How to Find the Perfect Gift: Solve Common Gifting Struggles with These Simple Tips

Struggling to Find the Perfect Gift? You’re Not Alone!

One of the hardest things about buying a gift for a loved one is simply not knowing what they want. You want your present to be meaningful, useful, and appreciated - but finding the right balance can be stressful. I'm in the gift-giving business, but I find it really hard sometimes too!

What’s the hardest thing about buying a gift for a loved one? Especially when you have no idea what they want! Sometimes it can feel really hard to find the perfect gift. We all want to give loved ones something special: thoughtful gifts, meaningful presents, something with a bit of wow factor that will make them smile... But how to choose a gift for someone who has everything (or seems to) - how to find an affordable but thoughtful gift idea, or pick a unique gift for a loved one?

Here are the Top 5 Most Common Gift-Giving Struggles (and how to overcome them):

1. Finding something meaningful - something that shows how much you care, that reflects their personality or interests.
2. Choosing something they’ll actually like - there’s always a worry you’ll pick a gift they’ll have no genuine interest in.
3. Balancing practicality with sentiment - some people like useful, practical gifts, others like something more sentimental; finding the right balance between these can be tricky.
4. Budget - It would be easy to find the right gift if money were no object, right? Having a budget can make decisions difficult, especially in times of rising prices (and often, lowering value).
5. Repetition - worry that you might keep giving them similar gifts each time, that your gift might be a bit boring.

Add into the mix a little bonus struggle: Overthinking! I personally do that a lot - it makes the whole process go from something that should feel pleasurable and fun to something more stressful that it needs to be!

So go on then, how do you solve all these gift giving problems and worries? I’m glad you asked - read on for a few little strategies..!

Simple Strategies for Stress-Free Gift Giving:

1. Finding something meaningful
   A great gift should reflect the recipient’s personality, interests, or emotions. To make it meaningful:
   ✔ Pay attention to hints or conversations, not necessarily about things they want but things that mean something to them.
   ✔ It could be a problem they have - maybe they complain about something, perhaps there’s something they find a bit irritating and you can solve the issue for them?
   ✔ Any particular interests such as family, travel, history, etc that they may have? If you can tie a gift into an interest, or help with an issue for them, then you’re 80% of the way there!
   ✔ A personalised gift also goes a long way to showing how much thought and care has gone into their gift. Something that has been made especially for them will have so much more significance for them than a mass produced item.
   
   
2. Choosing something they’ll actually like
   Worried they won’t love your gift? Here’s how to make sure they do:
   ✔ Subtly gather ideas - you could, of course, just ask them outright but that spoils the fun! When you’ve got a birthday for example that’s coming up, start conversations that might make them mention an item, style, problem or issue they have.
   ✔ Pay attention to what they talk about without making it obvious(!) to give yourself some ideas to start your gift searching with.
   ✔ Focus on their passions and interests, think about their personal style. Bring up topics related to shopping and see what they say.
   
   
3. Balancing practicality with sentiment
   Some people love practical gifts, while others prefer sentimental ones. If you’re unsure:
   ✔ Combine both! A practical gift with a sentimental touch (e.g., my personalised Cook's Conversion Chart shown below) is the best of both worlds.
   ✔ Practical gift ideas are all about solving a problem. It could be something like a place to rest their glasses without them getting knocked off the bedside table, maybe someone at work keeps nicking their mug, or perhaps they have pockets full of poo bags from walking the dog every day and would appreciate a nice little bag to attach to the lead?! It’s the daft little things that we would probably never buy for ourselves that could become a brilliant practical gift they use every day.
   ✔ Focus on daily use If they’ll use it often, they’ll think of you every time!
   
   
4. Budget
   Great gifts don’t have to be expensive:
   ✔ Set your budget and stick to it, and remember it’s not the price tag but the thought behind a gift. Something simple but heartfelt will always mean much more than an expensive no-expense-spared gift.
   ✔ Personalised gifts really come into their own when you're working to a budget. Likewise handmade gifts (either made by you, or by a professional crafter or artisan) will always feel much more special because there won’t be a preconceived price for the recipient due to the uniqueness of the gift. Custom items feel high-value without a hefty price tag
   ✔ Could you pool resources with other family members or friends to buy a group gift between you?
   
