With the holiday season fast approaching, many people are looking to buy gifts for their friends and family. This year, when deciding what type of presents to give, consider choosing more practical gifts that you think the receiver will appreciate. Many people have gifts sitting in their closets that they have never opened or only used once—like a beginner’s friendship-making kit or an ugly seasonal tie. Usually, the main reason for this neglect is that the present simply does not interest them, or it can only be used in very specific situations such as at an in-law’s house. Unfortunately, such gifts often go either into the garbage bin or are re-gifted to someone else. Such situations can be avoided if the gift-giver would put more thought into their choice of presents.
Now, this story is not an open invitation to give all your friends and family socks or cash for Christmas; it is about thinking about whether or not your gift will actually be used or even appreciated. An electric scooter is great for a student who often has to walk to and from school, but it is probably going to collect dust in the garage if the recipient already owns a car, bicycle, and skateboard. Furthermore, the extra thought and effort put into learning whether or not a present will actually be put to good use usually points a person to better gift alternatives. For example, give a friend supplies pertaining to a hobby they enjoy, rather than a starter kit to a random hobby, thinking anyone who likes arts and crafts would enjoy it.
Another plus side to thoughtful gift-giving is that you can avoid hurt feelings and strife. Getting insulted by gifts, whether due to their quality or appropriateness, is a lot more common than we all would like. It is bad enough to have your gift completely forgotten or sitting in a storage bin somewhere; giving a gift that strains your relationships is a situation best avoided. I am sure that many people do not give, for a lack of a better word, bad gifts on purpose. Many people think that anything physical is better than a gift card, but simply reaching out to a person regarding what they would like easily addresses the issue of being unsure what to buy. Like the popular phrase says, “A little communication goes a long way.” Although it may seem like less of a surprise, giving a present that a person actually appreciates and wants outweighs the downside. If all else fails, giving a gift card for a place or platform they commonly use is already miles better than random knick-knacks or a catch-all Amazon gift card. Overall, everyone should try to give more personal and practical gifts this holiday season. A little effort can go a long way to keep your relationships thriving and even improve them.
