Basic Gift Buying Rules

This 2014BloggerChallenge is a gift guide. Personally, I think gift guides are a little odd. How is some magazine or blog writer supposed to know what you should get for someone they don't personally know? The presents that magazine gift guides always tell me I should get for my mom and dad are always presents my parents wouldn't like. Yes, my parents are hard people to buy for, but I always find them something. Besides, is it so hard to ask friends and family what you should get the people in your life? So therefore, I'm not making a gift guide, but rather just giving you simple guidelines of how to buy good presents for people, because I feel that getting good presents isn't something that people do often.

1. Put your heart into it. Give it some thought. It doesn't have to be deep, analytical, express how that person makes you feel through a gift thought. Just make it nice.

2. It should be something they'll actually use. Thank you family members who consistently give me baking accessories I never use. Yes, I like baking. But I live with my parents and have limited space where keeping multiple cookie cutters and pans is not practical. Buy me a cookbook or a sweater please and thank you. It'll actually be used. As well, often people will say they want a certain thing but they won't use it. If you know they have a habit of this, make sure whatever you buy them, you know it will be used.

3. It doesn't have to be expensive.

4. "It should be something they wouldn't get themselves" is crappy advice. The only time this should be used is when you know a person is in desperate need of something but refuses to buy it themselves. Like underwear, PJs and socks. I love it when people buy me things I'd buy myself because it keeps me from having to spend my own money on stuff.

5. Cater it to their interests. This seems obvious, but I think is often overlooked. What do they spend a lot of time doing? Studying? Chocolate or tea. Playing instruments? Guitar picks, music, accessories for their instrument.

6. Don't make gifts repetitive. That shows that you either have no idea what to get and are just trying to be nice. It's annoying and makes Christmas boring to get the same thing year after year. Unless, there's some sort of family tradition.

7. Be direct. Some people are really difficult to buy for, even people you are really close to. Ask them directly what they want. Of course it's nice for it to be a surprise, but it will make your life easier. Some people are just difficult that way.

8. It doesn't have to be super thoughtful. Yes, put thought into it. But it doesn't have to be cheesy. There is nothing wrong with a sweater or something of the sorts.

I hope this was somewhat helpful. It might have been easier to do a simple "5 Gifts To Get for So and So" post, but this was way more fun to write so I hope you enjoyed it. Happy Christmas Shopping!