Last-Minute Travel Gifts & Stocking Stuffers

If you still haven't finished your holiday shopping or need a few small pieces, I've got some recommendations for you that will still come in time for Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa. All under $30! 

I have most of these myself and have given some as gifts as well. All can be received overnight if you have Prime.

Power Bank with attached charging cords - $19.99-29.99 - 7 colors to choose from

Mini Bluetooth Speaker - $26.99 - it's waterproof and comes in 4 colors

Travel Anywhere - $12.95 - game and travel guide to make your trips more exciting

Travel Cards - $18.88 - game and conversation starter

4-in-1 Travel Fan, Charger, and Light - $15.99 - 10 colors to choose from

Laneige Mini Lip Masks - $21 - to keep your lips nice and soft wherever you/they go, set of 5 delicious flavors

Bluetooth Ear Pods - $22.99 - 16 colors/patterns

Bluetooth Sleep Headphones - $25.99 - Can be used as a sleep mask or while running. Eric wears these every night

Universal Phone Mount - $9.78 or $19.99 for set of 2 - 5 colors to choose from

Airplane Pockets - $19.99 - to stow everything you need on hand without utilizing the dirty seatback pocket

Ionic Travel Blow Dryer - $29.99 - with magnetic diffuser attachment

I hope this helps you finish off your holiday gift list and bring your giftee more convenient and comfortable travels. 

What are some of your favorite travel gifts you've given or received?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I only recommend things I love. If you buy something through my site links, I might earn a commission. This allows me to bring you even more budget travel tips and is totally free to you.

An Awesome Birthday Week

As someone who has a December birthday, it can be hard to celebrate with people, but that's exactly what I did this past week. I did have to do quite a bit of work, but it was worth it and I had a great time. 

cheers to a great birthday!

I always kind of draw out my birthday, especially since it can be a pretty busy time of the year, so here's the bulk of how I spent my birthday week:

The Saturday of my actual birthday, I went to brunch with friends and then went home to make a bunch of foods for a Bridgerton party I was throwing. This is the first year in a while that we've not done some variation of a Harry Potter theme, because we skipped our annual Potter party, so my house was not already decorated with magical things. This made it easy to change out many of my photos for Regency-era and -inspired portraits and just add flowers to everything. 

Society papers and suspect bios

We ate tea sandwiches and drank prosecco and I adapted a Bridgerton mystery game into a non-interactive game that people could play or not play at their leisure. Many people don't like playing a character and often if you can get them to do one of these types of games, it's the whole party or not everyone shows up and it doesn't work correctly. Everyone said they thought it was really fun and would do another one. If this is something you think you'd like for a party, let me know if the comments.

On my actual birthday, we went out to dinner, like we do every year, except last year where we did a Santa brunch. It was very casual and I had a bourbon drink and Eric drove us home.

I also spent much of my week painting snowflakes for ornaments to go in swag bags for our annual fundraiser, the Yule Ball. This dance is our biggest fundraiser for the non-profit I'm now president of the board of. On Saturday, we all got to the venue bright and early to set up. This year I got a room in the hotel, so I didn't have to spend my free time driving home and back. Instead, I was able to eat lunch with some of our group, go up to my room and take a nap, not rush to get ready, and be back downstairs in time to make sure everything was working for when the raffle table opened.  

It's always a ton of work, but so worth it, especially when we're all done and are able to make a big donation to our chosen organization. This year we went with the Marie Equi Center, who aims to help the LGBTQ+ community develop a healthy life from medical to mental healthcare. We also had a whole table full of their reps, so they could partake in our feast and the good times people have raising money for them.

Even though we had fewer volunteers this year, the ones we did have were amazing and we all still had time to dance and have a good time in between working. 

What is your December looking like?

Travel Gifts That Travel Well

This month is going to be over before you know it. This year Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa are all in the same week, but maybe you haven't even started shopping yet...or you have and aren't done. If you still can't figure out what to get for that traveler on your list, or you just got paid, so haven't been able to shop until now, I have some great last-minute ideas for you. They're also perfect if you're traveling to visit people and need to save room in your carry-on.

Airline miles

If you know what your recipient's favorite airline is, you can gift them miles to let them fly for free or more cheaply on their next trip. Right now, lots of airlines have deals going, like Alaska, who right now has 40-50% bonus miles on purchases, depending on the number of miles you buy. 

Southwest Airlines just has a straight-up buy or gift page, no special deals at the moment, but I know a lot of budget travelers who strictly fly them, so your money may go further. 

Language classes

Right now, you can give Babbel as a gift to someone at up to 60% off. They have online classes, tutorials, an app, and more, all included in a monthly subscription. Get a 6- or 12-month subscription for 50% off, or a lifetime subscription for 60% off. A lifetime, guys! They can learn 14 different languages, and if more are added in the future, they can learn those, too! We just booked a trip to Paris for September, so I might even get this for myself!

Go City attractions pass

Get them the gift of sightseeing and attractions for their next or favorite city with Go City. I've used their passes many times and they save so much money, but they also make amazing and thoughtful gifts. They can see and do more for your dollars than if activities were purchased separately. In fact, many times you can save up to 40% off by rolling it all into this one pass. Choose from 29 cities worldwide or get them a gift of London Pass, Paris Pass, or Dublin Pass. They may even get special discounts for other things in the city, like transportation and restaurants. I love it and so will they!

Staycation box

Gift the traveler in your life a subscription box to Try the World. They'll get a box full of gourmet foods, drinks and snacks from a country and learn all about the flavors of the destination. Each box also features recipe cards and stories, plus the products inside are all curated specially from small, family-owned companies who use traditional methods to give you (or your giftee) an authentic experience. 

Right now, you can get 20% off your order. As always, the more you purchase up front, the cheaper each box will end up being. Choose from 1-month, 3-month, 6-month or 12-month subscriptions. This deal is only for the food box, but if you're looking for a more frugal option, snack boxes are also available.

Experiences

I'm a big fan of experiences over stuff. It creates lasting memories and you can include everyone in them if you want. We've purchased experiences for our entire family to participate in before and it was a big hit. Check out daily deal sites like Groupon, Goldstar, and Living Social for things you can do or gift to others. I am also a big fan of city scavenger hunts. Check out Urban Adventure Quest for deals on small groups, couples, and big groups. You play on your phone, so it's super easy to follow along while you're out there!

Travel reminders

Remind them of their favorite trips or all their trips with the Vagabond Life wanderlust jewelry. Chose from upscale looking pendants and bracelets, keychains, and even engraved rings to add to your choice of jewelry. I think these are super fun and a great way to start a "collection" for a loved one.

I hope this helps with your last-minute gift scramble. You can probably still get many things on my regular gift list in time for the holidays from Amazon. 

Do you have a favorite gift to buy for travelers or one that you loved receiving?

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I only recommend things I love. If you buy something through my site links, I might earn a commission. This allows me to bring you even more budget travel tips and is totally free to you.