   
5. Repetition
   Keep buying them socks or chocolates every year? Tired of giving the same thing every year? Here’s how to change it up:
   ✔ Keep track of the gifts you’ve given in the past to avoid repeating them. Start by keeping notes on your phone perhaps, or start a small gift journal book.
   ✔ Explore niche or unique interests you know they like but you haven’t tapped into yet.
   ✔ Make it personalised - even if you do end up giving them socks again, maybe think about personalised ones this time so that you’re giving a gift a bit less ordinary.

And overthinking? I find when I’m falling down a rabbit hole on the internet and don’t know what gift to buy someone, remembering KISS helps (Keep It Simple, Stupid)! It can be easy to think too much and find yourself feeling overwhelmed, so take a step back. Sometimes the best gifts are the simplest: focus on the person and/or their needs rather than obsessing over perfection. Trust your instincts, as often the first things you think of are spot on perfect!

So keep in mind these two easy tips:

✔ Think about their interests - what makes them happy?
✔ Simple but heartfelt - it's the thought that counts!

By taking a more thoughtful and relaxed approach, these gift-giving dilemmas can become a lot easier and instinctive, enjoyable rather than stressful. Pay attention, personalise gifts when possible, and don’t stress about perfection - the best gifts come from the heart!

What’s your biggest struggle when picking gifts? Who do you find hardest to buy for? ...and have you headed over to PhotoFairytales.co.uk because you might just find something that ticks all the gift giving boxes - for you and for them!

Sarah x

Why do we give gifts?

When you stop and think about it, giving a present to a loved one is a bit strange - especially when you think that in most cases the recipient could have quite simply bought it for themselves (as Miley says, I can buy myself flowers..!)

But that's just thinking about gift giving as a transaction - and it's WAY more than that!

The tradition of giving gifts goes back thousands of years - probably as far back as the beginning of mankind. As social creatures (mostly) we enjoy each other's company (usually), and we like to form relationships with those that are most special to us. Of course 'special' covers a lot of instances: those we love of course, but also those we want to please for social reasons, or maybe impress, or thank, or show allegiance or deference to. Or simply as a way to let them know we appreciate them or are thinking of them. The reasons behind gift giving are many and complicated!

Sometimes gift giving is something that comes from the heart, other times it's a tactical action. Either way, quite simply, giving someone a gift is deeply ingrained in our DNA!

Going right back to pre-history, presenting a gift to someone was a way of reflecting their status - and your own. It's a perfect indicator of how we humans are such an advanced civilisation. Gift giving strengthens our social bonds and our community. It is linked to feelings of love, trust, friendship, reciprocity and cooperation.

The earliest gifts would have been pretty simple and basic (ooh, I don't know - let's picture a lovely shaped stone say, or a nice pointy animal tooth...). As humans evolved those early gifts would have progressed into something more elaborate, so that tooth would be drilled and threaded to make a nice necklace to wear when you're having a romantic date night away from the cave and kids!

Today, gifts are also given to mark celebrations on our calendar: Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. No matter what the occasion though, when you give a gift you're engaging in a practice with deep roots in history and even deeper social significance.

The key thing to remember though is that gift giving is rewarding to the giver as much (possibly more) as the recipient, which is probably why it has become such a large part of our society. Simply put, it makes us happy to give a gift. Researchers have found that it improves our state of mind, releasing dopamine in the brain giving us a sense of pleasure and reward. It triggers an emotional response and a sense of joy, happiness and satisfaction. A lot of that depends on how the recipient accepts the gift of course - we want them to feel pleasure, and appreciate our efforts. It's a mutual reward system for both giver and recipient! 

So next time you buy a special present for someone, just remember your caveman ancestor was also worrying about how to neatly wrap a round stone - and they didn't even have sellotape!

Sarah :)