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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

#61

Post by joshstrange »

zucked wrote: post #54
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.

100% agree. It’s removed most all of the stress. I started doing it for my partner and then slowly added in his family, my family, and my close friends. My gifts are way more thoughtful now and fun to give, and from the feedback I’ve heard, more fun to receive as well.

Re: How to buy gifts that people actually want

#62

Post by volfyd »

codeulike wrote: post #48

Stopped reading at 'Nobody Actually Likes Charity Gifts' I understand the social bonds of gift giving but this whole Christmas thing is completely out of hand, so much pointless consumption. The idea of gift giving at christmas is like a good instinct that has been hideously amplified to 1000x what it should be and turned into a monster. I pretty much insist on people giving me charity gifts most years.

With the almost instant gratification of Amazon, I always have the gadgets or clothing I need or want, but donating to one of my favorite charities is always always appreciated.

Re: How to buy gifts that people actually want

#63

Post by joshstrange »

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.

Yes! It’s also great to keep smaller ideas like their favorite fast food place or if they like to get their nails done at a certain place. I use it for Christmas/birthdays but also just random gifts that can be smaller.

Re: How to buy gifts that people actually want

#64

Post by munchbunny »

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…

I think you absolutely could just ask. Once you get over the need for surprise, the hand-off can still be a moment of delight. It's just a different sort of delight: it's the one you are anticipating because the thing you were excited about is finally arriving.

Re: How to buy gifts that people actually want

#65

Post by munificent »

compiler-guy wrote: post #20

The paper he cites, Waldfogel's "The Deadweight Loss of Christmas" omits one of the most valuable results of gift exchange. Namely, it only considers the intrinsic value of the object give, and not any goodwill or pleasant feelings that the mere act of giving and receiving itself provides. In other words, by focusing purely on the material value of the object given, the paper systematically undervalues the benefits o…

Yes, and in particular, the deadweight loss has value because it is deadweight loss. "I paid $100 to ship this $10 thing that you could have gotten yourself on Amazon for $10" is another (admittedly strange) way to say, "I care about you so much that you having $10 is worth $110 to me."

Re: How to buy gifts that people actually want

#66

Post by munchbunny »

tbirdz wrote: post #18

What do you do if you genuinely don't want anything? It seems like people don't believe you and keep harassing you asking for what you really want, and then get really frustrated when you keep saying "No, really I don't want anything ". Then they either respect your wishes and don't get anything, but seem to harbor some kind of resentment against you in their heart, or they get some random garbage you don't want and…

This is an opportunity to ask them to donate to a charity on your behalf, if they absolutely must get you something. Or you can ask for something less tangible, like a board game night or something.

This doesn't solve the problem of you being expected to get gifts, but it does give you a productive way to direct other people's energies.

Re: How to buy gifts that people actually want

#67

Post by lastofthemojito »

Maybe I'm an oddball, but due to a couple of "experience" gifts gone awry, I 'm scared off of them.

I got concert tickets for a birthday present, and the day before the concert, it was postponed due to the singer's illness, and eventually canceled.

Another time I got tickets to a baseball game on what turned out to be a rainy night. So I got to fight the traffic, pay for parking, etc, to sit through a rain delay, and eventually postponement of the game.

That's life, things happen, but now I find myself really iffy about giving or getting experiences.

Re: How to buy gifts that people actually want

#68

Post by hobofan »

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…

When I turned 18 (youngest member in my family), we decided to stop giving Christmas gifts altogether. That in itself is the best gift ever! While everyone around me is scrambling to get all their Christmas shopping done and stressing out right about now, I can sit back and totally relax.

Overall the article depicts a way of life that has become very foreign to me. All the presents I gave (and received) for birthdays in the last few years were a card + flowers/whiskey, and they were always well received. Alternatively, the birthday parties were picinic-style where everybody brought some dish and there wasn't any expectation of other gifts.

Re: How to buy gifts that people actually want

#70

Post by war1025 »

twic wrote: post #12

The main thing i learned from this article is that there's a remote controlled car that you can control with the N64! If anyone on here is wondering what to get me for christmas, wonder no more.

Was it a car that was controlled through the N64 or simply a cheap remote control car with an N64 logo slapped on it?

Based on my history of gifts I've received, I would very much expect that latter.

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