As Told Over Brunch

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Eight Last Minute Cheap Gifts for the Millennial In Your Life

I am not a huge fan of gift giving. I don't mind grabbing gifts for myself, of course, but buying gifts for friends and family on a time crunch is difficult. It's a struggle between what you've gotten them before, your budget, and straight creativity. Like, what can I give them that's not baked, made, and doesn't break the bank?

To help people in a similar conundrum, I brainstormed a list of gift ideas for twenty-somethings like myself. Below is what you can give the millennial in your life:

Your Netflix password.

This also applies to Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO, etc. Odds are you own an account to one of these. Odds are, also, the millennial doesn't have access to one of these. Figure out which one they're lacking. Give them the password to your account. Voilà! That's a gift. You didn't even need to give them a full subscription.

The thrift store.

This works best if you've left the country in the last year. Drive to your nearest thrift store. Buy something that looks old - a used candle, a piece of cutlery, or maybe a chipped wineglass. Glass or metal objects are preferable. Wrap and give to your friend. Tell them you bought this while overseas. When you saw it, you knew they would love it and you had to get it. This makes you both worldly, so considerate, and did I say worldly?

Your gym membership guest pass.

You have to have a gym membership for this to work and preferably the ability to bring guests with you for free. It's about to be New Year's. Everyone is dieting then and looking to start a fitness program. Tell your friend not to get a gym pass: you'll just take them to your gym for free. They're not going to work out without a friend anyway. Right?

Tell them you voted for Hillary.

Or Bernie. Or Jill or Gary. If they're in their twenties, they're probably sane and didn't vote for the Donald. By telling them this, they forget you didn't bring them frankincense or gold and you give them some relief, because between Thanksgiving and Hanukkah or Christmas, they've heard enough of their dad listening to FOX News and their mom say she'd be just as scared under Hillary. They want to be reminded their acquaintances are rational, sensible, logical thinkers and voters. (Maybe don't say you voted for Jill.)

International travel deal emails.

There are plenty of free email services that send cheap flight info for departing the U.S. Mentions include Scott's Cheap Flights and Expedia. These services usually have a premium deal where you pay to get the best deals, but there's also the free option for the "good, but not best" fares. Every millennial has wanderlust. Sign them up and write you're welcome on the back of a postcard from Bali.

An Apple.

This works if you're old. Like, seventies. Buy them an apple. I think galas are cheap this time of year. Of course, the gift recipient would much more appreciate an iPad or Apple Watch, but you're too old to know the difference. Say you asked some youths for ideas and they suggested Apple. Here it is. It's the thought that counts.

Your single acquaintance.

Are they single? Do you have another single friend? Do they live in the same region? Write "Merry Christmas" on the card and put the other person's number after that. "Text them." Maybe put some mistletoe in the envelope too.

An Uber home.

Just whisper in their ear you'll pay for their Uber home from this miserable family affair or high school reunion, so drink as much as they want. They don't have to drive home. This is cheapest when their parents are present so you know they don't even need an Uber.

I honestly can't decide if any of these ideas are good or funny. (They are cheap.) But I would be happy if someone gave me their Netflix password.

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