The Holidays are supposed to be a time of merriment and cheer. Yet they are one of the biggest sources of stress for the average celebrating American. This particularly manifests in the area of gift giving. Finding the perfect gift for the special someone can somehow turn into a daunting task of epic proportions. Luckily there are ways to make this mission a little easier.
The first misconception about Christmas shopping is that you should start it off with a bang and really do most of it on Black Friday. While it may be true that prices are slashed on this day, it is not necessarily worth it to get up at 3am to take advantage of them. Many stores offer their black Friday deals online as well, and the sale generally starts Thursday and goes through the weekend and into cyber Monday. In addition, stores continue with sales throughout the holiday season, so Black Friday is not your only chance to save money.
Finding the perfect present for someone can sometimes be as simple as not know exactly what to get them. Instead of looking for certain items, take a broader look at their personality and likes and dislikes. Does this person enjoy fun, random gifts or must they be practical? In my family, we often complain we have no room for things. I have found in college that has become increasingly more true with a very compact living space. To help with this dilemma for gift giving, lots of consumables are shared. The adults enjoy giving large sampler packs of their favorite beers, guaranteeing that these gifts will not be sitting around the house long. I even follow in this tradition by getting my brother a large box of fun sodas. This way people are happy about the present but it’s not there to actually take up space.
Having old standbys for gifts to give every year, is always a helpful thing. That said if you’re going to try giving something new, maybe just include a gift receipt. In addition to the person receiving the gift, remember it was given with the best of intentions.
Christmas time should really be all about the gift of giving. So make it a goal to be excited about making those in your life who you love happy. If that doesn’t seem to work, just remember that it’s the thought that counts.
