11 last-minute gifts for him at every budget

No one likes shopping at the last minute. But sometimes, life just gets in the way. Fortunately, there’s no reason to go half-assed even when you’re pressed for time, especially if you want to find the perfect gift for your man. There are plenty of amazing things you can get to bowl him over and show him your utmost appreciation. For those drawing a blank right now (especially if you’re panicking), don’t you worry. That’s what this article is for. To help you get ideas on last-minute gifts for him, no matter what budget you currently have.

Smart hacks to save time when choosing a gift

Before we get into our specially curated last-minute gift ideas, we’d like to give you a couple of smart hacks for choosing a gift. This way, you won’t have to worry about finding the right one for the next milestone or event in your lives.

Make a list

Sounds simple, right? Unfortunately, not everyone does this. Without a list, it will be that much harder for you to find cool gifts for him when you’re running out of time. So, what should be in this list? It depends. For now, you can list all the things he likes to do - his interests, hobbies, etc. Use this as a guide and source of inspiration for last-minute gift ideas for him. Take note that this is a list that you will need to keep updated. You can add notes in the future whenever your special guy mentions something he likes or is thinking about getting. Having a list will shave off time you spend getting the best gifts in the future.

Go online for ideas on last-minute gifts

One thing you gotta love about the internet - there are tons of ideas for every occasion such as Christmas gifts, unusual gifts, and even the best last-minute gifts for guys. So, if you’re pressed for time, you can easily get inspiration online. The beauty of checking for ideas online is that links are usually included to websites. No need to look for where to buy them because the information is already there, including the price! Best of all, you can actually be more specific about the type of ideas you want to get - ones that suit your particular situation - such as cute small gifts for the boyfriend or inexpensive gifts for men.

Check if it has a quick delivery

Ideally, you should buy your gift long before his special day arrives. However, since we’re talking about last-minute gifts for him, you really need the present to arrive as soon as possible. So, it’s vital that any gift you do end up choosing has next-day delivery. If not the next day, something sooner rather than later.

How to choose a gift when you're on a low-budget

Not everyone has the money to go all out for their guy on his special day. Of course that doesn’t mean that you can’t get your partner something really good with a limited budget. There are plenty of cheap gifts for boys or men that you can choose from. Below are some ideas of great gifts for him that you can buy without breaking the bank.

Give a memory (Photobook)

Like we said, your gift doesn’t have to be extravagant to be considered a thoughtful gift. Give your guy with a physical reminder of all the special times you’ve been together. Or, you can give him a photobook of his most important milestones, his family tree, or his friends. To make it even more special, you can add notes on the side - funny or sweet comments that you know will make him happy. You can also get friends and family to make notes of their own beside pictures of them in the photobook.

Use cash-back services

Maybe the gift you want to buy is a little over budget. Not to worry. It's still possible to make it work by using a cash-back service. How does it work? Well, a cash-back service is sort of like a discount. But instead of being able to buy a product at a lower price, you pay the full price and get a portion of your money back. How does that work? Well, instead of going directly to the seller's site, you go to a cash-back service website like Rakuten. From there, you visit the seller's website and purchase your gift as usual. The cash-back service will send you the money you earned via Paypal or via check. It doesn’t matter whether you’re buying him barware, slippers, a backpack, a multi-tool, luggage, etc. You can even find tech gifts on these sites if that’s what your guy likes. With some services, you can even earn money by simply signing up. A few also offer referral bonuses. So, not only do you get money back for buying your guy's gift, you can even earn more money by just telling family and friends all about the service.

Have a romantic meal delivered

One of the best last-minute gifts that you can give your special guy is a romantic dinner for two which, by the way, is not limited to Valentine’s Day. Not only is this easy to arrange, it won't cost you a lot either. You don't even need to take him to an expensive restaurant. You can just order all of his favorite foods from different places using a service like Uber Eats or Postmates and have them delivered to your home at a time of your choosing. Just don’t forget to set the mood - light up some candles, add a bit of fragrance in the air, and chill a bottle of champagne that’s ready to be opened as soon as he walks through the door.

