Max out your credit card bi-ill, fa la la la la, la la la la. Tis the season to go shopping, fa la la la la, la la la la. Don we now our haggling sk-ills, fa la la la la, la la la la. Troll your SO with a gag pres-ent, Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Finding the perfect gift for your significant other can be an overwhelming ordeal. Just know you’re not alone, we’ve all gone through the following stages.
Stage 1: The relaxation period. You have plenty of time to find your SO a gift. The holidays are a month away and you have finals to worry about beforehand.
Stage 2: The ideas period. Would he like this? Would she use that? Better write it down or add it to your Amazon cart just in case. You wouldn’t want to forget about every possible contender for “World’s Best Gift” that you think of!
Stage 3: The initial budgeting period.So you just need to buy gifts for your SO … and then your mom, your dad, your sibling, your great-aunt, the dog – so yeah, it’ll all work out if you just spend $20 to $50 on everyone depending on how much you like them.
Stage 4: The realistic budgeting period.Oh dear God, you have no money. It’s now looking more like $10 to $20 per person because your work-study job doesn’t give holiday bonuses.
Stage 5: The sale-searching period.Black Friday and Cyber Monday are the only times you can find the perfect gift at a much more preferable price. If you don’t get one gift below $30, you can’t afford the other little gift, and the composition of your gifts will be completely thrown off!
Stage 6: The short-on-time panic period. Your SO wants to exchange gifts before the break? That means there’s only a week to order that last gift you couldn’t decide on! You have to make the tough choice: to opt for the cheaper one or the one with better reviews.
Stage 7: The backup gift card period.Would your SO like a gift card? Then he can get what they want and you don’t have to spend another two hours contemplating the red Patriots mug or the blue Patriots mug.
Stage 8: The hiding period. Okay, just a few more days until the exchange. You avoid your partner a little bit so you don’t accidentally give away what you bought, and forget about letting her into your bedroom! All of the gifts are sitting, unwrapped, in your closet!
Stage 9: The stressful wrapping period. How does one wrap a football so it doesn’t look exactly like a football? This must be why they invented extra large boxes and gift bags. Bring on the masking tape!
Stage 10: The questioning period.Did you get the right size? What if he asked his parents for the same thing? Or worst of all, what if they just don’t like it and avoid eye contact for the rest of the evening? Why did you ask for a gift exchange – you could’ve just gone to dinner!
Stage 11: The unwrapping period.“Please like the gift. Please like the gift. Please like the gift.” You chant internally as she opens her presents and you open your own.
Stage 12: The relief period. He seems genuinely happy, or maybe you’re only seeing what you want to see. Either way, the stress of giving your SO a gift is over so you can finally enjoy the holidays!