Getting a little nervous about getting all your holiday shopping done in time for the big day? You’re not alone.
According to Statista, 90% of shoppers start their holiday gift shopping in October and November. But getting started is one thing, it’s finishing strong that’s the real challenge.
Whether you meticulously planned out all your shopping for the holidays or find yourself in a mad dash, we’ve got budget-friendly and thoughtful last-minute gift ideas to ensure everyone on your list feels truly appreciated. Stress less, gift smarter.
GIVE THE GIFT OF A STYLISH SMARTWATCH
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch6 is their most advanced watch yet, boasting cutting-edge features such as next-gen sleep coaching and personalized heart rate zones for advanced wellness tracking. With a super sleek design available in two stylish colors and numerous customizable band options, it allows for maximum outfit coordination. Offering up to 40 hours of battery life, it makes for an excellent workout companion. And, it’s compatible with ANY phone, making it the ideal choice for Samsung users.
Price: Starting at $270
GIVE THE GIFT OF ENDLESS CRAFTING
Price: FREE (using your handy printer)
In collaboration with DIY influencer Brittany Jepsen from “The House that Lars Built,” HP is introducing a world of ‘printable playtime’ perfect for creating memorable family moments. It’s a wonderful screen-free artistic escape, allowing busy parents to manage holiday tasks while their kids immerse themselves in crafting personalized seasonal decorations, from ornaments to gift tags. The print quality is vibrant, and the colors are totally true-to-life. We love giving the gift of photos, and the HP Envy 7955e All-in-One is an awesome tool to set you on that path. Another bonus: HP’s Instant Ink and Paper Add-On Subscription Service ensures you never run out of ink or paper.
GIVE THE GIFT OF A GREAT DEAL ON SOME GREAT PHONES
The deals at Cricket Wireless keep rolling in. For those opting for the new $ 60 a-month best-unlimited plan, they can snag the Icon 5, Outlast, and Magic 5G until December 18th. This offer is just a slice of Cricket’s Wireless Winter Wonder Sale, extending until January 4th. Beyond the Cricket phone deals, there are fantastic discounts on Motorola and Samsung smartphones. Running on AT&T’s network, it’s an excellent budget-friendly option with no surprises or sticker shock.
Price: FREE (to customers who open a new line of service)
GIVE THE GIFT OF SCREEN-FREE PLAYTIME
For the young ones on your list, there’s Storypod—we’ve talked about how obsessed we are with this one a lot this year. It’s a screen-free, interactive, and educational audio player with a Craftie, a cute yarn character launching stories, games, and music. What sets it apart is the ability for anyone, from parents to faraway family, to record messages via a smartphone app. Parents add these recordings to a Recordable Story Sticker that they then place on a photo or a book, capturing cherished moments and voices forever. Imagine hearing your grandparents’ holiday stories for generations to come.
Sale Price: $60 ($40 off with subscription)
GIVE THE GIFT OF A VIRTUAL SCREEN YOU CAN TAKE WITH YOU
The XREAL Air 2 Pro glasses are a serious jaw-dropper and one of our favorite last-minute gift ideas this holiday season. They look like sunglasses, but they are so much more. They transform whatever you are viewing on a smartphone, computer, video game console, or TV into a virtual big screen. And that screen can extend almost 30 feet. With control over the screen’s placement, users can comfortably rest their head, neck, and shoulders—say goodbye to tech neck. They are ideal for watching movies on a plane, gaming on the grandest screen, or handling work with PRIVATE screens. These glasses connect to your devices via USB-C and even feature a clever spot to snap on your prescription or over-the-counter reading glasses inside. Pure genius!
Price: $450
GIVE THE GIFT OF GAMING
The Xbox Series S Starter Bundle is a perfect last-minute gift for anyone who wants to jump right into the world of gaming. It includes everything you need to play right out of the box, so you can go from tearing off the gift wrap to full gaming goodness in about ten minutes. This bundle includes three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, giving you access to hundreds of the most popular games on the planet like Minecraft Legends, Forza Motorsport, and Starfield. If you have young gamers, the Xbox Family Settings App also offers easy tools for managing your kids’ gaming, including screen time monitoring and privacy settings. And, it’s still available for the big day!
Price: $300
GIVE THE GIFT OF A CLIMATE-FRIENDLY PRINTER
The HP Smart Tank 5101 All-in-One is almost as good for the planet as it is for simple and affordable everyday printing. Crafted with nearly 50% recycled plastic, it also includes up to two years of ink in recyclable refill bottles. And, Auto On/Off Tech enhances its eco-friendliness with no extra work from you. This printer caters to busy families, students, or anyone working from home! The company recently achieved a new milestone, with customers recycling over 1 billion original HP ink and toner cartridges. Witnessing a cutting-edge tech company do more for our world is seriously cool. An eco-friendly printer? Who would have thought we’d ever see the day?
Price: $250
GIVE THE GIFT OF ENDLESS MOVIE NIGHTS
With about a billion smart projectors on the market these days, choosing the right one can be a bit of a challenge. At Techish, we are big fans of the KODAK FLIK HD9 Smart Projector. It’s a powerhouse, conveniently portable, and the ultimate choice for elevating your movie nights. Pair it with a smartphone app for on-the-go access to Netflix, YouTube, and Amazon Prime. What’s even better? This smart projector comes at an incredibly reasonable price point of $250.
Price: $250
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GIVE THE GIFT OF DIY PROJECTS
The Cricut Joy Xtra, another one of our favorite gifts to give, guides you from idea to ‘I did it’ with its amazing DIY creations. It’s one of those great last-mintute gift ideas for family members that loves to craft and customize. It doesn’t just cut over 50 materials but also serves as a versatile tool for writing, foiling, and drawing on everything from cards to water bottles. It’s compact, handy and connects you with a community of creators and millions of awesome ideas. Cricut hardware and design software work together as a connected platform so that you can make beautiful, high-quality DIY projects quickly and easily.
Price: $200
GIVE THE GIFT OF AN AFFORDABLE SMARTPHONE
Make the switch to Total by Verizon before the end of the year and score a FREE Samsung Galaxy A13 5G! No tricks, no hidden fees—just a legit FREE smartphone. This isn’t one of those bait and switch and you end up paying more “deals”. Packed with power, quick downloading speeds and video streaming, this phone bundles essential features at an unbeatable price for a 5G device. Grab four lines for just $25 each with autopay—that’s nearly 40% off the regular price.
Price: FREE (for customers who switch to Total by Verizon)
As the Holiday Shopping Season continues to heat up, keep checking back here to see what’s new, plus find out all the tips, tricks, and insider hacks to get everything you want and need at a price you can afford.
Happy Shopping!
THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS AND PURCHASES MAY GENERATE A SMALL COMMISSION TO HELP SUPPORT OUR WORK AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU. THESE ARE THE GIFTS WE’VE SCOURED THE TECH-ISH PLANET TO FIND, TEST, AND PASS ALONG TO YOU.
Our marketing department or production partners might work with some of the companies or products mentioned above to help offset studio and overall business costs. However, our editorial comments, reviews, and content are all our own.
For more great consumer tech advice, read Jennifer’s latest columns at USAToday.com/tech or follow her @JennJolly on Instagram.