Buying gifts? Take it from me, as someone who had to move at age 77 (because of a highly unreliable elevator), “stuff” is your enemy. Your people do not want more things, even if they don’t yet know it. Don’t give anything that will have to be packed and moved. Get things that disappear.
First, let’s get this out of the way. If the recipient is an adult who is having trouble meeting their basic expenses, don’t give them money for a holiday/birthday gift. If you are in a position to do so, give them money when they need it because they need it. Save special days for treats.
My top gift suggestions are:
• Donation to their favorite cause, such as Doctors Without Borders or the ACLU
• Food treats – from chocolate to a restaurant gift card to baking their favorite pie
• Body treats like massage or time at a spa or dance lessons
• Homelife relief: an evening of babysitting or help painting a room or a year’s subscription to Brit Box / Netflix / Audible / Babbel
• Travel vouchers like a pre-paid subway card or an open round-trip train ride to a destination they love or a plane ticket to visit you
• Socks (they disappear)
• A favor
My top recommendation is a favor. I had a friend who was also a neighbor and we exchanged favors as our gifts on all occasions. What is the value of a favor? The fruit and vegetables in her fridge had sat so long that they turned into liquid. Every time she opened the fridge, she was revulsed. She used a favor to ask me to clean it out. In return, I needed an author photo and she was an excellent amateur photographer.
What a favor is not: Don’t ask someone for a freebie in the area of their work. Don’t ask a dentist for a free implant; a lawyer to sue your errant landlord; or a martial arts instructor to beat up your ex.
What not to get: widgets, gadgets, knick-knacks, doohickies, gizmos, baubles, tchotchkes, or trinkets. Not unless they’re really, really cool.
I like to buy tickets to events or meals out - partly because I often get to go too!
Posted by: Marj | 09 December 2024 at 21:05