Everyone has that one friend who is a truly terrible gift-giver. Well, that’s me. Ever since I was young, I struggled to pick out presents to bring to birthday or holiday parties, and now that I’m older, it has gotten even harder. With Christmas less than a month away, the anxiety of choosing gifts for friends and family has begun. I often spend the first few days of the Christmas season searching Amazon or Etsy but ultimately am not able to make a decision and give up. I then am then forced to buy my gifts from Walmart a few days before Christmas. I am normally not even happy with the gifts I have purchased but have to give them out anyways. I then become embarrassed when my friends and family who are amazing gift-givers do better than me. Here are some of the things I do in order to give the best possible gifts.
Plan extra early
The earlier you begin planning gifts, the better. This gives you way more time to prepare a gift or order one in the mail that will come in time for Christmas. I normally begin looking for presents around Thanksgiving, but I know people who start their search before Halloween.
Make your gifts
This is something I began doing a couple of years ago, and it was a great decision. This is a less expensive way to give gifts and is more fun if you like to paint, draw, or craft. Many people will also appreciate it more because you used your time and skills to make them something special.
Don’t overlook the gift card
I know it may look tacky or like you didn’t put in a lot of effort, but sometimes gift cards are the way to go. If you get someone a gift card, you know they will most likely spend it on something they really want, as opposed to buying them something they might not actually use. It can also be good to give someone a gift card for their favorite store or restaurant. This can sometimes make up for the fact you did not get them a super great gift because it shows there was still thought behind it and that you know this information about them.
Just Ask
We make it feel as if every gift we give has to be a surprise, but this is simply not true. If you cannot decide if someone would like the gift you are buying, it can sometimes be best to just ask them. This can save a lot of time, money, and effort on something that may never be used or even liked. Another way you can go about this is by having the person pick out their gift and show it to you to purchase for them. This ensures they will love their gift because they picked it out themselves. If you buy this gift early enough, they may even forget what they picked out when Christmas comes around anyway, making the gift still a surprise.
If you are struggling to pick out a gift this Christmas season, remember that no matter what you decide to do, those who truly love and care about you will not really care what their gifts are as long as they get to spend time with you around the holidays. Have a great end of the semester and happy holidays!