Buying Gifts

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I have a hard hard time buying and giving gifts to family and friends. It's always embarrassing, and awkward for me and them too I fear. I obsess about it, and when I get to the store to "shop" Im hopeless, and find choosing for others almost impossible. Wrapping Im all thumbs and then presenting pure misery...

I just ask the person what they'd like.

Unless I am told exactly what and where to buy I just give money in a card.
I don't care what is thought of me because at least I don't have to stress over hard to make decisions.

I hate shopping, I find it stressful and it seems a bit arbitrary that I should go to a crowded mall and wait in line to buy something to prove that I care about somebody. Where ever possible I try to give gifts that I've made and I think the person might enjoy. A tin of cookies or a jar of jam or a knitted scarf might not be at the top of someone's wishlist, but folks usually appreciate the effort.

I'm the same way


The only time I'll give a surprise gift is when I've had time to plan it and make it special. I dont believe in giving trinkets, I believe in giving experiences.

My sister a few years ago was flying to NY to meet her BF that was flying in from the EU... so I arranged for their hotel and a vehicle to pick them up at the airport to take them to the hotel.

The surprise was that it was a limousine that picked them up

I can still remember her calling me at work and her hysteric laugh coming from it.

That's my approach too. Money in a card for everyone It also avoids situations where someone may think you were more thoughtful for someone else gift and just bought the any old thing.

The only problem is when picking a card is just as hard as picking a gift. I always think of how the person will feel when reading the card and what they will think of me. The easiest way of dealing with that is buying humor cards.

Why do they find it necessary to have a wall with 10 thousand different cards to choose from any way? I have spent over a half hour looking for a card before! I think cards should just say what they mean in a simple way. Like Happy birthday and thats it.

i got my dad a mail box X-mis before last... nuff said

I ask everyone what they want for a gift. I also let everyone know what I would like. Surprise gifts are never fun.

Heh. One of my worst meltdowns I can remember was precipitated by a surprise birthday gift when I had made it extremely clear what I wanted as a gift. The surprise gift was actually something I wanted, but not for my birthday.

I am not great with consistent gift giving, but I try to make my gifts count. If I know someone wants a particular thing very badly, I will arrange to get it for them if at all possible. The worst part is not revealing it early.

I think giving gifts is very stressful. Anything I choose will either be wrong for them or too cheap, or too expensive etc. and it will embarrass me because I screwed up and got them the wrong thing. Giving gifts is just fraught with pitfalls. I don't like receiving gifts for the same reason. I'm always worried about not being appreciative enough or saying the wrong thing when I open it.

It's one of the hardest things I know of, and I only do it for my wife, because I know she appreciates how hard it is. Everybody else just gets cash or gift cards from me.

Charles