Last Minute

2019 | Holiday Gift Guide

Hottest new toys • Home office hits

For the kitchen • Smart choices
And much more
 Hometown
holidays
By Marilyn Kennedy Melia
We humans are social creatures, and noth-
ing celebrates our need for human interaction
and goodwill like the holiday season. That’s
why many shoppers prefer to patronize local
stores, where a staffer might greet them by
name, and help them select the perfect gift.
For some, that experience is worth paying a
few dollars more, even if an online search can
turn up a cheaper price on an item.
But while savings may be found if you’re
only searching for the price tag on a particu-
lar item, the bigger picture could sway even
the most cost-conscious consumer of the
benefits of the “buy local” argument. Here’s
why:
1. Follow the money
Studies consistently show that money spent
locally tends to remain in the area, explains
Matt Cunningham of non-profit Civic
Economics, Evanston, Illinois.
His group’s most recent stats show that
2 Last Minute Gift Guide 2019 - Cadillac News www.cadillacnews.com | Friday, December 20, 2019
52.3 percent of every dollar spent at an inde-
pendent retailer remains in the local econo-
my, and 15.8 percent of every dollar spent at
a local branch of a chain retailer stays local.
Each dollar that stays close to home helps
keep you and your neighbors employed and
boosts the local tax base, which in turn helps
fund schools and community services. And all
those factors helps support housing prices,
benefiting area homeowners, explains Olivia
LaVecchia of the Institute for Local Self
Reliance, Washington D.C.
In contrast, when you buy online, your pur-
chase is pulled off the shelf of a warehouse
(which might be hundreds of miles away),
piled into a truck and shipped, eventually
arriving at your front door.
It’s difficult to estimate the local impact of
the massive increase in online shopping,
notes Cunningham, because it depends
whether warehouses are located nearby. But
even if the delivery route wasn’t long, the
impact of an online purchase is significantly
less than any spending in-store, he adds.
 2. Count the dollars
How would one randomly selected
group of shoppers spend an average
$175 for all the fixings for
Thanksgiving, while another group
shopping at the same store spent just
$145?
The answer, says New York
University marketing professor Priya
Raghubir, is that shoppers who had
lower tabs paid in cash, while the
other group paid by credit card.
Her study confirms a phenomenon other studies have found, too: When
paying by cash, we spend less.
It’s all due to the “pain of purchase” Raghubir says. When we count out
paper bills to pay the cashier, we are more cognizant of how much things
cost. That awareness “hurts,” and prompts consumers to keep purchases
within a budget.
Moreover, the attention to spending and budgeting tends to last when con-
sumers use cash, according to research by Purdue University professor
Richard Feinberg.

3. Close and comfortable

The farther removed consumers are from seeing their actual dollars
change hands, the less aware they are of the fact they are even spending
money, Raghubir says.
While paying in cash is more painful than using a card, there are now
options that remove shoppers even further.
For example, online retailers encourage customers to register at the site,
and store their shipping and credit card information. Then the pain of even
inputting a card number is eliminated, because all the purchase takes is
one click to place an order.
So, if you want to enjoy picking out the perfect holiday gifts without incur-
ring a jolt when the bill arrives in January, consider drawing up a budget and
stocking your wallet with cash, Raghubir advises.
Then, head to your local shops where you can see items up close and keep
spending to a comfortable level.
© CTW Features

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 The best
housewares
this season
These gifts help you peel a boiled egg, fry without guilt and cook in peace
By Nancy Mattia
Buying a loved one a kitchen-related gift
is a great idea for many people. Who
doesn’t want a new gadget or small appli-
ance to make cooking easier or more
fun? Here are five that anyone would be
thrilled to unwrap:
Cuisinart Digital AirFryer Toaster Oven,
4 Last Minute Gift Guide 2019 - Cadillac News www.cadillacnews.com | Friday, December 20, 2019
Cuisinart Digital
AirFryer Toaster
Oven, $270
How can you not love cook-
ware that makes eating fried
chicken wings or French fries a
non-guilty pleasure? Besides
the usual toaster-oven capabili-
ties — toasting, baking, broil-
ing, and warming — this updat-
ed appliance air-fries foods,
meaning it uses air instead of
oil to make the crispy magic
happen. It also proofs bread
and dehydrates food and can
handle up to three pounds of
food or six bagel halves at
once. A large viewing window,
interior light, and digital read-
out are handy extras; cuisinart.
com.
OXO Good Grips
Punctual Egg Timer
With Piercer, $20
An egg-cellent stocking
stuffer! OXO Punctual Piercer
Egg Timer eliminates the horror
of overcooking or undercooking
soft- or hard-boiled eggs ever
again. Based on the eater’s
doneness preference and the
egg’s size, it’s a cinch figuring
out what setting to use to cook
the egg with. The progress bar
tells how much longer it’ll be.
The timer has a built-in piercer,
which helps avoid making a
mess when peeling off the
shell; oxo.com.
OXO Good Grips Punctual
Egg Timer With Piercer

