WASHINGTON — Procrastinators who hate the crush of crowds looking for last-minute Christmas gifts can take heart: You can still shop for gifts online and avoid waiting for mail deliveries, said one shopping expert.

“Buy online and pick up in-store,” smart shopping expert Trae Bodge said. “Place your orders in the convenience of your home and then zip by the store and pick up your gifts, and don’t worry about it not arriving on time.”

[related_gallery align=”right”]Big box stores also are likely to offer deep discounts this time of year on electronics. Bodge suggested a companion item for smartphones such as headphones, mobile phone chargers or Bluetooth speakers.

“Anyone — a kid who is 8-years-old or above who may have their own device — a companion gift like that is a really good gift option,” Bodge said.

Other money-saving recommendations from Bodge are to shop for seasonal items such as sweaters, hats, coats, tools and hardware that are likely deeply discounted.

Also, have you heard of Gift Card Granny?

“Gift Card Granny is the largest aggregate of gift cards online,” she said, “and you can even get
discounted gift cards that you can give to your recipient, and they’ll have no idea that you actually saved money on it.”

“Gift cards are very, very popular.”