Forgot to buy all your gifts? Go virtual
Taking care of kids and holiday shopping can be overwhelming. Just in case you forgot someone, here are some virtual certificates you can put under the tree or stuff in a stocking. I am sure your loved one won't mind a copy of a on-line receipt as a gift. You can just say that you wanted to give them the option to chose what they want. That is a true gift (do ya think they will go for it?).
- Amazon.com has electronic gift certificates that can be sent to multiple addresses, included with an e-card and sent within hours. They also allow printable magazine gift cards.
- Nordstroms has a virtual gift card. Froogle also has listings of virtual certificates.
- If you want to give a hint to your family that the next Christmas will be spent in California, instead of spending hours in an airline terminal because you got snowed in making a connection in Chicago, American Airlines has travel gift cards.
- Donate online in someone's name. Even eonline has a page for donations with a section that offers to make a donation to the Children's Miracle Network if you send an e-card.
If you want to stay away from the mall but still buy some gifts, here are some tech gifts you can get at your local computer or some office supply stores: high tech gifts at rock bottom prices, stocking stuffers, cool gadgets and gizmos, Engadget's holiday gift guide or the C/Net holiday gift guide. I like the Fingergrear Computer on a Stick or a general USB memory stick as a back-up for my files or when I need to file share. And they will fit into a stocking.
Just to keep things in check, you can visit the mommysavers for tips on saving money and information on computer rage so you don't destroy your new high tech gifts.
