I’ve been selling on eBay since 1998, a good 15 years now, and I’ve made a pretty good career on it selling children’s toys. I’ve come across just about every single personality type when it comes to gift giving. From those that are literally thoughtless, self-serving jerks and just want you to cover shipping and give the item to them for free to those that don’t care how much they pay as long as they get that ONE item that they will die if they don’t have. The number one theme running through all the gift givers that get themselves in a pinch has to be shopping last-minute, but there are several other things you can do as well that will drastically help.
Ideas and Tips on How to Be a Better Gift Giver
1) Don’t shop last-minute
I could tell you stories that would make your head spin. People buying on eBay two days before Christmas and fully expecting it to magically show up on their doorstep on Christmas. It got so bad, that I always took the week off before Christmas. Too many email requests asking for a “HUGE FAVOR.” It became a nightmare for a seller like me who couldn’t say no, who just wanted to help.
The point is, do not shop last-minute. First of all, it’s not fair to YOU to wait that long, it’s not fair to the person receiving the gift (chances are they won’t get it in time), and it’s not fair to the seller.
2) Take half an hour
Since you’re not waiting until the last-minute to shop for that special someone, you can easily set 30 minutes aside to think about what to get them. Here’s a general question guide to ask yourself:
- What do they like to do?
- What are their hobbies? What do they do for fun?
- Have they mentioned anything during the year of something they wanted?
- What is on sale at the store that you think they might like?
- Do they collect anything?
- Do they have children? If so, perhaps a necklace with the kids birthstones on it….
3) Do not go over your budget
You may end up getting to the store and finding them the PERFECT gift, but it’s double the amount in your budget. While you may think that this is being a great gift giver, it’s actually not. You see, if you blow your budget all on ONE person, how can you still shop for the others on your list? When you say yes to something, you have to say no to something else in return.
Likewise, if you stick to your budget and shop wisely, you can have money left over, and donate that to provide meals during the holiday season, provide pure drinking water to kids who don’t have running water, or buy a Turkey for that single mom down the street.
4) Keep a running list for each person
This is something that always saves me a ton of time and hassle when it comes to buying someone the perfect gift. Every time I get an idea or they make mention they want something or I see something in the store that dawns on me how perfect that gift is for them, I keep it on my computer in a MS Word doc. Each person has their own section and I as well have my own section.
I use my own section to write down smaller items that are on my list that I need or want, so that when I go to buy on Amazon, I look at my list and pick out something to hit that $35 threshold to get free shipping. That way, I’m not wasting money on something I may not need and it may just be me, but it always seems like I’m $5-$10 short to reach that free shipping threshold. Sorry, but I don’t like the idea of paying to get shipping free. Maybe it saves money, but for me, I like how I do it. 🙂
5) Be creative and add personal touches to the gift
If you are still unsure of what to get someone, just search for some sites that add personal touches to the item. You could give me bath towels and if they had my last name on them, I’d be overjoyed. It’s just cool. People like seeing their name on things. It shows them you took some thought into what you are getting them. There is one exception to that idea, be sure it’s a good gift. Giving your mom a key chain and stickers with her name on it is probably not going to make you gift-giver of the year. Now, for a kid, that would be fine. Just use your common sense there.
6) Keep a gift closet
After Christmas and through-out the year are actually the best times to buy presents. In July, a lot of the toys are on major clearance, making room for the newest toys of the season. That is a great time to buy for your kids. During the year, when you see things on clearance or a great deal, buy for a specific person in mind, but also purchase things that are somewhat generic. Things like a Christian material cell phone case that fits any cell phone, some earrings, a picture frame, a beautiful notebook or stationary. Things that do not expire or can melt or loose fragrance like candles or bath supplies. Then, at the end of the year, if there’s a white elephant gift exchange or you want to give to a few co-workers, it won’t set you back too much at all. Just be thoughtful. Don’t give the Christian cell phone case to an atheist or the earrings to someone who doesn’t have pierced ears. Make sure whatever you give, fits the person well.
7) Presentation is everything
Another thing I learned from eBay…presentation is everything. Get some pretty, good-quality wrapping paper, and keep it on hand. Likewise keep bows, ribbon, and tissue paper on hand. Anything that you see on clearance or sale, you can set it aside to save yourself some money at gift giving times of the year.
Learn how to tie pretty bows with ribbon, watch YouTube video’s on how to wrap presents nicely. Until you learn how to wrap presents well, use gift bags and tissue paper for what you can, and don’t forget the card.
What kind of things would you recommend on how to be a better gift giver?