Le Creuset New Calm Collection
Skillet, $150 and up
Cooking will be a relaxing endeavor
when you give a special someone a skillet
or other cookware from LeCreuset’s New
Calm Collection. The muted colors under-
score the chill vibe: Sea Salt (a soft blue-
green), Meringue (a rich ivory), and Fig (an
earthy violet-brown); the popular Coastal
Blue (a powdery blue) is also in the group-
ing. Besides the skillet, the Collection
includes a Dutch oven, casserole, and
salt and pepper mill; lecreuset.com.
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Friday, December 20, 2019 | www.cadillacnews.com Cadillac News -
Braun MultiQuick Spiralizer and
Hand Blender, $100
Do you know someone who’s trying to eat
fewer carbs and more vegetables? If so, help
them in their quest for a better diet with
Braun’s new spiralizer and hand blender
which will, among other tasks, julienne zuc-
chini to look like pasta. It promises speedy
results since there’s no laborious hand-
cranking needed—it slices at 21 different
speeds and in three thickness levels. Using
the extra blade provided, the multipurpose
spiralizer can turn into a chopper, ice crush-
er, or blender; braunhousehold.com.
S’nack (containers) by S’well, from $20
A longtime crusader against single-use plastic consumption and best
known for its reusable water bottles with graphic designs, S’well has the
perfect gift for the friend who takes food to
work every day: S’nack, a line of stylish
food containers. These environment-friendly
storage keepers are double-layered and
vacuum insulated, which ensures that hot
food stays hot and cold food stays cold. You
can get them in two sizes: 10 ounces for
nibbles like nuts and grapes and 24 ounces
for more substantial sustenance like soup
or last night’s leftovers. And there’s no
shortage of fun designs, like cute avocados
and gummi bears; swellbottle.com.
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Last Minute Gift Guide 2019 5

gift card Christmas
What to buy for the let-me-pick-it-out generation
By Lisa Iannucci
Ask any pre-teen, tween and teen
what they want for the holidays and
most will probably respond, “a gift
card.” In 2018, consumers spent
more than $130 billion on gift cards
per year, according to advisory com-
pany CEB TowerGroup, but it said
roughly $1 billion went unspent.
Sometime those gift cards get lost in
your wallet.
If you’re tired of buying such an
impersonal gift, but want to please
the youngster in your life, there are
alternatives.
1. Give an experience
“Buying gifts for the gift card gener-
ation requires a little thought,” says
6 Last Minute Gift Guide 2019 - Cadillac News www.cadillacnews.com | Friday, December 20, 2019
Not another
Cherie Corso, parenting expert.
“Teens today like ‘experience gifts’
so instead of a gift card, buy them
tickets to a concert or show or
event.”
Corso also explains that many par-
ents are remembering to include the
friends as well, organizing groups of
children to go to concerts as holiday
gifts instead of just purchasing one
ticket for the child.
2. Think out-of-the-box.
Well, out of their room, that is. Kids
don’t typically buy things that mom
and dad supply such as pictures and
bedding, etc.
“Teens like these items because
it’s fun to do a mini-bedroom make-
over,” Corso says. “Some gift exam-
ples include a fuzzy pillow, picture,
bean bag, a cool makeup mirror and
artwork for their wall.”
Corso says to remember that
today’s teens also enjoy status items
they can post photos of on
Instagram.
“Gift cards are fun but not as much
fun as seeing Justin Bieber or post-
ing a photo with your new designer
purse,” Corso says.  stuffed goat to a friend. “We’ll
3. Think charitable.
“Instead of going holiday shopping
this year, go holiday ‘giving’ by choos-
ing gifts that benefit children and
families in need from around the
world,” says Christine Connolly Bell,
Public Relations Manager at World
Vision. “A retail gift card gives a pre-
teen, teen or college student plea-
sure for a short period of time, but a
charitable gift, like a child sponsor-
ship through World Vision, ensures
that the young person learns about
and stays connected with important
global issues.”
Through World Vision’s
#GenerosityEffect movement, your
teen will go online and send a
match that gift with a real goat
sent to a family in need,” Bell says.
“The chain reaction of generosity
will be viewable online through a
tracking tool — truly bringing the
gift’s impact to life and showing
each individual’s influence.”
World Vision also offers a gift cata-
log on their website.
 Cadillac’s Most
4. Think indie
Despite the perception that nobody
— especially young people — reads
today, Nicole Brinkley, an indepen-

