A small reserve of emergency, just-in-case gifts could save you from inadvertently playing the part of a holiday scrooge in several circumstances this season. Such an inexpensive, all-purpose present must not only suit and delight just about any recipient; it should also be something you can easily buy in bulk, that won’t expire quickly if you wind up not giving it away (you can use it yourself or hang onto it for next year), and that’s of modest size—because you don’t want to telegraph the fact that you have a CYA gift tucked away in a drawer or carryall, to be unveiled only as needed.
Thanks in large part to my husband’s five uncles, four aunts, 19 cousins, and 11 (and counting) cousins’ kids, emergency gifts are part of my holiday shopping every year. A couple of my go-to’s are only available offline: holiday-theme scratch-off lottery tickets and, when I can find them, Trader Joe’s annual limited-edition Felted Wool Trivets. (In both cases, I tie two of them together with a festive ribbon and tuck a candy cane or chocolate bar under the bow.)
But the best back-up gifts are those you can quickly and cheaply accumulate ahead of time with just a couple clicks. Here are several under-$20 Wirecutter picks that fit the bill.