Gift an experience

An experience-based gift is any activity that your guy (either on his own or with you) can participate in. This experience can be a tour, a class, an excursion or outing, etc. A gift of experience is one of the best surprise gifts for him that you can get. It's also one of the most unique gifts for men. And this kind of gift doesn't have to be uber expensive. There are plenty of activities that will fit your price range. You can go rock climbing, enroll in a cooking class, or stay overnight in a haunted location. If he likes whiskey, then maybe you can take him on a distillery tour. You can make it a more romantic gift by pampering him with his favorite meal and a massage.

Cute gift ideas when you're in a hurry

Gift cards

A gift card doesn’t really fall under the category of “cute gifts for him.” But you can give him a cute card to go along with the gift card from his favorite store. The best thing about a gift card is that it’s a perfect last-minute gift. You can easily purchase one from the actual store (no browsing required) or do it online. Plus, no gift-wrapping required.

Service Subscriptions

Gifting your guy with a subscription isn't a novelty. But it is one of the best last-minute gifts you'll ever find. This is because it's a gift that keeps on giving month after month. And there are loads of subscription services for every type of interest and hobby there is such as shaving or toiletry subscription boxes and monthly brew subscriptions. Moreover, your guy will get notified that the box will be on its way to him. So, even if his gift doesn't reach him in time, he'd still know that you got him something special. You didn't forget.

Trendy wallets

A cute gift can also be a practical one. Wallets are a good example. Not only can these be fashionable, they are also very functional. Every man needs a wallet. And there’s a wallet out there for every man. There are plenty of nice wallets for men that you can choose from. You can easily find cheap men’s wallets as well as very expensive ones. There are a variety of styles and designs for you to choose from such as a bifold wallet, a leather wallet, and a money clip. You definitely won’t have a problem finding the one that suits your guy best. Maybe you can even personalize it by having a professional add a monogram.

Digital Games, Movies

If your guy is a gamer or a movie buff, one of the best inexpensive gifts for men is a video game or movie. Because these are digital purchases, there’s no need to run to a store. You can easily make your purchase using your smartphone. Steam, a digital platform for PC games, allows you to buy a game and send it as a gift to another Steam player. As for movies, you can easily buy a digital copy of a movie from a service like Prime Video. Of course, the gift doesn’t stop there. Delight your special someone by watching the movie with him while eating popcorn or other movie snacks.

Stylish Office Bag

If your man works in an office, then he’ll need a bag to bring all his stuff - laptop, chargers, lunch, notebook or organizer, maybe a change of clothes. Depending on his personality and style, you can choose from various leather office bags, crossbody bags, or even a men’s briefcase bag; the latter is perfect if your guy goes to work in a suit.

Perfect belt

A belt is another accessory that every man must have. Just like wallets, there is an assortment of belts in the market. Of course, that doesn’t mean that you just go out and buy the first one you see - even if it is a last-minute gift. Make sure that you consider the type of belt (e.g. men’s casual belts, dress belts), the width, length, and style before making a decision.

Smart USB car charger

Like most people these days, your man is probably tied to his mobile phone. To ensure he’s always just a text or phone call away, why not get him a Smart USBcar charger? It’ll enable him to charge his mobile devices and keep them stocked up on power whenever he’s on the road. Depending on the model, he can even use this to charge a different type of gadget such as his laptop.

Conclusion:

This is by no means an exhaustive list of last-minute gift ideas that you can give your man to celebrate his special day. A quick Google search can easily show you more ideas for inspiration. Just don’t forget to make the list AND keep it updated, so you never have to waste time figuring out what gift to buy. And always check the delivery time. You never want your man to think that you were too busy to remember such an important event in his life.

Mariam Simmons

Mariam Simmons is a fashion enthusiast and Content Manager at Alpine Swiss. She loves traveling to the world’s top stylish destinations and gets inspired to create helpful fashion and lifestyle guides. With over a decade of writing experience, her main goal in creating content is to ensure readers learn something useful and provide value instead of noise.