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Because there’s always a few that do! And then once the holidays roll around, you can pick and choose from this.

As a Deputy Editorial Director for BuzzFeed’s shopping team, I love to get into the weeds of why a product’s worth the money by deep diving into customer reviews, and product-testing as much as possible.

No matter how well you try to plan, there's always going to a calendar mishap and then you realize you've gotta give someone a birthday gift tomorrow. A last-minute gift card can really save you in times like these, but buying a few cheap things in bulk when you can and then keeping them in a closet can really save you some time. And then once the holidays roll around, you'll REALLY have the picking for small, cheap gifts that'll help satisfy social obligations. From gifts for coworkers to a little something for your pal's 2-year-old, we've got you covered. 

Ever since my early 20s, I've kept a store of birthday cards at home and it's TRULY a game changer. 

Promising review: "These cards are better quality than the Hallmark cards (that are at least $3 for ONE card). The cardstock is heavyweight, and the cards are cute. Great for birthday cards for kids (my 10-year-old has been going to a lot of her friends' parties), and it’s great to have good, inexpensive cards that are all different. One of the envelopes was bent, but I have extra envelopes, so it’s not a big deal. Highly recommend these cards." —Kristie

Read more about how an epsom salt soak or bath can help with stress and muscle relaxation at Cleveland Clinic.

Promising review: "I bought this product hoping for a fresh, divine scent, and wow, it completely blew me away! I’m usually not one to purchase scented products without smelling them first, but I took a leap of faith and it paid off. Hawaiian Bliss is everything I hoped for and more. The scent is absolutely heavenly; rejuvenating, relaxing, and somehow energizing at the same time. After using it, I feel calmer, refreshed, and even a little happier. I genuinely look forward to using it. I’m already planning to order more, not just for myself but to include in gift baskets for friends and family. If you’re on the fence, go for it. Highly recommend!" —K. Marie

Promising review: "These two butter sticks have become my most beloved possessions. I've never felt such magic in my hands. The attention to detail is immaculate. They even included the lines from the wrapper on the sides. Stunning. Incredible. Beautiful. Wonderful product; I highly recommend." —CherG

Get a two-pack from Amazon for $7.98 (also available in packs of three and six).

Promising review: "BEST SQUISHY EVER!! It's super cute, very squishy, and very survivable lol. Had it for several days, and it hasn't shown any wear aside from the little antennas having the usual rub off you'd expect from its material. Once squished, it will slowly rise back like memory foam, and I personally recommend squishing it and then setting it down to watch its rise. IDK, but it's just so cute to watch lol." —Madison Gillespie

Get it from Amazon for $5.99 (available in five colors). 

The puzzles are logic puzzles, not Sudoku puzzles, so expect clues and a graph to help you rule out suspects. 

Promising review: "Amazing! These puzzles are so fun. It’s nice that they start easy and get harder, so you can get used to the format first, then continue to be challenged as you learn how they work. Fun, visually appealing, and sprinkled with humor. I finished this one in about 1.5 months (of fairly dedicated work) and ordered Volume 2 before I was even done with the first one. It’s a higher price point than many puzzle books, but you get high quality for what you pay." —EN

The kit's three paint-by-number canvases include two landscapes and one portrait of Bob. You'll also get an instruction sheet and a mini book all about Bob!

Promising review: "I have to admit I was skeptical because of the price and size. However, I got these for my husband for his birthday (he loves Bob Ross) and What a find!! We had so much fun mixing colors and painting. Would definitely recommend. The fact that they are small makes them even more special. I wish there were more to paint!" —slb m

Check out a TikTok of the smoked sea salt in action. 

Promising review: "The smoky sea salt by Maldon is the best by far that I have found. I love the crunch and flavor. I put it on my steaks and on my vegetables and baked potatoes, and top my scrambled eggs with it. I suggest buying two boxes." —Kimberly Yarbrough

Promising review: "Very colorful, excellent quality tape that adheres well. There is not much per roll, so think of it as a sampler. Each roll has about 20% of what you would get if you bought a normal single roll." —Eric

Promising review: "Bought this for my 6-year-old boy, and he absolutely loved them. He even taught his 1-year-old sister how to use them, and she was delighted to see the colors appear on the page. They spent hours on these when they couldn't go outside due to rain or too much heat." —Amazon Customer

Get them from Amazon for $4.99+ (available in two styles and an activity pack). 

