Giving is better than receiving

In all honesty, there is something very challenging about gift giving. There is a lot of pleasure for the giver when the gift given hits the mark. Seeing that look of pleasure makes all the work involved in choosing the perfect gift, worthwhile.

Knowing what the perfect gift might be, requires a great deal of patience. You begin planning months in advance for any and all gift-giving occasions, especially if you enjoy finding the perfect thing for everyone on your list. The beauty of this plan is that it allows you to shop while you are on vacation without any guilt. You can give free rein to your enjoyment of shopping, all with a very good purpose.

With the economy being what it is, many people have down-scaled on the amount that they are spending on gifts. This adds a whole new set of challenges, finding the perfect gift at the perfect price point. This makes shopping early even more vital, right after Christmas is a good time to find excellent values on holiday-related items.

Listen carefully all year to anything that is said around you. Whenever possible, write yourself a note to remind you of what you have heard. It may be a casual reference to something the recipient would love to own or has always wanted. It may be just a casual comment about a hobby or an outfit that they own that needs a pair of earring to match. Store away these little bits of knowledge and then pull them out when you are out poking around in the stores or cruising the Internet.

The downside of this is that you set the bar very high for yourself. Your friends and family expect to get great gifts from you and there are times when you have gift buyer’s block. This is the equivalent of writer's block, you are just at a loss. You haven’t heard anything, can’t think of anything and then what? There is a feeling of pressure to perform. 

Thank goodness for gift cards, they can save the day. It does take a little thought to match the person up with the perfect gift card but especially with kids, teens, and seniors, gift cards can actually end up being the preferred gift. Never give a gift card solo, you can always attach it to a small gift. Placing them in a little jewelry box or using them as a bookmark are also ways to give a gift card creatively.

Is giving better than receiving? You bet but don’t underestimate the high you get from receiving the perfect gift. Most people certainly enjoy that almost as much.