Gift ideas

As the old saying goes, “it is better to give than to receive.” As it turns out, there’s a reason that is an old saying; today, gift giving is stressful. It’s almost impossible to buy a gift without a million questions running through your head: “will she like it?”, “does he already have one?”, “will they use it?”, “am I spending enough money?”, “am I spending too much money?”, “is he buying a gift for me?”, and the list goes on. The following gifts are great for every occasion, are almost always crowd pleasers, and easy on your wallet.

Gift Cards

Some perceive gift cards to be a cop-out, however consider the following: Those who have everything plainly understand what they desire. Why should you give them a present they don’t want?

There is no guilt in purchasing a gift card or voucher for someone’s preferred store or activity. It demonstrates your consideration for their choices while recognizing that they prefer to buy for themselves. Whether it’s for their favorite clothes store or a new restaurant, a gift card communicates to the receiver that the gift is actually about them, rather than your desire to demonstrate your inventiveness.

Quit considering the type of gift you would prefer to give and instead purchase the type of gift they would prefer to receive.

Yes, this is the most obvious gift, but you can’t go wrong with gift cards.  Some of my favorite types of gift cards to give are Amazon, Target, or TicketMaster.

Photo Gifts

You can put a picture on almost anything anymore. The good news is that people are not going to get sick of seeing pictures of their children, grandchildren, friends, or other loved ones anytime soon. Some favorites are picture calendars, digital picture frames, and keepsake boxes. There are also tons of ways you can get creative in presenting a collection of your most treasured memories. PrintedMemories photo book creator will guide you on how you can make your own photo book storage at home!

If you have enough time and creative talent, gifts such as a scrapbook, photo book, or video slideshow will be cherished for years to come. Target is a great resource for photo books and video slideshows as they have kiosks that create them for you when you provide the pictures. If you are even a little bit computer savvy, Windows Movie Maker is great for creating slideshows with music. Better yet, it’s free!

Subscriptions

The options are endless on subscriptions. You should be able to find a magazine subscription for just about anybody. You can also give a Netflix subscription or a gift of the month subscription. Additionally, the price range on subscriptions can vary to fit just about any budget.

Getting Gifts on Discount

It is possible to get great discount Eid gifts without getting up at 3 A.M. on Black Friday to catfight for limited items. If you sign up for e-mail discount services (such as Groupon, Living Social, and Weekly Plus), you can get great discounts and learn about local companies that you never knew existed. You can also visit www.restaurant.com and get restaurant gift cards at 50% off. If you have a certain gift in mind, look for an unopened, unused version on www.ebay.com (this works especially well with gifts such as books or movies).

The Gift of Experience

Marketing 101 states that people are more interested in buying an experience than a good cup of coffee. This is exactly why people go to Starbucks to buy a $5 cup of coffee instead of going to the gas station for a $2 cup of coffee. You can give the gift of experience with movie tickets, concert tickets, indoor skydiving passes, horseback riding lessons, the list is endless.

A woman riding with an instructor image

Gifts On Which You Can’t Put a Price

Everyone is busy, everyone has stress, everyone can use some more peace of mind. You can buy priceless gifts such as housecleaning, concierge services, or babysitting. If you are on a tight budget, offer to provide these services yourself.

Make it Personal

Personalized gifts will always be remembered. Many artists create paintings that incorporate a family name (such as www.ThomasHanlon.com). If the person for which you’re buying has a somewhat common last name, go to Google shopping, and enter their last name. You’ll likely find it as a brand name and be able to buy items such as coasters, jerseys, or signs. For instance, my maiden name is Young, which also happens to be the name of an English brewing company – they sell clocks, bar glasses, you name it. If your recipient has an uncommon name, or if you’re looking for something specific, www.personalizationmall.com will be your best bet for special ordering an item.  Be sure to check out full line of patriotic apparel from ShieldRepublic.com for great options as well.

Names are not the only way to make a gift personal, however. You can also find stores that are heritage-specific (such as stores that sell Irish gifts), religion-specific, or political party-specific for the passionate gift receiver. If the recipient especially likes a certain movie, book, or celebrity, look for a t-shirt of their interest on www.cafepress.com. For television buffs, a season of a favorite show will keep them happy for hours (added bonus: next year you can buy them another season of the same show – you won’t need a gift idea for years!).

A Virtual Assistant

Time is not a renewable resource, although money is. Thus, consider providing the beneficiary additional free time.

