Finding the perfect Christmas gifts for your friends and family is a real challenge. And as you struggle to find things they might like, don't forget they're trying to do the same for you. So when you open those ugly earmuffs or the fondue pot they already got you last year, just smile politely and remember to hold onto that gift receipt.
Odds are you won't be able to return those items for cash, but if you find yourself with a handful of Amazon gift cards after a few exchanges, here are some suitable alternatives that should've been under the tree in the first place.
An HDMI Cable
You always need one. They are always cheap. $5.50
SanDisk 32GB SDHC Memory Card
Use it in your phone, use it in your camera, use it in your tablet—just use it. $22
Roku LT
For fifty bucks, you can have snappy Netflix, HBO Go, and all kinds other streaming video dazzling in your living room. Don't lose the remote. $50
Kindle Paperwhite
Did you want an e-reader this year? This is the best e-reader ever made. $120
Xbox Kinect
If you want to use the most advanced features ever beamed into a game console—hand gestures, voice commands—you're going to need a Kinect, easily the most enjoyable and impressive gaming peripheral ever devised. Just make sure your living room is big enough.
Kindle Fire HD
If you're already plugged in to the Amazon Prime ecosystem, the Kindle Fire HD is the best way to slurp it all down—music, movies, TV, and books. And at just two hundred dollars, it's also one of the best deals you can get in mobile tech, anywhere.