Christmas is now in less than a week and for most of us we finished shopping for Christmas presents. Despite my best efforts to complete all of my Christmas shopping, the 3 weeks of exams and final projects don’t tend to seem like real life, and once your out its almost Christmas. So for those who are still haven’t purchased everything they need, here are some great last minute Christmas gift ideas, some of which don’t even need to be shipped. For the most part I like to completely avoid malls since you end up spending about 30 minutes trying to find a spot.

Magazine Subscription
http://www.rogersmagazineservice.com/
Check out Rogers Magazine service for great deals on magazine subscriptions and you Air Miles and Aeroplan members can also get bonuses for purchasing subscriptions.

Amazon.ca
*Note today is the last day forty of free super saving shipping to arrive before Christmas
Buy a wide variety of products and purchase over the $25 to get free shipping as well.
Make sure to check out their Top Holiday Deals section but make sure to check that the products are available once they are in your cart.

Chapters
*Use the ship to store function to go and pick up your purchase, ship to home for the holiday’s is no longer available
Purchase books at much cheaper prices than in the store, and sign up for plum rewards to save more. Also you can purchase a variety of home decor products, stationary including Moleskin notebooks for friends that love to write and keep notes in something pretty.

Futureshop
For those who love technology, as of today there are 3 days left for ground shipping and it’s free for orders over $20.
For items like DVD’s and box sets you may be able to find a better deal at Amazon, check your prices. It’s often better to buy from Futureshop for electronics since you can go in store whenever there are problems or issues with the product and returns are much easier as well.

Groupon/Team Buy/Living Social/Wag Jag
Make sure to check out all of these sites certificates to redeem the gift are available once the daily deal ends, so keep that in mind. But these gifts are simple don’t require any shipping and for those who hate wrapping can be put inside a Christmas card. These gifts can be anything from trips to manicures and pedicures

Manicure/Pedicure/Spa Treatments from a local spa
This something you can pick up as long as the location is open, but it’s highly unlikely you will be waiting in line or fighting anyone for a parking spot, plus this is usually a great gift for your mom.

LCBO/Liquor Store
Another great idea and something I’ve done in the past is buying someone’s favourite liquor, and you can often purchase these in gift sets as well. There’s also the option of picking a variety of unique Christmas beers and it’s something that you know they will love and can even consume on Christmas. Check out the LCBO’s Gift Finder guide http://www.lcboholiday.com/gift_finder

Baking
Even if you aren’t the greatest baker in the world, baking cookies and decorating them yourself and then packaging them up nicely is a great personalized present that is also easy on the budget. Check out Pinterest for some great baking ideas as well as just simply searching google or checking out Kraft Kitchens as well http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/dessert/main.aspx

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One of the things that I definitely recommend is purchasing Christmas presents early, and spread purchases over a period of time. What I did last year, was go on a spending spree way too close to Christmas, panicking about that fact that I needed to get gifts for everyone. This tends to lead to over spending, having a huge credit card bill come new years and the quality of your gifts may not be as you intended.

Some ways to save money

• Make purchases online. Use eBay, check for coupon codes, online sales. There are usually fewer sales closer to Christmas because retailers know that you will be buying no matter what in December, no matter the price. Take advantage of sales now instead of December. Also when making purchases be conscious of free shipping deals, especially in Ontario we already get killed with taxes, its best to try and get free shipping if possible.
• Check out some DIY projects on Pinterest if your the crafty type and make a unique present instead. It will definitely be a lot cheaper than purchasing the product yourself.

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