dent bookseller and founder of YA
Interrobang, says kids and teens
today are reading more than ever,
between the stories available on
their phones and the hardcovers
they collect for their shelves.
“We see this in the success of
events like BookCon and subscrip-
tion boxes like Parnassus’s
ParnassusNext book box,” she says.
“ParnassusNext sends a first-edition
signed YA hardcover to its teen sub-
scribers once a month.”
She also suggests that if you have
to buy a gift card, buy one to an
independent bookstore, where they
can use the card in-person or online.
“With this and ParnassusNext sub-
scriptions, it keeps kids and teens
actively reading and excited to build
their own little library.”
5. Think gift cards
Wait, what? We just said to think
about ideas other than gift cards,
but it is still OK to give some out.
“These days, gift cards and eGifts
are the norm, but that doesn’t mean
Unique Market!
they have to be boring,” says
Elisabeth Vezzani, the CEO and co-
Your
founder of Sugarwish, an online Holiday
candy store where recipients pur-
chase the candy they want with their Headquarters
gift card.
Vezzani explains that many e-gifts
and some gift cards provide an
interactive experience, not just a
purchase.
“This allows them to compete with
traditional gifts in a way that they
never could before,” she said. “This
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 This year’s hot
new toys
A heads up on what’s making a big splash this year
— get them now before the holiday rush!
By Nancy Mattia
Toys and the holidays go together like hot chocolate and
marshmallows. It’s a sweet moment when your child rips
the wrapping paper off a box and starts grinning when he
sees what he’s inside — hopefully he’ll have many hours of
fun playing with this much-longed-for toy.
In case you don’t know what the children on your to-buy-
for list are pining for, take a look below at some of the hot-
test toys for the upcoming holiday season:

Love to Hug Elmo, $30

Who needs a hug? Elmo does, and he’s ready for a good
squeeze. This beloved Sesame Street character with the
plush red fur raises his arms when you squeeze his belly
and asks for a hug in either English or Spanish. When
someone gives him a hug, the cuddly creature from
Playskool responds with a phrase, song, or kiss. For ages
18 months and up; target.com.

8 Last Minute Gift Guide 2019 - Cadillac News www.cadillacnews.com | Friday, December 20, 2019
 Imaginext DC Super Friends Transforming
Batmobile R/C, $80
Gotham City has no shortage of notorious criminals wreaking
havoc everywhere. It’s Batman to the rescue in his tricked out
Batmobile! Boys and girls can use their imaginations and use the
remote control to send the vehicle left, right, and in circles. With
the push of a button, it transforms to full battle mode, complete
with lights, sound effects, and projectiles, to catch the bad guys
and throw them behind bars. For ages 3-8; fisher-price.com.

Nerf Fortnite RL MicroShots

Dart-Firing Toy Blaster, $10
If your kids are into the popular Fortnite video game, tempt
them into some non-screen-based play with these mini blasters.
Inspired by the video version’s rocket launcher, the Fortnite RL
MicroShots Dart-Firing Toy Blaster, part of a collectible series,
comes with two darts that fire one at a time. Bonus for parents:
Fingerling Light Up Narwhals, from $15 The blaster is hand-powered — no batteries required. For ages 8
The latest incarnation of Fingerlings, the interactive collectible toy and up; hasbro.com.
you wear on your finger, is a narwhal, and there are five in pretty
colors: Nelly (purple), Nikki (turquoise), Raya (green), Nori (periwin-
kle blue), and Rachel (pink). The narwhals, made by WowWee, con-
tain sensors and respond to motion and touch with blinking eyes,
flapping tails, and cute noises. Each has a mood horn that lights up
in a different color that tells you how they’re feeling. Hold a narwhal
on your cheek and it’ll give you a sweet kiss! For ages 5 and up;
kohls.com.