Promising review: "Such a fun toy. They're easy to take to play with in a restaurant or while waiting. Very versatile. They can be made into just about anything. A fish, a bracelet, a rocket ship. They can be used many times." —Nicole Hadley 

Promising review: "My grandson LOVES these! He is always putting them together to let his trucks pull them around or for us to wear as a necklace together! Great price for such a FUN gift!" —CLynn

Get them from Amazon for $7.98+ (available in two sizes and four quantity packs). 

Promising review: "The quality overall was much better than I expected with so many stickers related to various 'eras' of Taylor Swift’s music career, as well as individual songs from her albums. I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were also pages dedicated to songs from The Tortured Poets Department. I didn’t anticipate seeing that! I bought this as a gift for my daughter, and she has been playing with it since it came in. The stickers are excellent quality. I would definitely buy again for other Swifties." —Aimee W.

Also, check out a Taylor Swift golden book and a search-and-find book.

It comes with 60+ stickers, including some puffy stickers.

Promising review: "100/10. Absolutely fantastic. I didn't know I needed passive-aggressive fish in my life, but now I want more. Can't stop sending them in my letters to my family, and it's so much fun to hear their reactions." —E.M.

Get it from Amazon and Brass Monkey for $8. 

Psst, I'm also a huge fan of this brand's Haunted Dolls sticker book that my friend Courtney Hayes gave me for Christmas!

Promising review: "The puzzles are just challenging enough to be enjoyable without being so cryptic that it becomes frustrating. I especially love that the paper is thick enough for me to use my favorite crossword pen, Le Pen, and it doesn't bleed through." —Jeanne

Get it from Amazon for $9.69 (also available in *second* edition of medium puzzles, and first editions of easy puzzles and hard puzzles). 

Recommended for ages 8+. As soon as there is a match between a card and a spoken word, race against each other to slap your hand on the central pile of cards. The last one to do so must take them all. Be quick to be the first to get rid of all your cards. But watch out! Your mind will play tricks on you.

Promising review: "Bought this by accident because I thought these were baby flash cards. Saw these were actually a card game and tried it with my husband and fell in love with this game. It's fun and competitive. :D" —Maeve

Get it from Amazon for $7.99 (also available in a "ridiculously large" size).

If you want something less cutthroat, check out Uno Flip, which has a special Flip card that leads to all the cards being flipped over to reveal new numbers and colors.

Promising review: "For highly competitive players! If you have players who can’t handle regular Uno without their feelings being hurt, they will not enjoy this version. We, however, have some very competitive card players in our family and had a blast playing this game. No Mercy means just that! Enjoy!" —Mom Reviews

Promising review: "These are very cute! I love the flexibility. The stems are long so it will not get knocked out your book (my book is always roaming in my bag). The top is subtle. It really looks like a mushroom emerging from your book. Worth the buy." —Atticus

Promising review: "This book helps you understand that it’s OK to be completely honest with yourself. The book itself was in great condition, with clean pages. I can’t wait to venture more into this lil' journey with myself. ♥️" —Molls

Promising review: "Fantastic tool to get the creativity going again. Not just for those with experience writing — good for beginners too." —Lynne Navarro 

This book is only 5.4 inches tall, so it'll easily fit in a stocking — many reviewers on Amazon said they purchased as a stocking stuffer!

BuzzFeed Shopping contributor Jonathan Mazzei says, "My girlfriend got me this book as a gift a few years ago, and it turned out to be even better than I expected! The prompts are super fun, and help you to think outside of the box even during those moments when you feel like you have no ideas. It's great to casually doodle in while passing time since you don't have to think of what to draw, but it also can be really helpful when brainstorming for creative projects. My girlfriend is a visual artist and graphic designer, and she loves using it to play around with ideas and make her think of things she never would have thought of without it. Plus, it's small and super portable! Highly recommend!"

