Gift Giving: How Not To Disappoint This Christmas

We have all been on the receiving end of a gift that has disappointed us. After unwrapping the present with excitement and anticipation, we have then been forced to put on a fake smile, as the gift in question has been less than welcome. “Do they even know me at all?” might be the natural thing to ask oneself when faced with a present that obviously has had no thought put into it.

Many of us will have given gifts that have clearly disappointed too. We may have been forced to watch people hide their true feelings after they have unwrapped the present we have given them. When we have heard them say “Oh, you shouldn’t have,” they have probably meant every word. We really shouldn’t have! We should have put more thought into the gift itself. 

So, here’s hoping that we won’t be disappointed this Christmas, and let’s hope that the gifts we give won’t disappoint either. We might only find them on eBay a few weeks later if they have crushed somebody’s hopes and dreams of a better present. 

So, here are a few tips to help you be a better gift giver this Christmas and beyond. 

Consider the person’s hobbies and interests

It would be pointless buying your sports-hating nephew a football this Christmas, and it would be a waste of money buying your nan the latest tech if she is technophobic! When buying a present for somebody, think about the things they enjoy doing and try to buy something that matches their interests. You need only listen to them wax lyrical about their favourite pursuits to get a handle on what they like, and you can check their social media pages to find out more too. If in doubt as to what they already have, ask the people closest to them, or take a sneak peek around their home the next time you pay them a visit. 

Be culturally relevant

If you have family members and friends who are culturally different from you, take this into account when buying gifts. You might only offend them otherwise, especially if you buy them a food gift subscription that includes items they wouldn’t or couldn’t eat, or items of clothing that go against their cultural principles. Care needs to be taken, so commit to a Google search. Check out this site that sells Indigenous Gifts, for example, which might be useful when buying for clients and customers, or when looking for stocking fillers. 

Give a gift that is meaningful

What will mean most to the people you love? Hint: Nothing that is generic and that has had no thought put into it! You want to buy them something that will resonate with them on a personal level, be that a handmade item that they know you have spent time making, or an experience gift that falls in line with their bucket lists. Here are some meaningful gift ideas if you need a few examples, so show the people in your life that you care for them by following some of the suggestions given. 

Think about the presentation

It’s not always about the present inside the wrapping that counts, as the way you have presented it matters as well. If you give the recipient something that is overladen with sellotape and cheap wrapping paper that looks like your niece’s kindergarten class put it together, you will automatically disappoint the person because of your lack of effort. While some people won’t care a jot about the presentation (especially your kids), older relatives might, so follow these gift wrapping examples when readying your Christmas presents. You might want to look online for a tutorial on how to properly wrap a present too, especially if you struggle in this area. Even if your gift ends up being a dud, you will still garner some appreciation for your effort in putting it together. 

Think outside of the box

After finding out what the person is into, don’t fall into the trap of buying them something generic. Yes, your brother-in-law might love drinking coffee, but you don’t have to buy them a mug with a jar of coffee when looking for a gift. You could buy them a gift card that could be spent at their favourite coffee shop, for example, or a coffee subscription that encompasses a range of different blends. And for your nephew who loves comic book movies, you might want to get them tickets to a comic con event instead of a box set of films that they might already own! So, don’t always go for the obvious. By thinking outside of the box, you will give the person a pleasant surprise, and you won’t have to watch them roll their eyes at something that could be considered predictable. 

Remember the gift doesn’t always need to be a physical item

Yes, some people love nothing more than receiving a gift, and they will be disappointed if you arrive at their door empty-handed. You might instantly feel embarrassed when they ask you “Did you leave the present in the car?”. However, there are those people who are a little more open-minded when it comes to receiving gifts, as they will realise that not everything that is good has to be wrapped in a bow tie. What are these gifts we are talking about? Well, we are thinking about donations to a person’s preferred charity, for example, which can mean more than a hastily wrapped bottle of bubbly and a box of Maltesers. And we are thinking about the gift of time, where you might offer to do something practical for the person, such as mowing their lawn for a month. These gifts can be just as valuable to the person, so consider the option.

Think About Small Gifts

When most people think of gift giving, they normally picture larger presents. It’s easy to see why, as most people believe that they’ll have to go big to show their love. In most cases, that isn’t true. While you shouldn’t shy away from larger gifts, you should only go for these if it’s something a loved one would enjoy.

Going with small gifts could also be an appealing option, too. As you might expect, much of this can depend on exactly what the present is. A few of these can be more than recommended. There are the likes of Keith Brymer Jones Mugs, scented candles, and much more.

The trick here is to make a bundle of small gifts that your loved one will enjoy. While that could take a little bit of time, there could be a few benefits to it. The most notable is that there’ll be a few gifts inside, so you’ll almost be guaranteed that they won’t be disappointed.

Then there’s the fact that you would have put a significant amount of thought and effort into putting this together. Your loved one will appreciate that more than anything. If you want to make things more personal, you could even consider getting these presents customized.

You’d be surprised by the number of things that you can do this with. Taking that approach will be an easy way to prevent disappointment once you give them the gift. It could also be a much more budget-friendly strategy, which would be beneficial if money is relatively tight.

These are just a few ways to avoid disappointing others this Christmas, so we hope they were useful to you. Let’s hope the gifts you receive follow suit too, and that you won’t have to put on that ‘grateful’ expression that is as insincere as the gifts you may have hastily received.