It’s the time of the year when many presents are exchanged. Need some tips? Look no further!
Yup, it’s nearly Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, whatever you may celebrate! That means it’s about time to buy and give presents. Many people get stressing around this time of year, sometimes it’s because of all the gift giving. Some people worry if the person they are buying a gift for will like the gift, and some people just worry about the money in their pocket. Well, I have a few tips for giving gifts to both kids and adults.
Buying Gifts for Kids
When it comes to buying gifts for children, most children just see a commercial on TV and want that item. Most of the time a kid will already have a ton of toys, and there’s no reason to buy anymore! Now I’m not going to say buy them something like clothes, because no kid wants to get clothes as a present! If a kid doesn’t have many toys, or if they don’t have awesome and creative toys like Legos, then you can buy them toys, preferably creative toys like Legos or Play Dough! If they have a ton of toys, or if you don’t want to get them anymore toys, I say you can get them one of two things.
- Buy them a movie. Movies are always there for multiple viewings throughout the years! I still have some awesome VHS Tapes from when I was a kid. Of course, I upgraded some of the movies to Blu-Ray, but I might not have remembered them if I didn’t still have those tapes. Also, most (if not all) kids don’t care if their movie is a DVD or Blu-Ray.
- Buy them something edible. It probably won’t last long, but buying some awesome snacks is always a good way to go. Don’t go cheap and buy a small box of gummy bears or something; go big and buy a giant tin of mixed popcorn or holiday specific snacks.
Giving Gifts for Adults
Personally, I think buying gifts for kids is pretty simple. However, when your family grows up and everyone is making their own money, buying gifts for other adults starts to become troublesome. I’m sure many of you think about money and the price of presents over anything else when buying for other adults. Many adults, just like my family, think the price of the presents they give will or should cancel out the price of the presents they receive. This may actually happen, but it shouldn’t. When you’re just thinking about the gift itself and the money behind it, all the fun and magic is gone! The true nature behind gift giving is the happy feeling you get when you give someone something they like. I didn’t really say the same for kids because, well, they’re kids. You have to buy kids — in your family — presents, and they probably won’t remember the present they received unless they’re over eight, or unless they use that present for years to come. So, what are some tips for buying gifts for adults
- This first tip doesn’t apply to everyone. At least for one year, forget about the price of a present and go all out! As I said earlier, many people think about the price and try to cancel out what they buy with what they receive. Now, if you’re going to do this there are a few more rules. Don’t expect to get a gift at a later date that makes up for the amount of money you spent, and don’t act like you have the upper hand because you spent more. Also, if you’re the type to always one up someone, try NOT to do this. Only do this if you love giving more than receiving!
- Buy something they wouldn’t expect, but make sure it’s something they like. Yes, you can get them a life sized Chewbacca statue, but would they like that? It’s fine to go way outside of what they would expect, but make sure they would like it, and make sure it’s useful. Hell, that should be its own tip.
- Make sure the gift is useful. Buying something that just sits there may be cool for a collector, but not when it comes to everyone else. Buy something that has a purpose or function!
- Buy an item they wouldn’t normally buy themselves. A box of chocolate or something of that nature is something most people don’t buy themselves, unless they love chocolate or they’re a fatty — I’m just joking! Seriously though, buy something they would want, but normally wouldn’t buy for themselves.
- Buy an item that has a function, a deep meaning, and will last for years and years. This particular one can be tough, and it’s not meant to be an every year type present, but you should give something meaningful at least once to someone you love. Something that has a purpose, not just something that will sit there. Having the item last for years and years makes it even more meaningful year after year. An example is a music jewelry box I had bought for my god daughter.
There are probably many more tips out there that you can find, but I think these are some of the basic, need-to-know tips for giving gifts. Another tip that covers all gift giving is simple: NO PRANKS! I’m sure everyone thinks it’s fun or funny to do a gift prank around this time of year, and the prank may sound good on paper, but most of the time it ends bad for one or both people. It’s best to avoid all of that and go the direct route.
Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. Also comment if you have more tips to share.