I don’t know about you, but coming up with new and different gift ideas around the holidays is always a chore for me. I LOVE finding a deal and also LOVE making gifts into events! Thankfully there are some Web sites out there that I turn to for help with gift giving: 
Travelzoo: Travelzoo is one of my most favorite Web sites of all time! There are many many reasons why I love this site, including for their local deals. If you sign up to receive their local deal e-mails, you’ll find great gift ideas. That’s because deals come through for all sorts of fun activities: half off Broadway shows, 2-for-1 ski lift tickets, tickets to see your favorite sports team, weekend getaways at nearby hotels, and so much more. I have given movie tickets, massages and theatre tickets all as gifts from Travelzoo and saved at least 50%.
Groupon: Of course most savvy shoppers are familiar with Groupon, but did you know they have a gifts section on their Web site? Here you can find a list of their most popular gifts separated into categories to make it easy to shop. Groupon is now offering gift cards as well. So if you like the idea of getting someone a gift that is up to 90% off (or know someone who loves a deal like I do) but you don’t necessarily want to pick it out for them, you can just send them a gift card. They will send physical gift cards or an eGift card. You can even buy Groupon gift cards at large retailers like Target, Walgreens, and CVS.
Livingsocial: Livingsocial is another great place to find interesting activities that would be great as gifts. They have some of the same kinds of things as Travelzoo and Groupon like hotel getaways and spa certificates but they also tend to have more fun and interesting deals. Check out the section on their Web site called Fun & Events. This week I could purchase a Holiday Tour that takes you on a trolley ride to see some of Chicago’s best holiday spots. It includes food, a holiday mug, and a santa hat…all for $29/person. I also had the chance to purchase a “Beer and Bacon” tour, which included tastes of 5 bacon-inspired foods, samples of 5 different types of bacon, and 5 microbrew samples. Now those are definitely fun and unique gift ideas.
The best part of these gifts is you don’t have to leave your house to purchase them. And, for all you procrastinators out there, you can wait until the last minute to buy! Plus, with a lot of these ideas you get to go along! So you can give someone special a unique gift AND get to enjoy it as well.
Happy holidays.
Erin
