Last-Minute Gift Ideas That Don't Require an Amazon Prime Subscription
In the spirit of giving, let's spread that money around.
We’re now less than two weeks out from Christmas (*internally screaming*). That means the shipping cutoffs for guaranteed holiday delivery from many retailers are either fast approaching or already past.
If you’re still gift-hunting and can’t escape post-Christmas delivery estimates, it makes sense why you might end up relying on Amazon‘s two-day shipping guarantee even more than usual. Last weekend, I saw a Christmas ornament shaped like an Amazon shipping box, which feels like a telling sign of just how intertwined Prime and the holidays have become.
That said, if reinstating your Prime subscription and breaking down countless shipping boxes fails to spark holiday joy, I have good news! Amazon is not your only option for gifts with guaranteed Christmas delivery. Many of these ideas require no shipping at all, and hit that gifting sweet spot of something they’ll absolutely use, but would probably never buy for themselves.
So let’s work through that shopping list of yours with a roundup of truly last-minute gift ideas that don’t require Prime shipping.
Donate on Their Behalf
File this under “gifts that are impossible to hate,” because who doesn’t want to support a good cause? This works especially well for the doesn't-want-anything crowd, and there is no shortage of value-aligned organizations in need of your dollar, no matter where their passions lie.
Maybe they’re concerned about protecting the environment, funding cancer research, increasing food access, rescuing animals, or any number of causes. If you want to double-check whether an organization is reputable, Charity Watch and Charity Navigator are great places to start.
Food Delivery
It turns out every single human has to eat. Who knew?! So, needless to say, food has the potential to be a crowd-pleasing gift, and one you can often get on short notice. This can range from a batch of baked goods to a box of premium meat, depending on your budget and the giftee in question.
Starter Suggestions:
Golbelly – a diverse marketplace for gourmet food gifts
Spoonful of Comfort – a shop for soup-er care packages
ButcherBox – a grill master's dream come true
Eastern Standard Provisions – a pretzel package they can reheat whenever
Streaming
There are zero shipping concerns with this gift, and there’s a pretty solid chance they’ll actually use it. This could mean paying for a streaming service they already love (everyone likes money back in their pocket) or expanding their library with new content!
Starter Suggestions:
Criterion – for the movie buff
Curiosity Stream – for the wannabe historian
BroadwayHD – for the one always singing show tunes
Crunchyroll – for the friend that just got really into One Piece
Experiences
I think the “experiences instead of things” mentality has become pretty pervasive, but I’m just here to reaffirm that tickets to something like a concert, comedy show, or musical are a high-impact gift you can likely get at the last minute.
Depending on your access to certain types of entertainment, other options that fall under the “experiences” umbrella include a membership to their favorite museum, booking a class to take together, or even a professional service like car detailing or a photo session.
DIY Mixes
It’s all the charm of a homemade gift without a ton of crafting ability required! This is especially effective if your giftee is the type to request your renowned brownies whenever they get the chance.
All you have to do is grab a container, layer in all the pre-measured, dry ingredients the recipe calls for, and slap on a tag with the directions. Now you’ve got a perfectly giftable homemade mix that’s easy for them to use and is waaaayy better than anything they could buy in a box at the grocery store.
If you need inspiration, Pinterest is abuzz with picturesque ideas, and even if they don’t have much of a sweet tooth this can apply to more savory goodies like soup and dip mixes, too.
Subscriptions
In the wise words of Cousin Eddie, “That's the gift that keeps on giving the whole year.”
Boxes & Services
I suspect this is what first comes to mind since subscription boxes exploded in popularity over the Covid-19 pandemic. Whether it’s the Jelly of the Month Club or Book of the Month, there are a plethora of options to satisfy even the most niche tastes.
Starter Suggestions:
Cratejoy – a big ‘ole marketplace for subscription boxes
Craft Beer Club – bring the brewery to them
The Awesome Socks Club – self-explanatory; 100% of profits donated
Piquant Post – to literally spice up their (food) life
Newspapers & Magazines
I feel like everyone I know talks about how much they miss the experience of sitting down with a physical magazine, which leads me to believe that we should be out here gifting more magazine subscriptions and supporting independent journalism!
Similarly, paywalls for articles you want to read are annoying. So gift them the freedom to roam the news freely with an e-subscription to a national publication like The Wall Street Journal, their local city paper, or something more specific.
Starter Suggestions:
National Geographic – so they can travel the world from the couch
Stack – delivers a new indie magazine every month
Whalebone – for the curious mind; themed bi-monthly issues
Ground Media – a one-stop news aggregator with media bias breakdowns
Education
Maybe they’re trying to get back into an old hobby, or have just always talked about wanting to learn another language. Either way, a gifted subscription to helpful resources might be just the on-ramp they need to get started.
Starter Suggestions:
Babbel – language courses so they can be the best tourist
MasterClass – on-demand inspiration from the people they admire
Udemy – professional skill development at their fingertips
Headspace – a mental health helper in their pocket
It’s easy to put a lot of pressure on ourselves this time of year, so I hope this helps you cross something off your overwhelmingly long to-do list. Though do try to keep in mind all those cheesy holiday sentiments about what’s actually important. The gifts are just an expression of your love and not the whole point. You’ve got this!
What a lovely guide! Helped me think about things I might ask for in the future as well, since I find putting together a wishlist quite stressful 😅 I’m gifting my sister a month’s subscription to an audiobook library for her birthday!
Love giving and receiving gifts like this myself!