple call or letter to say that you have remembered may be all that is needed.