Treasure X Aliens, $15

Looking for buried treasure
takes on a whole new meaning
when the hoped-for riches may
be hidden in the body of a slimy
alien. Kids become treasure
hunters/autopsy technicians
with collectible Treasure X
Aliens, which involves opening
the alien’s stomach, removing
the rib cage, and digging
through the gooey innards to
unbox the goods—a mystery fig-
ure or prize. The gross-but-good
fun from Moose Toys comes
with a bag of reusable ooze. For
ages 5 and up; target.com.
CTW Features

Friday, December 20, 2019 | www.cadillacnews.com Cadillac News - Last Minute Gift Guide 2019 9
Gift ideas for
last-minute
Last Minute Gifts
Holiday Apparel &
shoppers
Stop In Today & Check
Out Our Holiday Items!

101 s. mitchell street, downtown cadillac • 231-468-3241

102 s. michigan ave, downtown big rapids • 231-629-8464
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Full Service Facility Servicing Most

Early bird shoppers may purchase and even wrap gifts before December,
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For those last-minute folks, there still are plenty of ways to ensure your shop-
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CAll For An
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travels or commutes.
State of the art
• Food basket: A visit to the supermarket or a convenience center can yield computerized
many tasty finds that can be packaged together into a gift basket. Pair foods diagnostic capabilities
with a gift card to that retailer.
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favorite streaming television or movie service. If they already have streaming
subscriptions, offer to cover the cost of the subscription for a few months. McBain Auto Service, Inc.
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10 Last Minute Gift Guide 2019 - Cadillac News www.cadillacnews.com | Friday, December 20, 2019
 Holiday gifts for four-legged family members
Holiday shoppers who are busy making lists and
checking them twice should make sure they don’t
overlook the family pet. Christmas has gone to
the cats and dogs, as a greater number of people
include their companion animals when selecting
gifts each year.
A study by OnePoll conducted by Rover.com, the
nation’s largest network of dog sitters and walk-
ers, found that 95 percent of pet owners have
bought holiday gifts for their pets. Gifts can
range from everyday needs, like food and treats,
to more lavish extravagances like spa treat-
ments.
Pet owners who plan to get their pets gifts this
year may want to consider some of the emerging
pet trends as they browse wares and services.
The Balance, a business, career and industry
information site, says pet industry trends point
toward these segments seeing growth.
Natural pet products
Just as people are interested in protecting the
health of the planet and their own personal
health, so, too, are they extending this concern to
companion animals. Natural pet products, which
can include natural flea and tick remedies, holis-
tic foods, organic items, and all-natural grooming
products, can make great gifts.
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Friday, December 20, 2019 | www.cadillacnews.com Cadillac News -
phy, dog sitting, and upscale spa treatments like
pet Reiki and massage are booming.
Mobile pet grooming
Mobile pet grooming has become the norm in
many areas. Mobile pet grooming can reduce the
potential stress on animals, and tends to be very
convenient for customers, particularly seniors
and others who have mobility issues.
Beyond these growing trends, pet owners have
a bevy of other ideas from which to choose. Here
are just a few different suggestions:
• tests to detect pets’ DNA and trace breed
and ancestry,
• interactive puzzles to keep pets engaged
and banish boredom,
• stylish storage baskets for pet toys,
• hidden cat litter or dog crate items that
camouflage commonly used pet items,
• heated pet bed for cozy nights and morn-
Specialty pet services
ings, and
• signature vests, coats and sweaters to look
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Last Minute Gift Guide 2019 11
 Home office hits
for 2019
Give a working-from-home pal a gift that gets the job done
By Nancy Mattia Design Ideas Pencil Cup, $18
If you’ve run out of gift ideas for your
Don’t laugh: Your loved one may be living
sports-loving family member or foodie
the digital life but sometimes there’s noth-
friend, what can you get them? If they work
ing better than using a pen to jot down a
remotely — as millions of others now do —
quick reminder, to-do list, or phone num-
gift them with a stylish something for their
ber. That means he’ll need a place to keep
home office that will make doing their busi-
some pens neatly organized on his desk.
ness a little easier.
Try a matte black
Kate Spade Grass Cloth holder from the
Rebrilliant collection.
File Folder Organizer, $28 These have a simplici-
You don’t have to be an uber-declutterer ty that will look good
to appreciate this handsome organizer cov- with any office deco-
Kate Spade ered with grass cloth and a metal detail. rating style, no matter
Grass Cloth Instead of receipts and notes scattered all if it’s traditional, con-
File Folder over the desk and piles of folders on the temporary, or some-
Organizer floor, everything will have a place within where in between;
this three-compartment file folder organiz- wayfair.com.
er that sits neatly on a desk; perigold.com.

