In a world of consumerism, it is no wonder that gifts have become a standard practice for any occasion. Somehow gifts have become a burden and they have been ripped of their significance. We feel obliged to celebrate any life event with a gift, from birthdays to engagement parties, and even monthly relationship milestones. Due to this burden, most of us hate even the thought of buying gifts, so it comes as no surprise if most of our gifts are either useless or inappropriate. Well, it is time to let go of these burdens and rediscover the joy of giving meaningful gifts to the people we love. Keep on reading if you want to learn how to become a great gift giver.
- Learn to pay attention
The best way to ensure that your gift will bring an honest smile on a loved one’s face is to actually pay attention to their interests. Don’t give gifts that you consider to be nice or useful, but listen and pay attention to what your loved ones need or like. For example, you may think that your father will enjoy an expensive watch, but this may just be something that you would enjoy. Your father, on the other hand, might be a lot happier receiving a less expensive but more useful gift. For example, if he is passionate about his boat, he will surely appreciate a fancy boat related gift, like a custom floating keychain for his boat keys or a waterproof sound system.
- Plan in advance
For most of us, gifts are a burden because we always buy them at the last minute. How many times have you spent Christmas Eve running from store to store, trying to finish your Christmas shopping list? Or how many times have you been late to a birthday party because you were shopping for a last minute gift? Well, this needs to stop! We advise you to keep an agenda with a birthday calendar and a gift idea list. Every time you hear someone saying that they are saving for something they want or talking about their favorite hobbies, write down some gift ideas on your list. For example, if your father has lost his keys during his last fishing adventure, search online for some MyCustomFloatingKeychains that will help him prevent such accidents in the future. The beauty of planning in advance is that you can buy cheap gifts that will count a lot more than expensive gifts, because they will show that you care enough to listen to your loved ones’ interests.
- Don’t set a gift standard
As we grow older our incomes increase. As such, most people feel obligated to buy more expensive gifts on each occasion. However, just because you gave your mother an expensive necklace on her last birthday, doesn’t mean that you are forced to buy her something even more expensive this year. You would make her just as happy, with a less expensive but more thoughtful gift. For example, surprise her by calling her at midnight to be the first to wish her Happy Birthday, or if you live together, surprise her with a fancy breakfast when she wakes up. This also doesn’t mean that your gifts must always be incredibly thoughtful. What really matters is to give gifts from the heart. A plain flower bouquet is sometimes enough to show a family member just how much you cherish them.