If you have a special occasion coming up, or you’re just thinking ahead to the holidays, you might be wondering how you can give awesome gifts this year. Some people aren’t naturals at gift buying. They just don’t have the capacity to choose a gift somebody will love. They choose for themselves, or buy something totally random. We should all learn to be grateful whenever we’re given anything, of course, but knowing how to buy awesome gifts is a skill. Here are 9 dos and don’ts for buying awesome gifts:

Do Consider Making The Gift Yourself

Before you buy anything, consider making the gift yourself. This could be a cool idea if you’re crafty or on a budget. You could make cakes and brownies, something out of wood, a piece of jewelry…whatever you deem fit. So many people will appreciate a handmade gift more as more time and effort goes into it. It’ll mean a lot to them! Here are some ideas for making the gift yourself:

• Homemade cakes and cookies.
• A piece of jewellery.
• Clothing.
• An ornament.
• A picture frame.
• A scrapbook or photo album.

Don’t Worry About Spending A Fortune

Don’t worry about spending a fortune on gifts for them to make an impact. You don’t need to go broke to give somebody a cool gift that they’ll remember. By simply doing lots of research and comparing different stores, you could find something in your price range that they’ll love. Here are some cost effective gifts that usually go down really well:

• A book on something they like or that they’re interested in.
• A subscription to a music platform.
• A magazine subscription.
• A novelty gift to make them smile.
• A small accessory or gadget.

Do Some Detective Work Before You Buy

Doing some sleuthing before you buy will give you a ton of options. Really listen to the person you’re buying for and see if there’s anything you can take away about what they need or would like. You could even try to analyse what they have in their home or on their desk to buy them a wonderful gift! Still stuck? Try speaking to family members and other friends for ideas. Just try not to freak people out. If you’re buying for somebody at work for secret Santa, for instance, don’t delve deep into their computer history and buy them a jacket they looked at 2 years ago. Thoughtful? Yes. A little scary? Also yes.

Don’t Forget To Make It Suitable For The Situation/Occasion

A good gift is always suitable for the situation and occasion. If this is a leaving present for a work colleague, you don’t want to spend too much on them. Not only that, you don’t want to end up buying something wholly inappropriate and getting into trouble for it. If the person you’re buying for is an acquaintance or colleague, you’re better off sticking to safe gifts. Your company may have a policy on gift giving you should look at before you purchase anything.

Do Make Sure It’s Age Appropriate

The gift you purchase should always be age appropriate. If you’re buying for kids, buying them something too old for them could annoy the parents, and even mean the kids can’t use their gift for a while. Always check the recommended age on the gift, and if you’re still unsure you should check with the parents. The last thing you want to do is leave parents miffed because you’re trying to corrupt their children.

Don’t Forget To Create A Budget

If you’re buying for multiple people, creating a budget will make sure you don’t go broke. Allocate a set amount you’re willing to spend for each person so that you stay within your budget. Obviously, you’ll spend more on your own kids or spouse than you would on a work friend. When you have your budget you can start finding appropriate gifts. You can use apps for this or even create a spreadsheet on your computer. You can then keep track of your spends and everything you’re buying to make it easier.

Do Try To Be As Thoughtful As Possible

Try to be as thoughtful as possible when choosing the gift. Have you noticed that your friend has freezing cold hands when they meet you for coffee? Buy them a pair of fancy gloves! Giving a gift like this could really make their day, and their lives much easier. An awesome gift definitely doesn’t have to be large or extravagant when you’re being thoughtful.

Don’t Buy Cliches

Buying cliches is easy, but you should avoid it if you can. Cliches include things like beer for men, clothing vouchers for girls, and even flowers. Try to be a bit more creative and innovative when you’re choosing a gift. Usually, cliche gifts don’t have much thought put into them. You can put thought into gifts the simple way by personalizing them, if you like. Personalized candles will go down much better than a regular candle – they show you used your head!

Do Consider Giving The Gift Of Time And Experience

Instead of giving a physical gift, why not give the gift of time and experience? You could take somebody somewhere new for the day and explore together. You could go to the theatre to watch a show, or a live gig. Have fun together and use it as a bonding experience! Experiences are often much better gifts than physical things. Plus, you get to enjoy the gift too. It’s a win win situation! Here are some ideas for time and experience:

• A meal somewhere nice.
• Exploring a new place.
• A weekend trip.
• A gig.
• A theatre show.
• Zorbing.
• Skydiving.

Now you have these 9 dos and dont’s for awesome gift buying at your disposal, you’re well prepared to start looking for gifts. You’ll develop a reputation as an awesome gift giver in no time! It might take some practice, but you’ll get there.

Have any ideas for awesome gifts?

Do you have any ideas that could help other readers buy gifts more effectively? Leave them below. See you again soon!

Angie

Angie is a coffee-fueled writer, artist-wanna-be, and over-worker who currently resides in a tiny fixer-upper near Salt Lake City with her boyfriend and 70lb rescue pittie. She works full time in Customer Service/Computers, part-time in retail and fashion, goes to school part-time on and off, maintains this and another couple of blogs, as well as volunteers with rescue dogs. In her free time, what little of it there is, she likes to read, play nerd games, craft and create art, and spend time with all of the awesome people in her life.

http://www.mysocalledchaos.com