12 Last Minute Gift Guide 2019 - Cadillac News www.cadillacnews.com | Friday, December 20, 2019
 Sonos Move Smart Portable Wifi
and Bluetooth Speaker, $399
Though most desktop computers and lap-
tops are equipped with a built-in speaker,
having a separate one can make a world of
difference if good sound is paramount to
doing a good job, like it would be if someone
works with audio files. Good sound may also
be essential to motivate someone as the
work day progresses.
You can find a portable speaker in various
sizes and shapes. One to consider: the Move
portable Bluetooth speaker. It comes with a
hefty price tag but its audio quality and ease-
of-use make it an especially nice gift for
someone on your holiday list; sonos.com.
TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp, $40
Overhead lighting isn’t enough for someone
who sits at a desk all day — she also needs a
desk lamp to provide more concentrated
light. The TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp is
attractive, affordable, and gentle on the eyes
while you’re working. Your friend or family
member will appreciate the customizable
brightness level and color setting (white, cool,
natural, yellow, warm yellow). The lamp’s arm
can be adjusted too so its light is exactly
where you want it to be. It has charging USB
output for recharging a smartphone while
keeping it within reach; amazon.com.

West Elm Fluted Planter, from $39

An office with only a tidy desk, chair, and
computer needs to be livened up, and that’s
where a tabletop plant in a pretty planter
comes into play. This elegant earthenware flut-
ed crystal gold planter comes in four sizes
(small to large) including a cute windowsill ver-
sion. Add an easy-to-grow plant like a succu-
lent or philodendren and you’ve got a gift that
will thrive as much as the gift’s recipient (plant
West Elm Fluted Planters not included); westelm.com.
are available in white and
crystal gold (below). CTW Features

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Friday, December 20, 2019 | www.cadillacnews.com Cadillac News - Last Minute Gift Guide 2019 13
 That’s
brilliant!
Looking for a smart gift? Put these
popular 2019 voice-assistance
accessories at the top of your list
By Nancy Mattia
If any of your family members or friends
think they couldn’t live without Alexa or
Google Assistant, give them a voice-acti-
vated accessory to be used in tandem.
From enhancing thermostats to security
systems, voice assistants are getting
busier and busier! Check out the gift-wor-
thy products below:
Ninety7’s Sky Tote Portable
Battery Base, $60
Do you know someone who doesn’t like
to be too far from his Alexa-assisted Echo
Ninety7’s Sky Tote Portable Battery Base
14 Last Minute Gift Guide 2019 - Cadillac News www.cadillacnews.com | Friday, December 20, 2019
smart speaker?
Be a pal and surprise him with a
rechargeable battery base that works
with the second-generation Echo, essen-
tially making the speaker portable — it
even has a handle.
Not only can it be moved from room to
room but if the WiFi connection is strong
enough, it also works outside.
Expect up to eight hours of battery life,
which means there’s plenty of time to ask
Alexa important questions like “Where
can I get pork dumplings for dinner
tonight?” ninety7.com.
 Ecobee Smart Thermostat with
Voice Control, $249 Philips Hue White LED, $15
Your voice assistants can even
What’s so special about this fifth-genera-
enable light bulbs! Now with
tion smart thermostat? The SmartSensor,
Bluetooth, these smart bulbs — a
which detects a room’s temperature and
great stocking stuffer — fortunately
number of occupants to manage hot and
don’t require a Philips automation
cold spots. Besides improved range, the bat-
hub for them to work. They connect
tery lasts longer—up to five years. It now
with your phone and follow Alexa
also supports Spotify, joining other stream-
voice commands, as well as Google
ing services like SiriusXM, Pandora, and
Assistant and Siri, whether you want
iHeartRadio. It works with Alexa, Google
the lights lowered in your home
Assistant, and Siri; ecobee.com.
(“Alexa, dim the lights by 10 per-
cent”) or if you’re looking for special
effects (“Turn the bedroom pink.”);
Ring Door View Cam, $199 meethue.com.
Let’s say a friend just moved into a
new apartment building. She loves it Amazon Smart Plug, $25
there but wishes the security could be Giving a loved one a plug for a holi-
beefed up. Be proactive and give her the day gift might sound rather under-
gift of safety. Ring Door View Cam is a whelming but this isn’t any old plug.
compact video doorbell equipped with a The sleek WiFi-connected Amazon
smart HD camera, which replaces a Smart Plug goes into an electrical
door’s peephole. When someone rings outlet and can power up all your
the bell or knocks on the door, Alexa home appliances. Alexa or Google
sends the apartment dweller an alert on Assistant will automatically detect
their phone, tablet, or PC, and they can them if they’re online and then follow
see and speak to visitors at their discre- your voice instructions to turn a
tion. Another safety feature: a motion lamp, air conditioner, or other electri-
detector that can be aimed exactly cal device on or off; amazon.com.
where it’s needed most; ring.com.
CTW Features

Corporate Gifts That Everyone Loves

For Christmas or Anytime!

