Well, I just showed my family how to use the ‘wishlist’ feature on amazon.com. I’m planning on keeping it updated from now on so nobody ever has to bug me about what I want again.
As far as the bonus questions go, if I see something that looks like it’ll be really great for a certain person, I’ll buy it for them regardless of time of year and save it for the next holiday/birthday/graduation when a present is expected.
No ideas about last minute gifts... I’d usually find some inexpensive jewelry for girls or a t-shirt or something from the clearance section of Hot Topic for guys.
Yes I tend to have gifts that cover several events and people always come in handy especially if you have a heavy month expense wise you still have a gift for someone especially if unexpected such as an engagement or passing driving test etc.