Money fix: Gift ideas for aquaintances
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Buying last-minute gifts for people you know can be stressful but doable. Got a coffee or book addict on your list? Look no further than a Starbucks or Amazon.com gift card.
But how about recipients you don't know well - a party host, a neighbor who did you a favor, an assistant who gets you right through to his boss? Look for something with "universal" appeal, says Cindy Mardenfeld, president of Infinity Relations Inc., a Hauppauge event management firm. This is about expressing appreciation, not impressing. Some hard-to-go-wrong gifts for less than $75:
Pen, organizer: Something useful and a little classier than what the person may buy for him or herself, says Ronald W. Roge, chief executive of Bohemia-based financial planning firm R. W. Roge & Co.
Movie tickets:"I don't know anyone who doesn't like the movies," he says. Fandango.com has movie gift certificates, redeemable online, that don't expire and are e-mailable.
Book, picture frame: Who doesn't have a photo of a child, significant other, companion animal, favorite vacation spot that would be nice on the desk at work? Mardenfeld also suggests a book of inspiring quotes.
Fruit: Roge says his office gives and receives plenty of fruit and nut baskets. Mindy Ferrentino Wolfle, president of Neptune Marketing Llc, Long Beach, says she sends boxes of Florida oranges ordered through HaleGroves.com. (You can still get standard shipping for New Year's delivery.)
She and Roge say to steer clear of candy, which could sabotage a diet. Forget about candles, too, unless they're unscented, says Mardenfeld, as people can react badly to certain scents.
