As a consumer, you may be glad to see the back of Christmas, which came with lots of anticipation about which gifts to buy only to wonder where to re-gift these unwanted items come January. Here are some ideas for better gift buying.
1. What are your recipient’s hobbies?
This is the most common starting place – getting to know the friend or family member and what they love to do. Whatever they spend their time talking about, whether cooking, art or playing golf, there is usually a suitable gift that goes with their passion.
2. Is there anything they need?
Although some people have everything they need, things can get old and tatty and sometimes newer versions of something are required, such as clothes, toiletries, and books. Lap trays are another gift that is more unusual and would suit someone who wants to take a break from sitting at the table.
3. How have they responded to previous gifts?
This one takes reading body language pretty seriously – if someone can hold an expression that could give a poker player a run for their money, it could be difficult to tell whether they really did love their present. Conversely, there are times when someone’s face just lights up when they receive a gift. There are also items that can complete a set of families, such as lap trays personalized for each member. These are available from stockists such as https://personalisedlaptrays.co.uk/collections/lap-trays.
4. Wish-lists are the way to go
Wish-lists have served well in many a family, making sure that they are large enough that the element of surprise remains. This also means that there is very little chance of disappointment as long as the givers of the presents stick to the list. An example of this is shown on the Great Ormond Street website, where a young patient shares her wish list.
5. Is there anyone you could group together with to get something you normally might not be able to afford?
This can work well if you either don’t have enough money to spend on a gift or you see something that the receiver of the gift wants but you cannot afford it on your own or you have a budget that must spread over 20+ family members.