*Warning: You may feel compelled to forward this link to the men in your life to help them find the best gifts. (I’ve already sent it to my very own Dad.)
I spend a lot of my time shopping for others. Granted, they are often with me, but personal shopping for others works the same muscles needed for good gift buying.
Here are some of the secrets I’ve learned over the years.
A little thought goes a long way
This sounds so obvious, but it’s one of the hardest things to actually do. Itdoesn’t matter what you would like, or what you think is beautiful, or what you would use. It matters that the person receiving the gift thinks all those things.
To buy a good gift, you need to take off your (very pretty) shoes and put on your giftee’s pair (whether you personally like them or not).
One way to do this is to brainstorm things that the person likes. What are their interests and stores they like to shop in? Who else do you know who has these same interests? Could you ask that other person to give you some insight into what kind of gift would be amazing?
When you put true, heartfelt thought into a gift, your giftee will feel it and appreciate the effort more than anything else.
Clear your schedule
Shopping takes time (whether it’s for yourself or someone else). To give good gifts you need to give yourself the time to think about what you want to get, source the gifts and buy them.
You’ll likely need 2 full days to get everything done well, so in order to fend off the crazy rushed holiday feeling, I highly recommend blocking a large chunk of time in your calendar to get it all done.
Make your money go further
Gift giving is about impressions.
People get excited about brand names, or things they’ve been wanting for a long time, or big gifts (something that feels extravagant) or something you’ve spent a lot of time on. These things make people feel special.
If you want to spoil someone (even on a budget) you could try buying a small thing, like a keychain, at a very expensive store. Or you could take a standard gift, like chocolate, and make it a big deal by getting one chocolate from every chocolate shop in town.
With gift giving it’s the little things that go a long way.
If you’re up for it, I would love if you sent this article to any friends and family who might enjoy it. Thank-you so much for spreading Happy Holiday Cheer!
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