5 Tips To Improve Your Gift Giving

Holidays may be a social trap. Gift-giving is loaded with emotions and expectations. To avoid offending someone, we usually go beyond and end up with a present list that rivals Santa’s. 

Whether your budget is tight or you’ve had enough of Christmas commercialism, there are five methods to gift without appearing cheap.

1. Consider how cards can be used in surprising ways

You may have some friends on your holiday list that you admire but with whom you don’t regularly connect. The postman, your coworkers in the next department, or the custodial staff at your children’s school are all examples of persons who could be in this category.

Move them from the gift category to the card category rather than removing them entirely. Look for handmade cards for a couple of dollars at your local craft shows. Then attach a piece of candy to the outside and write a sincere inscription. 

2. Keep it real with those who understand

Finally, with good friends and close relatives, don’t be afraid to be open and honest. Tell them right away that you enjoy the holidays but despise the commercialism. Alternatively, you may say you lost your job and are broke in December. 

Maybe you just have too much stuff. Ask if you can avoid the typical gift exchange for whatever reason.

3. Start with the easiest-to-grasp items

We are referring to those to whom you give out of habit or responsibility. What about the nephew you haven’t seen in three years and who never thanks you for the holiday check? 

Remove him from the list. Who’s your next-door neighbor who relocated in 2008 and is now a Facebook friend of yours? They, too, do not require a present.

Many of the folks who fall into the category of casual acquaintances are unlikely to expect a present and will be unaffected if you cease sending them the annual fruitcake. Your nephew may observe that there is no check, but it is entirely his fault. 

It’s sometimes a good idea to have a couple of somewhat inexpensive, but tastefully presented, gifts on hand in case you get caught off guard with a present from someone you’ve checked off your list. Soap with a glittering bow, a bottle of wine in a gift bag, or sweets like jam or candies in gift baskets can all be excellent gifts. 

You can repurpose them later in the year if you don’t need them for Christmas.

4. Redefine value

The value of a present is almost never determined by its monetary value. Rather, its worth is frequently determined by how meaningful it is to the person who owns it. While a gift can be valued, our gesture will nearly always have the most impact when we strive to appeal to the recipient’s emotions.

5. Engage and listen

Making it a point to engage with and listen to people makes it simpler to go deeper and stay in touch. There are many ways to become more in tune with those around you, and all they require is a little skill and effort.

 From casually checking in on your friends and asking about their lives to deftly navigating conversation to elicit good gift ideas, there are many ways to become more in tune with those around you.

Conclusion

You may use the things you’ve learned from everyday gift-giving to make your Christmas gifts more creative, unique, and valuable than ever before. 

All of these ideas can help you spend a meaningful holiday season with your family without emptying your wallet on baubles and other items to stuff into your already stuffed closets.