Last-minute shopping need not be painful

By BILL HUSTED

Cox News Service

December 23, 2007

I belong to a club that meets once a year. We don't keep membership lists, but we have no trouble recognizing each other — the vacant stare is a sure tipoff.

Our members meet in store aisles and at cash registers each Christmas Eve. We wander stores and malls with wild eyes and the desperate desire to find a few gifts and get the heck out of there.

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Consider today's column the annual newsletter of the Last Minute Holiday Shopping Club. I'll try to offer ways to ease the pain.

Those of us who are into high-tech stuff have certain advantages. Tech items are readily available, and the stores that sell them are often located outside a busy mall and usually better stocked this time of year than those of other merchants.

You notice I said "stores" — there's no time for online ordering now. The last minute is here, and it's ticking madly away.

I'll offer some specific gift examples, but first a bit of shopping philosophy:

You never want your gift to look like you snatched it up in pure desperation. But you're also dealing with limited time, and probably limited money by now. Finding something both welcome and affordable is a challenge. Fear not; it can be done.

If I were holding a class for my club members, I'd write this on the blackboard in capital letters: ADDING PERCEIVED VALUE.

It's a term I learned while working for a group of gift-oriented companies owned, at the time, by R.J. Reynolds. As the term suggests, it's a method of making something seem more expensive than it actually is.

Let's say your recipient likes computer games. You would bundle a game with small items that fit the theme — a joystick, a new set of speakers, perhaps a manual. You could even throw in some munchies to snack on while playing. Wrap it all up, and you have a gift that totals more than its individual parts.

This works with almost any gift theme. For someone who enjoys digital photography, you could include a memory card for the camera, rechargeable batteries and even a book on photography — all in a small camera bag.

Another themed gift that is both practical and useful is a winter survival kit, for those times when the power is out. Start with a fluorescent lantern — and if your budget is tight just the lantern alone makes a fine gift.

Unlike a flashlight, it throws a wide beam of light that makes it practical for reading or seeing while you cook on your gas stove. And, unlike camping lanterns that use fuel, it's safe for indoor use.

Just as an example, you can find the Coleman Family-Size Retro Rechargeable Battery-Powered Lantern for $34.98 at Target. Or, at the same store and for about the same price, the Viatek Dynamo Lantern. Other stores have similar items.

Add a couple of flashlights and batteries, and you have a good basic survival kit. If you want to get fancy, you can add other items that would come in handy during a power outage, such as a small battery-operated radio.

This is a terrific gift since you are certain to be thanked twice — once when it is opened and again, with great fervor, when it is needed.

I hope these ideas help you survive the (last-minute) holiday shopping season.