The holiday season is rapidly approaching and that means one thing, time for holiday shopping! I don’t particularly enjoy holiday shopping. Don’t get me wrong, like most women I have a gene that tolerates (and sometimes likes) regular shopping, but holiday shopping is a whole different animal. Crowded, over heated malls, are not my ideal place to go on a Saturday afternoon. I try to limit my trips to the huge malls as much as possible and shop at smaller stores and online as often as I can.

Which leads me to the universal gift. Everyone knows someone (or 10 someones) that is difficult to buy for, they already have everything, they have very specific taste, etc, etc. So what to get this mysterious person? A gas card. Yes, that is right, a gift card to a gas station. Sounds too impersonal? Here me out. People love, let me repeat, love gift cards. Gift cards allow you to do what you want, when you want. You never have to return gift cards because they are the wrong size, color or shape. And in this particular time in our nation’s history, when gas prices remain higher than we would like them to be, a gas card is a very useful gift. Now I don’t recommend getting your wife a gas card instead of a bracelet, that might not go over so well! But a grab bag at work? Perfect! A neighbor? Perfect! A cousin in law who you barely know, but you are certain they own a vehicle? Perfect! Your kid’s babysitter? Perfect! Your hair stylist? Perfect!

I like gifts that people can use to buy something else or eat immediately, such as gourmet coffee, chocolates, wine, etc. For the past couple of years I have been giving my teen and college aged cousins gas cards and as far as I can tell they were pretty excited to get them. If they are anything like I was at that age they are hoarding all their money for school and could use all the help they can get as far as paying for transportation.

I order my gas cards through the Mobil website since that is the bigger chain in NY (and closest to the people I usually purchase them for). I am sure a lot of other gas station chains offer them as well. So save the flannel pj’s and give a gas card instead!

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