Birthdays, Christmas, Easter, anniversaries, graduations, house warmings, new baby, thank you, the list of occasions that require presents is overwhelming sometimes, although admittedly some are easier to buy than others.
You can’t really go wrong with some nappies or a teddy bear to welcome a new baby, and pretty much anything from the household aisle of the supermarket can get you by for a house warming gift. Throw in some chocolate and Easter is covered, too, but what about those trickier occasions when somehow we never seem to make the right choice.
Tip 1: Think Useful and Useable
Psychologists recently revealed research that suggests we all tend to make one common mistake when it comes to messing up the art of choosing a gift. Basically, as gift-givers we put too much thought and focus on creating a ‘wow’ factor at the moment of unwrapping, without any thought to how useful the gift is beyond that. Examples of this in practice would be giving a specialized gadget that may only be used once a year, something with lots of functions – making it difficult to figure out how to use.
Tip 2: Buy for Them, Not For Yourself
It is human nature to want to share the things we love with friends and family, or the world, but in reality it doesn’t usually work well. You may feel that gifting the perfume you wear (or want to buy), your favourite chocolate or a random item you have coveted for months represents the ultimate in thoughtfulness and sacrifice, but psychologists would label this behaviour as narcissist gifting.
This doesn’t mean that you should shop for something you find revolting or distasteful – just don’t lose sight of who the gift is for, your relationship with them and what the item represents. Sometimes neutral or generic is the best approach.
3. Less is More
One thing everyone loves is a present they can consume in some way. Giving a smaller but higher quality item that can be used, eaten or drank is perfect because it has no strings. The recipient has no need to store or display it, or to figure out how it works. Token items like a nice tube of hand cream are the perfect gift for your office colleague or child’s teacher at Christmas, while classy cheese and wine hamper gifts will always be a winning gift for the boss, or as a thank you to dinner party hosts. Click here for some examples of gifts so good you may have to order an extra for yourself.
4. Listen, Look and Learn
Buying gifts for family and close friends can be easy if you take the time to make a mental note of things they mention casually in natural conversation. That way you may tap into their current tastes in music, food treats, reading material, and so on. Bear in mind that people’s tastes change, as do their interests.
Giving gifts can be as much fun as receiving them, and with a little thought and forward thinking the entire process can be a fun and stress-free experience.