Survival guide for the Xmas gift-less
OMG! It’s December 25 already, but you forgot to buy presents.
Whatever the reason for your appalling gift-gathering tardiness, your best options for retail redemption on Christmas Day are service stations and dairies.
Luckily, there’s more choice than you’d think.
Gift cards of various types and petrol vouchers fly out the door early on Christmas mornings at one Taranaki service station, along with ice, batteries, cream and hot pies, a spokesperson said.
Dairy owner Gurpreet Kaur of the Hospital Supa Store in Ha¯ wera said she only worked a half day on Christmas Day (from 5.30am to
2pm) but sales generally matched a normal day.
We’ve compiled some ideas to help with those (very) last minute gifts.
1. The girlfriend or wife: Nothing maintains marital harmony more than a carefully chosen, thoughtful gift. Relax, it’s not too late.
Check the dairy or service station for flowers. If they’re sold out, drive around until you spot a good garden (roses are great), knock on the front door, explain your predicament and ask nicely for a bunch of floral forgiveness.
Trim the ends of the stems, keep them cool and wrap them in the nicest paper you can find.
Municipal parks and gardens are chocka with flowers at this time of year, but we’re not condoning theft. Christmas is about giving, not taking.
Flowers are also a safe gift for Aunty Vi, Nana and mum, too.
2. Uncle Stu: A four litre pack of oil could be just the thing for him and his smoking old Honda. Perhaps chuck in a set of jumper leads and a petrol voucher so he can head home as planned on Boxing Day. All of these are on the shelves at the gas station.
3. Your teenage brother Rick: Sunglasses ($39.99) or a Star Wars cap ($29.99) perhaps? Or if you’re broke as well as forgetful, a bottle of fizzy and some chips in case he’s peckish after Christmas dinner.
4. The four-year-old twin nieces: Candyfloss. It comes in packets at the dairy. It’s suitably pink, fluffy and guaranteed to please little Tamara and Tiffany, although your sister mightn’t speak to you for awhile after the sugar-fuelled tantrums and that incident with the fallen Christmas tree. Better get her some chocolate and a magazine to relax with.
5. Cousin Pete: He’s likely a bit the worse for wear after last night’s work do. Gift him a rescue package of paracetamol, a pie and a set of ear buds (to help drown out Uncle Stu’s jokes).