BuzzFeed contributor Rachelle Yang is also a huge fan: "I've made a lot of unnecessary purchases in my life, but this is one of the best ones — I use it so much, it's starting to feel like a necessary purchase. Let me preface this by saying that I did not draw that pic above; I can't take credit for it. Whenever I have my friends over, I hand them this book and let them draw something in it (hence the amazing drawing of the house in space), and everyone loves it, even if they don't have a single artistic bone in their body. I spend so much time drawing silly little pictures that my screen time has actually gone down. It's so entertaining, and it truly amazes me how much joy can come from a book that's the size of my hand." 

Promising review: "These are so cute!! The colors are so vibrant but not too flashy. The paper feels smooth and of great quality! It’s a must-have and a great value." —Mel Mel 

Get it from Amazon for $6.99. (Available in four styles, including one style that looks like aged paper in case they're into that kinda thing!)

Promising review: "I purchased the translucent wax seal stickers for my homemade greeting cards to add a seal to the envelope. These stickers do not look like stickers, they look like real wax seals, but better. I love them! Great adhesive that truly sticks well." —Sephina Shimizu

Get a pack of 72 or 108 stickers from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in three styles). 

Promising review: "I’m 17 and I loved this. In the intro it says the page instructions are all up to interpretation, so if it says 'spill your drink' or something you can take that literally or choose to paint on it with something such as tea or coffee that’ll look like brown watercolor. I love that it’s full of bizarre prompts but that you have wiggle room if you don’t want to do anything too crazy. I would recommend this if you’re just looking for something fun or if you’re going through some challenges this is really helpful to distract/express/push yourself!" —Marlee

Promising review: "My 5-year-old nephew wanted a parachute so bad, but we didn't want him jumping off the roof of the house, so I found these toys, and he LOVES them! The boys have contests and make up games on who's chute goes farthest or highest, and they play play play! It's awesome!" —Amazon Customer

Get a pack of four from Amazon for $8.98+ (available in two colors).

Promising review: "I love puzzles and trivia, and this doesn't disappoint! You need to answer the questions to find the answers in a word search. This is not easy, definitely a challenge as it lives up to Jeopardy!" —Michelle DiSanto

To play, you'll need to collect items that Rumi, Mira, and Zoey need to make the concert a success and seal the Honmoon! The first player to assemble three complete sets wins. 

Promising review: "Fun family game. We played with 8–30-year-olds, and everyone enjoyed it. Pretty easy to learn, some of the rules we left out to make it easier for the younger kids." —Amber

Check out a TikTok of the Reverse Coloring Book in action. 

Each book includes 50 pages of watercolor art for you to add lines, along with suggestions for what to add if you want a jumping-off point. Bonus: the pages are perforated so you can easily tear them out and frame them! 

Promising review: "Changed my life. So I get anxious doing the adult coloring books. This was so much fun and made me really think outside of the box. I'm not the best at drawing, but I felt like I was when I was a kid, doodling in my textbooks in school." —Carley C. 

Get it from Amazon for $9.90 (also check out the second and third versions). 

Promising review: "I love the writing tablet! Travel is the best when you travel 1,500 miles to see family. No more messes. Easy to use for all ages. Good quality and a bargain purchase. So glad I purchased this item just in time for the road trip!" —Michael C. Larkin

Promising review: "My family and I went on a 27-hour road trip for the Christmas holiday. Needless to say I was a bit anxious over the idea of traveling with a 4-, 2-, and 1-year-old. These things were a life saver! I had bought quite a few other activities for them to do, but they kept returning to these. I love that there is no clean up, and they are reusable. I also thought the pen storage was a really nifty idea. The pages are a thick chipboard-like material so that there is no water leakage between pages. We still use these- Sometimes, I pull them out while I'm getting dinner ready and it keeps them occupied." —Dina

Get a pack of three from Amazon for $17.76.

Promising review: "Excellent. Love them. Just like the old sour Altoids." —Michael

Get three tins from Amazon for $19.99 (available in seven flavors or a variety pack).

Promising review: "They were complete eye candy. 🍬 They are beautifully smooth and perfect. The Japanese Zebra brand has never disappointed me, and I am truly grateful. 👊❤️🔥" —Junkie4fitness

Get a pack of five from Amazon for $8.40. 