Your Holiday Gift Source

Caramel Apples!
Get them while they last!

100 N. MITCHELL STREET, CADILLAC Home of the Snowbirds ®

231.444.6460 The Sweet shop features handcrafted chocolates, freshly made fudge, specialty
popcorn and sugar-free candies. We have great gifts and ship world wide!
WWW.SATURNGEMS.NET
The Sweet Shop
Cadillac’s Original Handmade Candy,
Fudge, Caramel Corn and Ice Cream Shop
Home of the Snowbird®!
111 S. Mitchell, Downtown Cadillac • (231) 775-2201 • Like Us on Facebook

Friday, December 20, 2019 | www.cadillacnews.com Cadillac News - Last Minute Gift Guide 2019 15
 Last-minute holiday shopping tips
Holiday shopping season typically
begins the day after Thanksgiving
and extends all the way to Christmas
Eve. While that’s a considerable
amount of time for shoppers to find
gifts for everyone on their shopping
list, many people will still find them-
selves putting holiday shopping off
until the last minute.
In certain ways, last-minute holiday
shopping is easier than ever. Thanks
to online retailers who can ship prod-
ucts overnight, men and women who
delay their holiday shopping have
more options at their disposal than
they did before the arrival of the
Internet. And unlike the days of yore
when the best deals were largely
exclusive to Black Friday, some shop-
pers find that competition between
online retailers and traditional brick-
and-mortar stores is so great that deals can be
found regardless of when they begin shopping.
But while waiting until the last minute to begin
holiday shopping may not be as risky as it used to
be, shoppers may still benefit by sticking to cer-
tain strategies so they can find the perfect gifts
without breaking the bank.
Christmas in Manton Headquarters
Gifts
ique
Un
Bostick’s Drugstore
117 W. Main St., Manton • bosticksdrugstore@yahoo.com
16 Last Minute Gift Guide 2019 - Cadillac News www.cadillacnews.com | Friday, December 20, 2019
• Stay within your budget. Even
last-minute shoppers have holi-
day shopping budgets. But it can
be harder for last-minute shop-
pers to stick to their budgets
because they have less time to
comparison shop and hunt for
deals. As the holiday shopping
season winds down, resist the
temptation to go over budget. If a
gift you had in mind is available
but more than you can spend,
look for something else.
Overspending on holiday shop-
ping in December is a recipe for
debt in January, and no shopper
wants to begin the new year
weighed down by consumer debt.
• Shop local. National chains and
big box retailers are renowned for
rolling out great deals during the
holiday season, but such stores may have very
limited or unimpressive inventory left by the
time last-minute shoppers begin shopping.
Local retailers are often incapable of slashing
prices as significantly as their larger competi-
tors, and that may mean they have more
extensive inventories available throughout the
(231) 824-6465 • FAX (231) 824-6466
Mike Moffit, Owner/Pharmacist
Open Mon.-Fri. 9 am-5 pm, Sat. 9 am-1 pm
holiday shopping season. In addition, shop-
pers who stick with local retailers won’t have
to pay shipping costs to ensure items arrive on
time.
• Shop during off-peak hours. Shopping during
off-peak hours can help last-minute shoppers
make efficient use of the limited time they
have to buy gifts for their loved ones. Visit
stores early in the morning or late at night, or
schedule a midweek afternoon shopping trip
so you aren’t spending what little time you
have left waiting on lines or hunting for park-
ing.
• Give something less traditional. Holiday gifts
need not come from stores. Rather than
spending their time shopping for gifts for loved
ones who seemingly have it all, last-minute
shoppers can give the gift of a donation in
their loved one’s name. Last-minute shoppers
who want to give something more tangible can
create a homemade gift that’s both unique
and heartfelt. If your DIY skills are lacking,
give a loved one the gift of a night out on the
town at your expense.
Shoppers who wait until the end of the holiday
shopping season to begin their searches for holi-
day gifts can still find great gifts without going
broke.
ger Gear
on Ra
n
Mant