• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechChristmas shopping

5 Last-Minute Gift Ideas That Say You Care (Or Have a Credit Card)

By
Stacey Higginbotham
Stacey Higginbotham
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Stacey Higginbotham
Stacey Higginbotham
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 24, 2015, 11:35 AM ET
AP F NJ USA Earns Starbucks
A person holds a Starbucks Coffee card Wednesday, Nov. 31, 2007 in Pennington, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)Photograph by Mel Evans — AP

My goodness, it’s Christmas Eve and you, my friend, are stuck with a gift giving occasion in less than 24 hours and no idea what to wrap. Before you pull into the nearest Starbucks let me offer a few quick ideas that yes, does include a gift card (but it is a gift card for a specific item, so it at least shows you care). I’m a gadget lover, so these skew toward the connected and expensive, but I tried to offer a few cheaper options. We don’t have a lot of time, so let’s get to it.

For the lady in your life: Give her the gift of jewelry that frees her from her phone. The Ringly connected ring is both attractive and functional. It connects to her Android or iOS phone and vibrates or lights up via an LED on the side to let her know when a text, phone call or a variety of other messages are coming through. It’s too late to pick up the ring, but order a gift card and let her pick her own favorite style and size, which is what she’d want to do anyway. Ringly-$195

SIGN UP: Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter about the business of technology.

For the renter: Give your kid who is at college or your apartment-owning friend a sense of security with this all-in-one connected home security and air quality monitoring device called the Canary. To get it today, pick it up before 5pm from your local Home Depot (HD), and also get $70 off the retail price. This product connects to an Android or iOS device and sends an alert and starts video recording when it detects motion in the home. Canary (at Home Depot)-$179

For the fitness fanatic: This is a great gift for anyone who is feeling stressed about their health or weight. Give your recipient a jump start for their fitness goals with a subscription to the Daily Burn. This is a program of unlimited workouts that can stream to a huge variety of devices. Offering this as a gift may be a tad difficult since there isn’t an option for a gift card and you’ll eventually want to cancel the monthly payment or transfer it to your friend, but this isn’t a gift you want to offer a total stranger, so I bet you and your pal can work this out. Daily Burn-$12.95 a month (first month is free)

WATCH: For more on this related topic see our highly relevant video.

For the host/hostess gift: Look you already know this one, but I’m going to tell you anyway, because you are stressed and you’ve forgotten. Williams Sonoma (WSM) makes really baller, expensive candy that is a great gift to bring along for holiday parties when you don’t know the host or hostess well. Yes, it’s pricey, but its Peppermint Bark is actually the best I’ve ever had (the sales people tell me it’s because the company uses real peppermint oil, but of course, they would say that). Get there before 6pm. Williams Sonoma-$20-$40

For host/hostess/anyone else: Did you feel that I led you astray with the candy idea? If you were expecting some kind of app or gadget and felt like candy was just the lamest thing I could offer, then how about you trundle over to Best Buy (BBY) (it’s open until 6 pm today) and pick up a Google (GOOG) Chromecast Audio device? This is for your friends who like to listen to music on their computers or phones but also want to hear it coming from their actual speakers. Plug one end of the Chromecast Audio into the port in the back of your speaker. Plug the other end into a power outlet and then connect it to your Wi-Fi network. Soon your loved ones can “cast” any music they listen to on their phone or computers to their house speakers without worrying about going out of range as happens with Bluetooth speakers. It’s also cheaper than a Sonos setup by a lot. Chromecast Audio-$30.

Hopefully you’ve found something better than that iTunes or a Starbucks (SBUX) gift card on this list, so gas up the car and get thee to the mall. Apparently everyone shopped online this year, so maybe the crowds won’t be so bad.

About the Author
By Stacey Higginbotham
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is displayed outside a Space Exploration Technologies Corp. facility in Hawthorne, California.
Startups & VentureElon Musk
SpaceX has filed confidentially for IPO ahead of AI rivals
By Bailey Lipschultz, Edward Ludlow and BloombergApril 1, 2026
2 hours ago
AI ‘slop’ is flooding YouTube Kids—and more than 200 groups and experts are calling for a ban
CybersecurityYouTube
AI ‘slop’ is flooding YouTube Kids—and more than 200 groups and experts are calling for a ban
By Catherina GioinoApril 1, 2026
2 hours ago
Deutsche Bank asked AI if it’s true that AI will solve the economy’s inflation problems. The robots answered
Economydisruption
Deutsche Bank asked AI if it’s true that AI will solve the economy’s inflation problems. The robots answered
By Nick LichtenbergApril 1, 2026
3 hours ago
ntsb
LawAutos
Why hands-free systems in self-driving cars aren’t actually safer, according to the NTSB
By Josh Funk and The Associated PressApril 1, 2026
3 hours ago
Mike Wirth, chief executive officer of Chevron.
EnergyData centers
Microsoft and Chevron enter exclusivity deal on powering West Texas AI data center complex
By Jordan BlumApril 1, 2026
3 hours ago
A chip research center site operations manager stands next to a window overlooking the facility.
EnvironmentData centers
Data centers are so hot their ‘heat island’ effect is raising temperatures up to 6 miles away and impacting 343 million people worldwide, study finds
By Sasha RogelbergApril 1, 2026
5 hours ago

Most Popular

Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
Economy
Jerome Powell says the $39 trillion national debt is ‘not unsustainable,’ but warns the trajectory ‘will not end well’
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
2 days ago
Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
Success
Two-thirds of parents say their adult Gen Z kids still rely on them financially  for support—even though it's putting them under strain
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
1 day ago
Kevin O'Leary says if you earn $68,000 a year and follow this rule, you'll retire a millionaire
Personal Finance
Kevin O'Leary says if you earn $68,000 a year and follow this rule, you'll retire a millionaire
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
1 day ago
A man used AI to call 3,000 Irish bartenders to track the cost of Guinness. Now pubs are lowering their prices to compete
AI
A man used AI to call 3,000 Irish bartenders to track the cost of Guinness. Now pubs are lowering their prices to compete
By Fortune EditorsMarch 30, 2026
2 days ago
Hiring just hit a level not seen since the economy was ‘closed down literally’ during COVID, top economist says
Economy
Hiring just hit a level not seen since the economy was ‘closed down literally’ during COVID, top economist says
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
1 day ago
Markets cheer as Trump threatens to abandon Iran war, but Jamie Dimon sides with allies: ‘Win this thing and clean up the straits’
Energy
Markets cheer as Trump threatens to abandon Iran war, but Jamie Dimon sides with allies: ‘Win this thing and clean up the straits’
By Fortune EditorsMarch 31, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.