8 Perfect Gift Ideas to buy now and give later

I have a plastic bin in my closet dedicated to new items, intended to be gifted. Stuff to either add a little bit more oomph to a gift or last-minute items for a secret Santa or white elephant, or you get invited to a birthday party or need a hostess gift and don't have time to go to the store... This box of mine has really helped me out over the years!

This is one of the best times of the year to stock up since so many stores are having sales to get rid of old stock to make room for spring. You want these items to be fairly versatile, and shelf-stable. So no food!

1. Designer Wallets

Kate Spade and Micheal Kor's usually have great discounted sales after the holidays, a perfect time to stock up! I like to pair these wallets with a gift card to something like Starbucks or Amazon. You can score some super cute wallets for $25 or less.

2. Coffee and Tea Mugs

Davids Tea or Anthropologie are good places to look. Can then place a five dollar gift card, pair of socks, lip balm, candy, and/or festive pocket tissues inside.

3. Festive Pocket Tissues

Any holiday themed! Christmas, Valentine's, Halloween, or just cute kitties and puppies.

4. Socks and Slippers

As long as the material feels nice, whatever is cute! This one can be a little tricky since it is size dependant. Target and Macy's would be my go-to places to look.

5. Cosmetic Bags

This one is great because it can be stuffed with just about anything. Especially if you have a bunch of small items you want to corral into a cohesive gift.

6. Decorative Match Boxes/Containers with Matches

I don't normally store candles since my house gets hot as hades, but I do like to have a store of cute matches. Easy to pair once you find that perfect candle!

7. Knitted hat/gloves/scarf sets (and individual)

After Christmas, these go on steep discounts and sometimes already come in cute packaging. New York and Co had this set for $5!!! Burlington also had some cut hat and scarf sets for under $15.

8. Alcohol

I wouldn't just buy holiday-themed ones, but also just any that are discounted and look really cool. My new favorite is the botanical one from Ketal One, Botanical Peach & Orange Blossom. Not only does it taste yummy, but the bottle is very pretty! Also check out for any miniature sizes that are discounted!

I didn't end up buying all of these items, but I did replenish my box a bit. It was finally empty!

Anyone else have a "gifting box?" or a better name??? What items are you on the lookout to add to yours?