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How to buy gifts that people actually want

willpatrick.co.uk

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Re: How to buy gifts that people actually want

#51

Post by pbuzbee »

silveroriole wrote: post #36
pbuzbee wrote: post #8

Last year, the adults in my immediate family put a limit on how much we'd spend on each other for Christmas. I think we picked around $20/person, when in the past we probably spent $75-100. This has been good for us, mainly because it lowers the pressure of gift exchanges. There's a big difference between giving (and getting) an unwanted $10 item compared to an unwanted $50 item. The limit removes emphasis from the m…

But there’s also not many gifts I would want that only cost $20. Books, but that’s about it. A nice version of any material item seems to cost at least £30 ($40). What kind of gifts did people get?

I think people got consumeables (nuts, beer, wine, chocolates), media like books/movies, and a few practical things (e.g. my wife got a soil moisture tester because she's getting into gardening).

I agree that a lot of items aren't great at the $20 price point, but a family could pick any limit that makes sense for them. For us, we don't need many material items, so the lower limit seemed reasonable.

Personally, I enjoyed it because it felt like a shift away from the material value and towards thinking about what the person would actually enjoy.

Re: How to buy gifts that people actually want

#53

Post by glasss »

joshstrange wrote: post #21

Best gift advice I give regularly: Keep a note on your phone (doesn't matter the app Apple Notes, Google Keep, SimpleNote, Drafts, etc) with a header for each person you want to get a gift for. Throughout the year whenever you hear them say "I love X author" or "I'm getting into Y hobby" then add a little note under their name. These can be as simple as "Coconut La Croix is their favorite seltzer flavor and brand" to…

Been doing this for a while and it's so simple yet so effective. Also fun to just scroll through and remember things about people you love.

My gift / interest lists are also a big driver for my pipe dream of a personal CRM or PSA. Would ideally have something like this built in.

Re: How to buy gifts that people actually want

#54

Post by zucked »

joshstrange wrote: post #21

Best gift advice I give regularly: Keep a note on your phone (doesn't matter the app Apple Notes, Google Keep, SimpleNote, Drafts, etc) with a header for each person you want to get a gift for. Throughout the year whenever you hear them say "I love X author" or "I'm getting into Y hobby" then add a little note under their name. These can be as simple as "Coconut La Croix is their favorite seltzer flavor and brand" to…

I started this as a habit last year - it has totally changed my gift giving. I think the recipients value the gifts more because they're more thoughtful and it's made the weeks leading up to Christmas much more relaxed.

Re: How to buy gifts that people actually want

#55

Post by takinola »

joshstrange wrote: post #21

Best gift advice I give regularly: Keep a note on your phone (doesn't matter the app Apple Notes, Google Keep, SimpleNote, Drafts, etc) with a header for each person you want to get a gift for. Throughout the year whenever you hear them say "I love X author" or "I'm getting into Y hobby" then add a little note under their name. These can be as simple as "Coconut La Croix is their favorite seltzer flavor and brand" to…

Also related, make a note of people's sizes (shoes, hats, whatever). Very often, I find myself looking at a dress and thinking so-and-so would look great in it but I can't buy it because I have no idea what size they wear.

Re: How to buy gifts that people actually want

#56

Post by thebigspacefuck »

When I was younger my family wrote down what we want for Christmas on index cards then had my dad keep track of who bought what for whom. We eventually started using a site called Giftster instead which has worked great. This way people get stuff they want and nobody ends up buying the same thing.

Re: How to buy gifts that people actually want

#57

Post by [deleted] »

Afton wrote: post #4

Interesting that they didn't really touch on what I consider the hardest part of buying for someone: domain expertise. If I am known as 'into' something, then the likelihood that someone who isn't also into that same thing will come up with a good gift is shockingly low. I bake bread, for example. A book of 100 bread recipes is basically dead weight to me. I have a friend who is really into knives of various sorts. E…

[deleted]

Re: How to buy gifts that people actually want

#58

Post by Symbiote »

NikolaeVarius wrote: post #15
georgeecollins wrote: post #7

Gift exchange is undervalued as a custom, at least in America. I am thinking particularly as a business custom. A gift gives you a chance to express gratitude, show your understanding / empathy of the recipient. It also is a great way to make a communication about who you are. That's why gifts of your product or service can be really effective.

Too bad its synonymous with bribery.

That depends on the gift.

We receive some at work, generally from Asian clients. Things like traditional fans, alcohol, chocolate, a small print of a landscape.

I think we have a policy, if it's under €50 it's not a bribe. I don't know the details.

Re: How to buy gifts that people actually want

#59

Post by joshstrange »

takinola wrote: post #55
joshstrange wrote: post #21

Best gift advice I give regularly: Keep a note on your phone (doesn't matter the app Apple Notes, Google Keep, SimpleNote, Drafts, etc) with a header for each person you want to get a gift for. Throughout the year whenever you hear them say "I love X author" or "I'm getting into Y hobby" then add a little note under their name. These can be as simple as "Coconut La Croix is their favorite seltzer flavor and brand" to…

Also related, make a note of people's sizes (shoes, hats, whatever). Very often, I find myself looking at a dress and thinking so-and-so would look great in it but I can't buy it because I have no idea what size they wear.

Ohh, good idea! I have a couple sizes down but I really should remember to get those for everyone.

Re: How to buy gifts that people actually want

#60

Post by jamessb »

glasss wrote: post #53
joshstrange wrote: post #21

Best gift advice I give regularly: Keep a note on your phone (doesn't matter the app Apple Notes, Google Keep, SimpleNote, Drafts, etc) with a header for each person you want to get a gift for. Throughout the year whenever you hear them say "I love X author" or "I'm getting into Y hobby" then add a little note under their name. These can be as simple as "Coconut La Croix is their favorite seltzer flavor and brand" to…

Been doing this for a while and it's so simple yet so effective. Also fun to just scroll through and remember things about people you love. My gift / interest lists are also a big driver for my pipe dream of a personal CRM or PSA. Would ideally have something like this built in.

> my pipe dream of a personal CRM or PSA

That sounds like Monica HQ: https://www.monicahq.com/

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