Promising review: "The perfect little coffee spoons on my coffee bar! They go with my modern vintage thrifted decor and make me smile. 🥰" —Lindsey

Get a set of six from Amazon for $4.70. 

Promising review: "Perfect size. Each page is a beautiful work of art. I cannot wait to start using it! Absolutely love it!" —Karla Ramirez 

Get it from Amazon for $9.59+ (available in two styles). 

It can measure up to 3 feet, so it's better for measuring smaller things.

Promising review: "I thrift a lot and often wish I had a measuring tape to compare picture frame sizes, furniture, etc. This has come in handy so many times. It can attach to your keychain/bag, or you can keep it in your car for such an occasion." —KB

But what does it smell like? A combo of tart lemon, warm toasted wheat, and slight floral notes. So yeah, the Froot Loops cereal. 

Promising review: "I was craving a Froot Loop scent since I got a wax melt that had similar notes. This. Oil. Is. It. I have close to a hundred sprays and oils that I have curated, and this outperforms most of the ones I have. So many compliments were given today when I wore this, and people were tickled when I told them it was, IN FACT, a Froot Loop scent. I really did not have high expectations for the longevity and projection, but really, truly, this is a beast. I will buy this again and again!" —Audrey

Promising review: "I broke up the three-pack and gave one pen as a gift for a class gift exchange and put the other two in stockings for Christmas. Good quality and approved by both the 8-year-old and 49-year-old husband who is a kid at heart! Definitely recommend." —Kindle Customer

Get a set of three from Amazon for $14.99. 

Promising review: "Adorable key chain for the Ikea shopper in your life! It’s super fun and great quality — looks just like their blue bags! The softness and quality is identical to their bags, too! I love the zip top and can fit some cash, coins, and my card in it. A super cute gift and great value for the money!" —Drowning In Boxes

Reviewers note these are on the smaller side, so plan accordingly! 

Promising review: "These chip clips are so adorable. It’s a gift for an Italian friend. The best gift ever. Very well made. Love them!!!!! So unique!!!" —Theresa

Get a pack of four from Amazon for $14.93.

Promising review: "My blooms lasted for three weeks with this copper heart. It’s not only beautiful, but it miraculously works! I could not believe how long the flowers my husband sent lasted. I usually get one week at best with plant food. Having fresh blooms around makes me calmer and happier. I am actually still in shock at how well this simple little copper heart worked. I felt like it warranted a 5-star review. A+ product!" —LPB

Get it from Amazon for $10.99 (available in two shapes). 

Check out a TikTok of the cloud knife in action. 

My colleague Emma Lord is a big fan: "Between my job on the shopping team at BuzzFeed and being a first-time mom, I have a LOT of packages to open, and very little time to do it while my creature "naps" (air quotes because naps clearly go against his baby religion). I am also very, VERY vain about my nails, so I refuse to open packages without some kind of blade. I ordered a pack of these a few years ago, and even though I have lost all but one of them (I am very disorganized, oops), it still performs as well as it did the day I bought it! It gives super clean cuts and gets packages open instantly, and automatically retracts when you're done, so you don't have to worry about putting it in a drawer. "

Promising review: "I love these — sturdy, sharp with retractable blade. I keep them in different rooms for opening packages or breaking down boxes to recycle. Would recommend and buy again." —Amy Yasneski

Get a set of six from Amazon for $6.49. 

* Little Gifts Under $20 To Let Someone Know You Thought About Them

* Interesting, Unique, And Straight-Up Bizarre Gifts To Bestow Upon Your Fellow Weirdos

Plus, finds from the Disney Store, Nordstrom and Uncommon Goods.

BuzzFeed Shopping is service journalism first: our writers and editors spend all day shopping so you don’t have to, vetting products, fact-checking brand claims, and surfacing what actually helps in real life. We center readers over revenue, recommend products with authenticity (using real experiences, not ad-speak), and reflect our diverse audience, inclusive of a variety of price points, people, and needs. We cut through fake deals, favor useful info over glossy fluff, and recommend both budget and splurge options with context so you can decide what’s right for you — and still have a little fun along the way.