Your guide on how to gift give all year long

1. Guide to
Gift Giving
All Year Long

2. 2 | Guide to Gift Giving All Year Long
Gift giving has and always will be an integral
part of society – a fun way to show people
that we care about them and want to give
them the things they like. When buying
gifts, we should always keep in mind seeing
things through the eyes of the recipient.
Knowing your recipients well enough to
give them something they want can give
you a leg up when searching for just the
right present for them. This is not always
easy to do however; the people most likely
to give the gifts they would want are the
ones that have the most trouble with
empathizing with what their recipient
really needs.
Guide to Gift Giving
All Year Long

3. 3 | Guide to Gift Giving All Year Long
When it comes to these gift-giving
concepts, the time of year almost
becomes irrelevant. It’s not just
holiday season anymore; between
graduations, holidays, birthdays,
weddings, and other occasions –
there’s no lack of events for giving
gifts all year long. And despite the
almost never-ending focus on the
monetary aspects of gift-giving,
the psychological meaning of a gift
may be even more important than
its value in cash.
In this article, we will offer several
tips and tricks for gift giving, and
give some best practices for how
to consistently give great gifts all
year long.
Guide to Gift Giving All Year Long

4. 4 | Guide to Gift Giving All Year Long
Everyone knows at least one person that’s
difficult to shop for, and some people are
just difficult to get gifts for in general,
regardless of the occasion. Having said
that, with a little creativity, you can get
something both fun and useful for them
to enjoy.
Start with the internet. You can learn a lot
these days about someone online. Check
out what they’ve said they liked on Twitter
or Facebook, or items that they may have
posted to Pinterest or Instagram. Using
these avenues, you could get more clues than
you might think. If you’re doing this with good
intentions of getting them the perfect fun
and bizarre gift, then you don’t have to feel
any shame in ‘researching them’ this way.
Be Creative

5. 5 | Guide to Gift Giving All Year Long
We all know someone in our
lives who’s a bit quirky. The
internet is full of ways to show
these recipients how much
you care.
There are all kinds of fun and
bizarre gift ideas out there,
perfectly suited for anyone on
the unusual scale. Fiverr.com is
one place to find some great off
the beaten path gifts for those
who like that sort of thing – with
services ranging from putting
your logo or text in a cup of
coffee to recording 200 words in
the voice of Morgan Freeman.
Look for the Bizarre

6. 6 | Guide to Gift Giving All Year Long
Research suggests that a big
driver of grateful feelings in close
relationships is a sense of felt
understanding and perceived
responsiveness to the self. Simply
put, this means that we like to feel
that the significant people in our
lives truly understand us. Knowing
that, you should consider what types
of gifts would really make a person
feel understood. It could be a book
that relates to an important theme
in someone’s life, a gift certificate
for a night out alone, a babysitter
for the kids, or an album that brings
back fond memories. The idea is to
get a gift that says ‘I get you and I
understand you’.
A Gift for That Special Someone

7. 7 | Guide to Gift Giving All Year Long
Guide to Gift Giving All Year Long
Finding a gift for someone special in your life, however, can be difficult.
Even if you know them well, you may have a tough time finding just the
right gift to make them happy. You can start by personalizing the gift by
sitting down and making a list of that person’s likes and interests. Try to
jot down as many items or experiences that person has told you they
enjoy. You could also think about any items that the person may have
mentioned that they need, or a big purchase they’ve been putting off but
dying to do.
It could even be as simple as something the person can afford, but that
they haven’t had time to go out and get themselves. As the time for
giving this person their gift gets closer, pay attention to what they’re
talking about and longing for as you walk around with them or sit and have
coffee with them. Watch what the person talks about frequently, what
they buy for others, or where they like to shop. These small clues can end
up meaning a great future gift idea from you. The point is to always pay
attention to what they’re saying, and to see if you can get some clues and
ideas from it for getting them that perfect gift that they desire.

8. 8 | Guide to Gift Giving All Year Long
Formal Events
Getting gifts for formal events such
as weddings and bridal showers
requires a different way of thinking.
The biggest events in a person’s
lifetime will likely cause stress for gift
recipients and givers alike. In this case,
the emotional aspects of the event
mean that you are there to share in
the joy of their event, and so the cost
of the gift may be less important than
the thought you’ve put into it. Don’t
worry too much about what other
guests are spending; get what you feel
the person or couple will appreciate
that fits within your budget.
When shopping for a wedding gift
specifically, check the bride and groom’s
registry to see if there is something you
can afford that the couple truly wants or
needs. If you prefer buying something
that’s not on the registry, only do it if
it’s unique or provides a personal touch
that you know will make them happy.
Always enclose a gift receipt too; it’s a
thoughtful gesture and could be useful
to them if they get a duplicate present
or if the gift is not the right size, or
design.