A virtual assistant (VA) can aid with a variety of duties, including repetitive work tasks, contacting customer service departments, managing their inbox, bookkeeping, scheduling, and travel planning.

Once they get over the initial unpleasantness of transferring their personal responsibilities to a virtual assistant, they can begin reclaiming personal time each week by continuing to work with their VA.

A Night Out 

Everyone, including singles, dating couples, and married couples, requires an occasional night out. There is a limit to how many consecutive nights you can stay in and watch Netflix.

Arrange a date or night out for the recipient from beginning to end. It could include a dinner reservation and gift card, pre- or post-dinner cocktails at a posh bar, movie, theater, or sporting event tickets, transportation, and even gala seats for a charity event. The crucial aspect is that you handle all the logistical arranging for them, so all they have to do is get dressed and walk out the door.

If the recipient has young children, don’t forget to arrange for a babysitter they already know and trust.

House Maintenance Service

While we’re not working, the last thing most of us want to do is scrub our toilets and shower tiles. A home cleaning service provides an additional option for reclaiming lost time.

A local or nationwide cleaning service is available for hiring. Your client receives a cleaner home, improved relationships, and the return of their Saturday. Gain, gain, gain.

Travel Accommodations

Flights are costly presents. Consider arranging them one or more nights of accommodations to assist with their travel expenses.

There are numerous inexpensive alternatives to hotels, many of which are more authentic and memorable than hotels. The majority of business hotel stays are largely forgotten, but they may recall every guest house in Eastern Europe, every bed and breakfast in South America, and every Airbnb in South Africa.

If your recipient prefers to select their own accommodations, you might purchase gift cards for Airbnb or a big hotel chain.

buildings and canals at night image

Meal Kit Distribution Service

Meal kit delivery providers supply all the necessary materials along with simple recipes. They are convenient, simple, save dieters visits to the grocery store, and assist them avoid making poor food choices.

As a result of their sudden surge in popularity, there are numerous meal kit delivery businesses from which to pick. And if your gift tries a meal kit service for a few weeks and enjoys the results, it may provide the motivation they need to maintain the healthy recipe practice on their own.

If you decide to send a meal kit delivery service as a gift, emphasize the convenience and time-saving benefits over any potential weight loss or health benefits. Many people desire weight loss more than anything else in the world, and you may help them achieve their goal. But, no one like feeling criticized or encouraged to better their health. Be cautious in your steps.

A Plant 

Similar to humans, plants are unique living entities that require varied degrees of care. Plant distribution service The Sill offers a variety of live plants in grow pots and beautiful ceramic holders that any receiver, regardless of gardening expertise, would be happy to exhibit. The “Plants for Beginners” series helped one of our editors overcome her black thumb, so we believe this gift will be successful for any recipient.

Name a Star in Their Honor

This present concept borders on the line between sweet and cheesy. Yet, you would be astonished at how many individuals find it charming. Who doesn’t enjoy the notion of being immortalized?

Several businesses permit you to name stars after your loved ones. Consult the Internet Star Registry and CosmoNova for two trustworthy possibilities.

Be prepared to use a star atlas and a telescope to show the recipient the precise star. To enhance the romantic atmosphere, toast the event with champagne.

Food & Beverage

Give largely consumable items to relatives and friends. Kids don’t want more stuff, and even if they do, you don’t want to encourage them to pursue the newest hot shiny object.

Hence, give gourmet cheeses, wine, beer, cigars, and home-cooked meals. Select consumable gifts wisely, and you can rest assured that they will be appreciated and won’t be wasted.

Resources

If you want to be sure you’re giving a gift that they’ll remember, or shopping for the one who has it all, here are some great resources:

www.uncommongoods.com

www.etsy.com

www.artfire.com

http://www.cherrylanecollection.com/

www.wrapables.com

If you have given or received a great gift, please comment and tell me about it. Here’s to a stress-free holiday season!

Printables!

I always seem to find the perfect gifts at all the wrong times.  Now I keep a gift list so when the time is right, I’ll know what to get and I don’t waste time wandering around stores.  I keep my list in my Personal Notebook.

Dads

Dads can be one of the hardest people to buy something for that isn’t a boring old set of socks and most dads don’t wear ties anymore.

Gift List in Excel (so you can make your own modifications): Gift List

Gift List in PDF: Gift List