If you’ve never taken the love languages test, it’s a great way of understanding how you show love to friends, family, and even yourself. The test shows you the areas of communicating love that you’re strongest in out of five different categories: physical touch, quality time, acts of service, words of affirmation, and gift-giving.
While it’s definitely not the most comprehensive nor definitive way of establishing how you showcase love, the test can be a starting point for developing your emotional intelligence. For me, one of my strongest love languages is gift-giving. I think the biggest misconception about this love language is that it’s completely materialistic or it’s solely based on spending money, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
Giving gifts isn’t about objects or materials, and it’s definitely not about how much you buy or spend. Giving gifts is about being thoughtful and putting effort into physical symbols, so you don’t necessarily have to purchase huge jewels or fancy sports cars to show off how much you love someone.
If you’re a gift-giver like me, here are five practical ways of showing your love language – without complaints from your bank account.
1. Write a note
Writing a note is one of the easiest ways to give a little gift to someone. It can be as easy as picking up a simple thinking-of-you card from the dollar store, or even just letting your pen flow across a sticky note and leaving it somewhere for your loved one to find!
Your note doesn’t have to say much – just tell them that you hope they’re having a good day, or remind them of a memory you’ve shared together. Just the fact that you’re taking the time to write is a gift in itself. Even better, this ties into the words of affirmation love language, too!
2. Prepare a meal
Similar to writing a note, preparing a meal overlaps with another love language – acts of service! Presenting your loved ones with a bowl of homemade soup or even elaborately plating take-out from their favourite Chinese restaurant can be a fantastic gift that lets them know how much you care.
Not only is this gift practical for dinnertime, but it’s also delicious! Even further, meals are a great way of connecting with your loved ones. Bonus!
3. Give them something they need
Putting in a little effort to notice the small things can go a long way. For example, if they’ve mentioned that their winter scarf is going through some wear and tear, why not pick up a new one from a local seller? Or, if they told you that there’s some new shampoo that they’re dying to try, why not pick up a bottle from the drug store?
Gifts don’t always have to be wrapped in shiny bows and wrapping paper. They can be practical and based on what they’ve already expressed interest in!
4. Make a playlist
FYI: mixtapes never go out of style. So log into your Spotify or YouTube account and add your favourite Doja Cat tracks and other songs that make you think of them. You can even label them accordingly: “Listen to This Playlist When You’re in a Bad Mood” or even something like “Playlist for Our Next Road Trip.”
Putting together songs that you can enjoy together is a great gift to give, and it’s completely free!
5. Print some pictures
Did you know that it can cost as little as $0.05 to print out a photo at your local store? Picture frames or albums can be affordable as well, and you can even make your own out of notebooks or have a DIY craft night!
Photos are a fantastic way of giving the gift of shared memories and love. So get your camera and start snapping away!
Giving gifts doesn’t mean you have to empty your wallet. It does mean that you’ll have to put in a little extra effort to show your adoration in a symbolic way. However, the gift of giving will surely be worth it as you’ll always receive the greatest gift of all: love!