Universal gifts that work often

It happens every year: the season sneaks up, the calendar fills, and suddenly it’s gift-giving time… and you’ve bought nothing. To help you avoid the panic-buy spiral (and the regrettable “kitchen TV”-style gifts that follow), we brought in Samantha Schoech, senior staff writer on Wirecutter’s gifting team. Sam spends all year researching, testing, and vetting gift ideas—so she knows exactly what still delivers when you’re short on time, short on ideas, or short on shipping days.

In this episode, Sam shares the most common last-minute pitfalls, the places she trusts for reliable gifts in a crunch, and the affordable, thoughtful picks she returns to again and again. She also talks through subscription gifts that still “arrive” instantly, the universally-loved standbys you can grab at a grocery store, and the standout items from Wirecutter’s gift guides that ship fast and feel special.

If you’d like to receive hand-picked gift recommendations right to your inbox, subscribe to Wirecutter’s gifting newsletter, The Gift! 

This episode covers: 

• Why last-minute gifts go wrong. Sam says that the final hour encourages overspending on gifts that aren’t exactly a good fit.
• How to avoid panicking when you’re rushed. You don’t have to spend a ton of money just because you’re late. There are still budget-friendly, easy-to-find options like olive oil or fancy chocolate or spices that you can pick up in person the day of and still manage to make it feel like a thoughtful gift.
• Presentation matters. Even if you’re running behind, don’t underestimate the power of a beautiful wrapping job!
• The gifts that will always “arrive” instantly. Sam says that she will always love a subscription gift because they can be specific and special and you can send them out instantly. She often will gift credits to an audiobook service, or a vinyl subscription service.
• Where to shop in a true time crunch. There are plenty of reliable options that will still be open last-minute, like big box stores, grocery stores, drug stores, and some smaller mom-and-pop shops. Plus, Sam says that Amazon has saved a lot of procrastinators, as long as you give yourself at least two days for shipping.
• When it’s officially too late. Sam doesn’t really believe that there’s anything as too last minute…but there is such a thing as too late. Even if it’s the day of, she believes you can still find a perfect gift. But, if the holiday has passed, then you’re too late.

Products we recommend:

• Our favorite olive oil: Graza Sizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Our favorite audiobook service: Libro.fm Credit Bundle
• Our favorite vinyl subscription service: Vinyl Me Please Records of the Month
• Our favorite candle: Boy Smells Hinoki Fantôme Candle
• Our favorite watercolor set: Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolors 48-Color Set
• Our favorite teapot: Hario ChaCha Kyusu Maru Teapot
• Our favorite slippers: Glerups Slip-On With Leather Sole
• Our favorite pocket knife: CRKT Drifter
• Our favorite umbrella: Davek Solo

Additional reading:

• The 33 Best Last-Minute Christmas Gifts of 2025
• Gifts You Can Get at the Grocery Store in 2025
• 7 Book Subscription Services We Love in 2025 
• 30 Days With These Japanese Watercolors Turned Me Into a Painter (Sort Of)
• These Durable and Cozy Slip-Ons Are Probably the Last Slippers You'll Ever Buy

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The Wirecutter Show is executive produced by Rosie Guerin and produced by Abigail Keel.Engineering support from Maddy Masiello and Nick Pitman. Episodes are mixed by Catherine Anderson, Efim Shapiro, Rowan Niemisto, Sophia Lanman, and Sonia Herrero. Original music by Dan Powell, Marion Lozano, Elisheba Ittoop, and Diane Wong. Wirecutter’s deputy publisher and general manager is Cliff Levy. Ben Frumin is Wirecutter’s editor-in-chief. Hosted by Rosie Guerin, Caira Blackwell and Christine Cyr Clisset.

Find edited transcripts for each episode here: The Wirecutter Show Podcast