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Birthday gift ideas

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Birthday gift ideas are hard enough to come up with in the first place, but when you put off buying the gift until the last minute, it is even more difficult! Buying presents at the last minute can be extremely helpful. Luckily, I have compiled this list of last minute birthday gift ideas.

Realize that just because these are last minute birthday gift ideas, it certainly does not mean that they are thoughtless. You can still give great gifts, even on short notice. Here are some good examples.

• An Mp3 player. It used to be that the one of the best last minute birthday gift ideas was a CD or a gift certificate to a CD store. Times have changed. Now, one of the best gifts you can give is an Mp3 player. You can find them in a variety of colors, choose a color that best matches the personality of the recipient.
• Subscription to a magazine. The trick here is to pick out a magazine that the person will want, but does not always have. The great thing about a subscription to a magazine is that you can wrap up the first magazine, and explain that you signed them up to receive future ones.
• Alcohol. If your liquor store is still open at the time you are trying to come up with last minute birthday gift ideas, then you are in luck. A bottle of wine, or another bottle of alcohol, makes a great gift. Of course, first be sure that the recipient is someone who drinks (and is of legal age)! And it is also best if you know what sort of drink that person prefers. You can pair a bottle of wine with some great cheese and crackers or some beautiful wine glasses. Just tie a bow around the neck, and you are set! High quality beer is also a great gift.
• Tickets to sporting events, movies, plays, ski resorts, amusement parks, etc. Realize that for many of these gifts, you do not actually have to head all the way to resort or park, etc, to buy tickets. Check with local ticket dealers and grocery stores, etc. to see if they sell tickets, as well (and they often sell them at discounted rates!) If you do not have enough time to stop and buy the tickets, you can always write in the card how you plan to take them skiing, etc. Make your own gift certificate!
• Gift certificates. Gift certificates are always much appreciated gifts – they allow the recipient to get what he or she truly wants. At the same time, a gift certificate can be a whole lot more personal than a wad of cash. Give a gift certificate to a favorite clothing store, a music store, bookstore, cooking store, restaurant, sporting good store etc. The key is to put forth enough thought to think of a place that the recipient would really enjoy shopping at. Realize that a gift certificate is a much better gift than a shirt from a store that you felt rushed to buy. If you are feeling rushed, it can be much harder to pick out a great item.
• A picture frame. Glance through your photo albums, find a great photo, stuff it in the frame, and voila! You have got on your hands a very thoughtful gift!

The trick with last minute birthday gift ideas is to not simply impulse buy. If you have not had enough time to put a lot of thought into a gift, it is best to give less specific gifts, like tickets or gift certificates (again, though, specify them to something that the recipient would want.