It’s easy to feel unnecessarily stressed about finding a good gift every time a birthday, anniversary, or holiday rolls around.
We’ve all been there, feeling like we’re running around in circles trying to find the so-called ‘perfect gift‘.
I’ve felt that way many times myself, and if you would’ve asked me a couple of years ago I would’ve told you gift-giving is not my strong suit.
Fast forward to today and I’d say I do pretty well, particularly for my husband (which is great, because he loves surprises).
So, how’d I cross the line from being a ‘not-so-great’ to an ‘actually-pretty-good’ gift giver?
All it took was a few new habits!
If developing new habits sounds a little daunting to you, keep reading, because these 7 habits are actually extremely easy to add into your regular routine and will raise your odds of being a good gift giver exponentially.
7 Good Gift Ideas for Anyone on Your List:
Something They’ve Mentioned
Oftentimes people will tell you things they’d like without you ever having to ask. This takes all of the guesswork out of gift-giving!
They may point out specific products they’d like to try while both of you are out and about or they might admire gift-worthy items from a distance.
Maybe you’ve overheard your friend talking about the cutest pair of boots or a new kitchen gadget that she saw.
Those two items? Great gift ideas!
These gift ideas will naturally come across during a conversation and if you just listen carefully you’ll have a great gift idea in no time!
The ‘Replacement’ Gift
The ‘replacement’ gift may not be all that exciting, but it’s almost certain to be appreciated by the gift recipient.
To successfully give this type of gift, simply keep your eye out for things that your loved one uses often that are wearing out.
My husband has a few pairs of construction pants that are all tattered and worn out. So, one of his Christmas gifts this year is a pair of Carhartt construction overalls.
Sure, construction pants are on the more practical side, but he will appreciate the thought and care put into the idea. Especially while we’re building our new construction home this winter in an owner-builder program.
Once you find an item that could use a shiny new replacement, that’s your guaranteed giftable idea! Bonus points if you replace said worn-out item with a higher-quality alternative.
A Hobby-Related Gift
The hobby or interest-related gift is often the first route we take when looking for a gift idea, and for a good reason, it’s a classic!
Get tickets to their favorite sporting event, some new shades of nail polish, or a video game.
Simply tailor their present to fit one of their favorite pastimes.
Whether your gift recipient’s hobby or interest is new or old, any item that will help them do more of what they love is a win!
Solution Products
A solution product is by far one of the best gift ideas you could ever get someone, but it does take the most thought!
Take a moment to think about a few irritating problems that your loved one frequently experiences.
You’ll likely need to take a few days to mull it over, but try to come up with items that get them all worked up and bent out of shape.
If the gift is for your significant other, one of these fight-preventing products might be a great place to start!
Similarly to how people often share good gift ideas in conversation, you’ll see the same thing with problems. Listen to their complaints closely, the solution is the key to a great gift idea.
For example, if your friend is always losing their keys, they would both benefit from and appreciate a keychain with an AirTag.
If they can’t ever seem to get the stubborn tarnish off their jewelry, try the best natural jewelry cleaner (and make sure they know how to use their new jewelry cleaner).
If you can solve someone’s problem, even a small one, your gift will have a meaningful impact on their everyday life.
A ‘Never Buy’ Item
A ‘never buy’ item is another classic gift type.
These items are typically ones that don’t make the cut because they might be on the more expensive side, fall into the ‘wants’ category instead of ‘needs’, or are items people choose to ‘do without’.
Going back to the replacement gift example of Carhartt overalls, while the construction pants are a need, the name brand makes them a ‘never buy’ item. So that gift idea checks off two boxes in one since it’s a practical (replacement) gift that they wouldn’t have splurged on themselves (a never buy) but will greatly appreciate.
If you can find an item that your gift recipient would love but would never buy for themselves, you’ve found a great gift!
Wishlist or Registry Items
If you’ve been thinking for days (or even weeks) and haven’t been able to think of a great gift idea, check their online wishlists and registries.
When all else fails, you can often find a wanted item that was left behind in favor of something else. We all know there’s only so much money to go around, which is why wishlists exist in the first place.
Even though said item didn’t make the first round of purchases, it’s still pretty likely to be a hit and get a ‘how did you know?’ response when the gift is opened.
Whether that item was a glass tupperware set from their wedding registry or a new dress from their Amazon wishlist, the odds of them liking it are in your favor.
So go ahead, cyberstalk those wishlists for an easy gift idea!
Something From Your List
If you’re just starting to improve your gift-giver abilities then this gift idea won’t work for you quite yet, but start building the habit now so you have a whole list of gift ideas for later!
Essentially, whenever you have a good gift idea for someone, whether it’s something they’ve mentioned, an item you saw that made you think of them, a solution product for their problem, or any other gift idea, write it down!
I’ve mentioned Google Keep Note in my 5 Best Apps for Couples post, but it works wonders for your running list of gift ideas too!
You can also use the default notes app on your phone, but using Google Keep makes it easy to share family gift ideas with your spouse and brainstorm together so you catch all of your spur-of-the-moment ideas.
This is my absolute favorite way to become a good gift giver as it’s so easy once you have the habit down!
I have 10 gift ideas for my husband just waiting on a list in my notes app. So when I need a gift idea for his birthday, Valentine’s day, our anniversary, or Christmas, the hard part of coming up with the gift idea is already done!
Trust me, this is my best-kept secret to being a great gift giver, so try it out for yourself and skip the stress next time you need to think of a gift idea on the fly!
Leave a Reply