9. 9 | Guide to Gift Giving All Year Long
Giving a material gift isn’t always the
only way to go when it comes to great
gift-giving. The gift of your time for
volunteer work or for helping out a
friend or neighbor is also a form of
giving — and one that in the end could
be appreciated more than any material
item you can give.
Sometimes simply being there for your
loved ones or someone you care about
can make their occasion or event much
more special. It’s easy to buy presents
for those on your list, but all too often
these gifts are put away in a corner and
quickly forgotten. The gift of your time is
priceless and much more likely to have a
big impact on your recipient’s life.
Give the Gift of Time

10. 10 | Guide to Gift Giving All Year Long
Give the Gift of Time
There are many ways you can give the
gift of time – whether it’s offering a free
night of babysitting for your friend’s
kids, teaching someone something
you know like how to cook or speak a
foreign language, or taking the time
to help them build an addition to their
house.
You can even offer these kinds of
services to people you don’t know.
Volunteer by serving meals at a
soup kitchen, building houses for
low-income families, or helping local
senior citizens learn technology and
electronics. The opportunities are
endless, and gifts such as these will
often help you feel just as satisfied as
your recipients.

11. 11 | Guide to Gift Giving All Year Long
Gift giving is one area that you may be budgeting
the wrong amount for, or forgetting to include
in your budget altogether. Tackling the world of
gift giving can be complicated, especially when
you consider what seems like one event after
another – whether it’s at the office, the holidays,
or weddings and graduations and other special
occasions. But there are ways to make shopping
for gifts easier, and to set aside money to cover
gifts throughout the year.
When you shop with a list, it’s easier to find what
you need and want, as well as stick to your budget.
Before you shop for gifts, set a budget for what
you can afford to spend and then keep a running
total of what you’ve bought, how much you’ve
spent, and where you stand in relation to your
annual gift giving budget.
Be Conscious of Your Budget

12. 12 | Guide to Gift Giving All Year Long
Be Conscious of Your Budget
Additionally, you should always budget higher
than lower when it comes to giving gifts. You’ll
need to be prepared not only for the events
that you know are coming – such as birthdays,
anniversaries, and holidays - but to plan for the
unexpected events that will inevitably come up
as well.
Ultimately, the cost of your gift will not be
the deciding factor in its success. Gifts given
with sincerity are appreciated even more so
than expensive, impersonal, and rushed last
minute items. By assigning a dollar amount to
each desired gift on your list, you’ll be better
prepared to shop within your means. Use
coupons if you can, and take advantage of
online sales and other special events that can
help you stretch your gift-giving budget.

13. 13 | Guide to Gift Giving All Year Long
Cross cultural awareness and an
understanding of etiquette is important
in today’s world. One area of importance
in this awareness is in the different
gift giving etiquettes around the world
today. Understanding this etiquette
can help you connect with those from
different cultures, and show them that
you’re aware of their culture’s unique
customs and traditions.
In Japan, for example, you should give
a gift with both hands to demonstrate
sincerity. Your gift should be wrapped in
a high-quality wrapping paper and should
exclude white and black colors, as they’re
associated with funerals and death and
are not well-received.
Cultural Customs

14. 14 | Guide to Gift Giving All Year Long
Cultural Customs
In China, it’s proper etiquette for gifts to
be exchanged for celebrations, as thanks
for assistance, and even as a sweetener
for future favors. Business gifts are always
reciprocated, and to not do so is bad
etiquette.
Latin American cultures don’t have formal
or traditional ceremonies surrounding gift
giving. However, business relationships
are developed as personal relationships,
and in order to build a strong and lasting
friendship, gifts are a thoughtful way to
make a good first impression, and show
generosity, appreciation, and kindness.
Always have the gift wrapped in a quality
paper, as this is a subtle detail that can
express the value of the relationship.

15. 15 | Guide to Gift Giving All Year Long
Presenting a gift properly to your recipient is
sometimes just as important as the gift itself.
A beautiful container always increases the
perceived value of the gift, even if it only costs
a few dollars more. Use fun special containers
such as a jar, a wooden box, a tin, or a basket.
Beware of wrappings; beautiful gifts don’t
necessarily need to rely on excessive ribbons,
boxes, wrapping paper, and so on. A tastefully
wrapped gift with a little bit of creativity can go
a long way.
Japanese-influenced, understated wrapping is a
good way to wrap your gift. Avoid using brightly
colored, bold paper and a lot of brightly colored,
fancy bows and ribbons on the package. Instead,
use solid colors and quality paper with simple
ribbon.
The Presentation is Important

16. 16 | Guide to Gift Giving All Year Long
The Presentation is Important
One way to really personalize your gift for
your recipient is to present it beautifully
wrapped and in person. Beautiful gift wrap
makes your gift stand out and gives your
recipient a sense of fun and anticipation
that comes from unwrapping a unique
present. When you do give the gift, present
it held with both your hands as though it’s
on a silver platter. This ritual is adopted
from Asian culture to show the utmost care
and respect for your recipient.
Put together a nice card to accompany
the gift as well. Use a card that expresses
how you feel about the person. If you are
giving the person a gift certificate or gift
cards, place them in the card and use the
envelope as gift wrapping.
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