ABC News’ Becky Worley reports:
The holiday countdown is in full swing, and you have very little shopping time left to come up with the perfect gift idea, all without breaking the bank.
Don’t panic! We’ve got some ideas for great, affordable stocking stuffers.
First, a gift for anyone who has a smartphone: touch-screen gloves you don’t have to take off when you want to use the phone. The prices on these have come way down. For example, Manzella has touch-screen gloves. With the REI-printable coupon, they are just $20.
Another item that’s dropped way down in price is wireless iPad keyboards. HP carries one that’s available for $29 at Office Depot.
The Cocoon Grid is an ingenious way to keep all your tech gear organized, which makes it a great gift for ladies with the bottomless purses. It’s available at The Container Store or Brookstone for just $19.
Do you know a latte lover? The Aerolatte hand-held milk frother whips your milk, just like a professional barista, for just $19. It’s available at Williams-Sonoma. It’s better than the froth I get from my fancy espresso machine — it really works!
I also love the Sip ‘N Go collapsible water bottles that you drink, fold, and snap to make for easy storage and they’re just $8 a piece at The Container Store. You’d be giving the gift of not feeling guilty about buying bottled water. See? You’re so generous!
The Oster electric wine opener makes the job so much easier. And it’s only $19 at Bed Bath and Beyond.
And for the music-loving crowd, who couldn’t use a new pair of headphones? My faves are from a company called Urbanears. The headphones snap together like Legos so you can wear them around your neck or wind them up and snap shut for storage. You can find them at Nordstrom for just $25.
Now let’s talk toys. You’ve waited until the last minute. No, I’m not going to scold you, because that was super smart! Toys usually get cheaper as we approach Christmas.
Target has Barbie’s Vacation House on sale for the lowest price all year, Transformers for $6.99 and Lalaloopsy dolls for $4.99.
Walmart has Furreal Friends Cookie for $35 and Xbox Kinect games, such as Dance Central 2, for $49.
And one other toy tip: when you’re looking for something popular – like Rock Star Mickey — search for stock before you shop. Go to Google’s shopping site, click on the local stores and see who has inventory. Also, many big chains let you check store availability directly through their websites too.
One final note. The last place you want to buy last-minute gadgets is at the airport. According to the site dealnews.com, you’ll pay up to 36 percent more on the lion’s share of gadgets you purchase at an airport. So maybe you should stop at a retail store on your way to the airport.