When people can share a single gift, write them down on your list as a single entity (as in, "the Cratchits"). When you can buy multiple people the same thing (lets say you want to buy each of your three nieces her own copy of "Twilight"), write their names on the same line. Leave room on the left or right side, where you'll later jot down the gift you've chosen.

2. Choose your gifts

Here's where we shorten the most time-consuming phase of the whole gift-buying ordeal. We're going to do all this on , because: 1) They usually have the lowest or near-lowest prices; 2) they're reliable; 3) they give you good information on availability, shipping and other vital intel when you're buying last minute; and 4) they sell just about everything. Most importantly, they'll tell you what people want. No, I'm serious.

The most valuable page on the entire Internet for lazy procrastinators who have no idea what to buy people is !

This page provides you with multiple links to products millions of people have put on their "wish list." This is what people want, ranked in order of how many people want them. With imperfect information about what individual loved ones want, this page maximizes your chances of success based on objective real-world data.