Circuit to emulate 2/3 button presses
IMHO, any circuit that avoids using an IC to do this will be bigger and more expensive than using an IC. The easiest and most simple approach would be a small 6-pin microcontroller like one of the ATtiny or PIC. However, this assumes that you have the ability to program one and a minimal understanding of programming. A 555-timer could also do the job, but it will take one timer per action and a few other components beyond that. The ATtiny requires very little beyond it's own chip and an appropriate voltage source.