Last-minute shopping?

According to a statistic referenced on MSN Smart Spending, at least 12 percent of shoppers are putting off a few purchases until today. It's assumed that people are doing this in order to cash in on any last, great deals.


I guess my question, though, is how much shopping can be safely put off until the end of today?


I had a friend whose father was Jewish and so, one year, it wasn't until Christmas Eve that he realized he hadn't gotten any presents. He went out that night and, noticing how much cheaper the prices were, he then made a tradition of waiting until the last minute.


Please, no complaining about stereotypes. I'm pretty sure his stinginess stemmed his financial situation. Sometimes the more money a person has, the less he spends -- often, to a fault. Based on my friend's tone, at least, I gathered the results were less than stellar for the recipients.


Do any of you plan on trekking to the mall? Are you just rounding things out with a few, last-minute goodies, or are you waiting on main gifts to get the best deals?


My main worry would be inventory. Last year, Tim and I wanted to get his parents a foot massager. The gift card I ordered took forever because of the holiday demand and the volume of mail being processed. It arrived on the 22nd or 23rd, as I recall. When I checked, all the stores were out. We had to give them the gift of a picture and an IOU. His parents were very understanding, of course. Still, I felt bad.


Also, has anyone heard of any actual great deals? I keep seeing sales circulars, but it's the Macy's syndrome: The same set of deals offered over and over, just phrased slightly differently. It doesn't feel like there are any really great offers that are worth the risk.


To be fair, I should admit that we're jetting over to a mall to check out The Body Shop's clearance selection, which started yesterday. They have a few things that might save us some money, like a sugar hair removal solution plus reusable cloth strips for a total of $7. But we are also hoping to get Tim's mom a couple of affordable goodies to add on to her present. (Yeah, we flaked on getting things in the mail. Too many years of being able to hand over gifts in person, I suppose.)


Also, how many of you are planning on hitting the sales on the 26th? I plan on scouring the stores for a tree for next year and maybe some lights or nice ornaments. Still, I don't want to visit store after store. I think 2 or 3 will be my limit.


Since I'll be posting Freebie Friday tomorrow, I hope you all have a merry Christmas -- whether you celebrate the holiday or just enjoy getting a free day off (or holiday pay).