Valentine’s Day, the anniversaries, and birthdays have passed, and now Christmas is coming! But what else is there left to buy each other?! Trying to find the perfect gift for your boyfriend or girlfriend is really challenging and is made more difficult by the limited pool of great presents that you can actually get. If you’ve been in a relationship for quite a long time, chances are you would have already bought each other the ‘coupley’ presents, meaning a watch and a wallet for him and jewellery and perfume for her. So now what?
Here are a few alternative ideas which will (hopefully) stop you from buying random presents whilst panicking…
Go out
If you’re really stuck on what to buy, you could use the money you would both spend on a gift to organise a day out or a weekend trip, so you can have a great time together. Go to a city and visit Christmas Markets, go sightseeing or whatever you enjoy doing as a couple. The chances are you’d both rather invest in some good quality time together than on a present (although you need to make sure whether you are just spending money on a trip or buying additional presents too. You don’t want to be the one who doesn’t buy a present, so please try to avoid the awkwardness of ‘oh, I thought we weren’t buying each other presents this year’. This could be the difference between a happy Christmas day and a regret-filled one…)
On a budget
Being a University student means that a weekend trip or a day trip can hit an already fragile bank balance a little bit too hard. But, this doesn’t mean you can’t invest in some time together! You could get dressed up and have a meal together somewhere a little fancier than usual or even venture to a Nando’s, seeing as there isn’t one here in Lancaster, and head to the cinema afterwards. Basically, just use Christmas as an excuse to go on a date (or a series of dates) rather than buying gifts!
A few of their favourite things
Buying them a collection of some of their favourite things can be a great starting point for when you’ve really got no idea what to buy them. Plus, it shows them how much you know about them which can only go down well (obviously, if they claim their favourite thing is an Audi, that might be slightly more difficult). Someone’s favourite thing can be pretty much anything, so it depends on your boyfriend/ girlfriend, but here are a few examples: buy a boxset of their favourite TV series, a box of their favourite chocolates or buy the album that has got their current favourite song on it. And if you really don’t know what to do, buy some clothing that is their favourite colour- at least you tried, right? If you are feeling particularly romantic, you could frame their favourite picture of you together. A meaningful present is bound to be a winner.
Play it safe
If you do want to go for the customary gifts that couples buy each other- why not? Even if you’ve been together for a long time and have already bought these gifts, I don’t think anyone is going to complain about receiving more jewellery or a new watch- more choice surely?