Gift giving can be stressful – there’s pressure to choose something that the recipient will truly appreciate and enjoy. This is especially true when you’re buying gifts for someone special, like a significant other or close friend.
To ensure your gift dreams don’t turn into disasters, it’s important to avoid some of the most common mistakes people make while shopping. In this blog post, we’ll explore 5 of the biggest blunders people run into as they try to pick out just the right present — so you can avoid them and give an awesome gift every time!
Buying Expensive Presents
The first mistake many people may make in buying gifts is buying a very expensive present. One of the reasons this mistake is made is that people seem to associate an expensive gift with increased appreciation. Unfortunately, this is not the case at all, and research has shown that most people undervalue a gift’s value.
You have two options if you truly want to get someone a great gift. One gift that usually goes down very well is a sentimental gift, such as a photo album or custom star map, both of which are available at printedmemories.com. Another type of gift that people enjoy is practical gifts that solve problems they might have. Examples of these gifts could be a Netflix subscription or even an online cooking class.
Shopping Last Minute
The next mistake most people make when buying gifts is shopping for a gift at the last minute. This mistake should be self-explanatory for several reasons. First, you should never leave a gift shopping for the last minute because you don’t want to rush to find the perfect gift for someone.
Another reason you should avoid shopping last minute is that, if you are buying from a physical store, they might be out of stock with the gift you had in mind. It would be absolutely dreadful to get someone a gift they don’t want, simply because you waited until the last minute.
Trying to Get Everyone Something Unique
One of the most common mistakes many people make when buying gifts is trying to get everyone something unique. There seems to be this consensus that if you are going to be buying gifts for a few people at the same time, each gift needs to be unique to the person, and you can’t buy more than one of the same gifts.
This can be quite a big mistake, especially if both want the same thing. You might find yourself in a situation where you get the one person, the thing that they actually wanted, and the other person who wanted the same thing, something different. And this might cause feelings of envy or even annoyance. There is no such rule that everyone needs to get a unique gift.
Thinking of the Moment, Not the Person
Of all the mistakes you should avoid when gifting people this here, thinking of the moment and not the person is one of the biggest. What exactly does this mean? This means that when we buy gifts, we tend to think of the moment of the exchange rather than the person we are buying gifts for.
This usually happens when you are trying to impress the person by getting them a gift to show them how much you know them. Or by buying a really expensive gift and handing it off to the person in front of others to look good.
Not Considering the Person’s Interests
The previous mistake above leads to this final mistake to avoid making at all costs: not considering the person’s interests. At the end of the day, when you buy a gift, it’s not to feel good about yourself that you guessed what gift the person wanted. It’s to make the person happy.
One way to do this is to put aside your emotions and wants and think about the person’s interests. As such, you should write down a list of everything you think the person is interested in, and then write down a gift associated with that hobby or interest. That way, by the end of the list, you will have many potential gifts to choose from.