Americans throw away around $16 billion worth of Christmas gifts every year, says a survey by Pureprofile, and that is bad news for our already overrun landfills.
It also says something about the way human beings interact with each other, and about the penchant for buying items that are ‘passable’ but not necessarily what the recipient truly desires or needs.
If a special birthday or occasion is coming up and you want to impress a child, friend or spouse, the following tips might help you find their perfect gift match.
Know Their Love Language
Gary Chapman’s best-selling book The 5 Love Languages is still one of the best-selling books on relationships and connections.
In essence, it espouses that people like to give and receive love in one of five main ways (though of course, there may be an overlap between ways).
These are: words of affirmation (i.e. words indicating appreciation and love of the person), acts of service (such as favors and kind behaviors), receiving gifts, giving quality time, and giving the gift of physical touch.
In essence, all these languages are gifts. For some, nothing shows appreciation like a designer watch or jewelry piece (this is the way they, too, tend to express how they feel).
For others, the best gift is quality time – something as simple as preparing them a special picnic featuring their favorite homemade dishes may be just what they always dreamed of.
Adapt Your Gift Buying Skills
Say you have a pre-teen boy who loves fashion, crazy (temporary) hair colors, or a spa experience.
A traditional present for a young lady approaching her teens may actually be the dream gift for such a boy.
The proliferation of ‘pink toys for girls’ and ‘blue for boys’ may cloud the buyer aiming to find a gift the recipient will truly love.
If your boy would love to give you a mani-pedi or dye his hair a vivid hue for the day with a safe vegetable dye, then forget the section the gift is in, and go with the gift or experience with an authentic ‘wow’ factor.
Consider An Experience
If you wish to connect more deeply with the person you are giving a gift to, then giving them an experience you can join them in may just hit the spot.
A University of Toronto study has shown that joint experiences can foster strong relationships and elicit “a strong emotional response when a recipient consumes it.”
Examples of experiences given by the researchers include a concert, a safari and a spa visit.
All these tend to bond people and to be remembered intensely.
Of course, experiential gifts are not suitable for everyone, as considerations such as preferences, age and hobbies may play a role in how well this type of gift is received.
However, if you have an adventure-loving partner, spouse, or friend who believes life should be about trying new things, then a new and exciting experience will probably be right up their street.
In order to ensure a cherished present doesn’t end up being thrown away or stored in a closet, it is important to take the time to customize a gift for its recipient.
You can begin this process by analyzing their ‘love language’ – the way in which they like to express and receive love. Being creative when shopping, opening your mind to new options, and thinking of new experiential gifts can also make for a memorable gift your loved one will never forget.