The latest tips and ideas from our Gifts Solved blog
Your loved one’s birthday is coming up soon, so you decide this birthday will be different. No more “usual” birthday gifts. You want to do something special and give a gift they will actually treasure, or at least use on a regular basis. Below are five steps to help you pinpoint that perfect birthday gift.
If you are buying a birthday, anniversary or Christmas present for your girlfriend, wife or partner, these ten tips should prevent a gift-buying mistake
Determine the Season
A winter coat or pair of skis probably wouldn’t be best in April or May. However, pastel-colored jewelry for a mother, girlfriend or sister would be great if she likes jewelry. Or, for the wife some colorful lingerie or a beautiful leather handbag might do the trick. A set of knives for the kitchen can make a great birthday gift any time of the year.
Giving a Collectible Gift
Collectibles make great birthday gifts for those who enjoy antiques or unique items. Find out what your friend enjoys collecting and give a collectible gift that will add to their collection. To go a step further, ask to see their collection and then find an item they do not have or a gift that will complete a set for them. You might be surprised at the things people collect. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness!
Give a Hobby Gift
Another great birthday gift is one that enhances their favorite hobby or past time. If the recipient enjoys listening to music, visit an electronics section of your favorite Web store to find a unique CD player or other music-related gift. If they enjoy watching movies or television, there are many electronics products to make entertainment more enjoyable than ever. Other hobbies might include gardening, fishing, hunting, playing an instrument, sports, sewing, crafts, etc.
Shop around for Better Gift Value
You can search online gift stores for fabulous products while also saving time and money. Sometimes you can even find great gifts at wholesale prices. Wholesale gift products can be provided online because the overhead costs for a Web store is much less than a “brick and mortar” storefront, and the middleman is sometimes eliminated with Web stores. These types of gift stores are able to offer more gifts at lower prices. Make a list of birthdays in advance and shop early for the best possible gift value. Also, leave plenty of time for shipping the items so your loved one will receive their gift on time.
Don’t be Afraid to Give Useful Gifts
Never assume that because someone already owns a cell phone, they wouldn’t like to have another one. If someone already has a certain type of jewelry, it doesn’t mean they don’t want more jewelry. Birthday gifts can be practical as well as thoughtful. For example, your friend mentions getting a new cell phone with all the latest features. You find the perfect cell phone with an affordable calling package. Instead of buying something they can’t use, you give them a gift certificate for the new cell phone and their first couple of month’s calls.
Another example is if your friend owns a pet such as a cat, dog, bird, fish or horse. You can find gifts to help with the care of their pet. Your gift might be a new saddle or set of grooming tools for their horse, or a new training video for their dog – the possibilities are endless.
Shopping for that perfect birthday gift doesn’t have to be stressful. Show you care with a personalized gift and help make your loved one’s birthday the best one yet!
They buy gifts in the size they want you to be, not the size you are!
Men: Find out your spouses or girlfriend’s sizes first when buying lingerie or underwear gifts and jewellery — choker is not a literal term! Be careful not to over compensate and buy too big. Receiving a marquee instead of a Chemise on your birthday is not going to make anyone feel special. How would you feel if someone bought you extra small condoms and said “sorry — I thought that was your size?!”
They buy a gift for themselves, not for you.
Men: If you’re intending to buy lingerie or underwear, buy the very best you can afford and avoid anything tacky. Tacky is subjective, but would generally include anything you might expect to see in an adult movie or that takes twenty minutes for your wife or girlfriend to get into. Likewise, you may want the latest home entertainment system, but are you sure she said she wanted it for her birthday? Please note: recounting her disinterested ‘yes dear’ that time you quizzed her during her favourite soap won’t get you out of trouble on the day!
They buy household items as gifts.
Men: Your wife or girlfriend does not only desire to serve you better. I am sure that she has other wants for her birthday/ anniversary /Christmas that she would put ahead of a food processor or set of kitchen knifes! It’s OK to buy something if she’s specifically asked for it, but she’s probably not expecting that it is all she’s going to receive. For your own sake, supplement with some little treats that are just for her!
They become obsessed with a particular theme for gifts.
Men: She may like Brad Pitt but that doesn’t mean she wants the novelty pen, mug, pillowcases, hairbrush and complete box set of films starting with St Elmo Fire (?) for Christmas. Similarly, she shows an interest in hill walking because you do, so forget the tent, sleeping bag, camping stove and galoshes birthday combo!
They show minimal thought, imagination or effort.
Men: Buying all her birthday presents during a single visit to Tesco’s may seem efficient but it doesn’t show much effort; nor does buying the same gift every Christmas, does it? Simply, alternating between brands of perfume on your anniversary isn’t good enough either. Make an effort to find presents she’ll enjoy and that she has not seen during the weekly food shop!
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