Think Christmas Eve is too late to begin your holiday shopping? Ten percent of consumers would beg to differ with you, according to a new Consumer Reports poll. With just four days to go until Christmas, 56 percent of Americans have finished their holiday shopping. But nearly 20 percent haven't even started, including those shoppers who plan to brave the mall while Santa's sled is making its rounds.

Last-minute shoppers are nothing if not creative (or maybe just desperate) about making their purchases. Thirty-nine percent report buying gifts in drug stores, 9 percent shopped with street vendors, and a small sliver (one percent) admitted buying holiday gifts from vending machines. Forty-three percent plan to take the easy path and buy a gift card.

What if you really don't manage to get all of those gifts purchased in time? Of those who said they expected to be in that position, 46 percent said they'd give their intended recipient an IOU; 36 percent said they'd just pretend it didn't happen. Eight percent said they'd just avoid the other person.

Looking for some better options? Check out these healthy last-minute ideas from the editors of Consumer Reports Health. And don't forget these three tips for more successful last-minute shopping.