Shopping for birthdays

As the year ticks along, another round of birthdays come and go. Once again, I’m asking myself what to get and how to best fit everything into my schedule? After weeks of notice, I always tend to leave everything until the last minute. No matter how hard I try, I never seem to be able to find a gift that is perfect. Not only that, but I also tend to find myself getting lost sometimes. However, there are a few simple things I have learnt to keep me on track.

Set a budget!

Firstly, I try to set a budget. Setting a budget helps me understand what I am willing to spend and what I can afford to give someone. It also helps me keep a balance on if I am gifting for a close family member as opposed to a work colleague or distant social contact. Once I have a budget set, I can go about my shopping with more direction and purpose.

Think of interests!

Secondly, I try to narrow down on a few key hobbies, topics of interest or significant parts of someone’s identity to help guide me when buying them something. I can always fall into the trap of drifting towards something I would like. It can be difficult to detach myself from the gift buying endeavour and put myself into someone else’s shoes.

Go big or go small!

Sometimes I find something that I think is a great gift and I buy it and I am done (sigh of relief)! However, sometimes when I am feeling stumped, I try to get lots of little things. A cool pack of stickers, a chocolate bar, a nice pen or maybe a bobble head. Either way, buying lots of little things is a good way to get me creatively thinking and find a well-rounded gift when I haven’t got anything else.

Get creative!

Sometimes it’s nice to try something different than buying something. Baking or making are a great way to do so. Whilst they can be a bit more time consuming at face value, I sometimes find it quicker than trudging around shops until I find something I like. Additionally, making something can be a great ethical and environmentally friendly way to gift.