Top 10 Gift Giving Mistakes
Some people love shopping for gifts, while for others, the Christmas Giftfest is a necessary evil they want to get over and done with as soon as possible. This is where disaster can strike, and mistakes can arise. Here are 10 of the worst gift giving mistakes you can make - avoid them at all costs!
A shared present that won't be shared
These days, many people gift joint presents as a way of saving time and money. However, if you take this route, ensure the present is suitable for both recipients. Don't give a meal voucher for a steak house if one of the couple is a vegetarian, and please don't give a romantic comedy DVD to a husband and wife. He'll hate it, she'll love it, and they'll both wonder why you couldn't be bothered to choose a film they could enjoy together.
Any gift that makes the recipient feel inferior or uncomfortable
If you're friend is 50lbs overweight, she won't appreciate the latest fitness DVD. Two thoughts will be uppermost - that you think she's fat, and that she knows there's no way she can do those exercises without risking a coronary. The DVD will gather dust on the shelf, and you could well lose a friend.
Any gift that compromises health or quality of life
If you're uncle is a recovering alcoholic, no way should you give alcohol as a present - even as a joint present to the family. And please don't give chocolates to a friend as a 'reward' for losing almost half her body weight in the last year. This type of gift is the opposite of thoughtful, because you're dealing with addictive personalities, and you can't be certain they'll be strong enough to resist temptation.
Getting the names wrong
Your cousin has taken ages to recover from the trauma of a messy divorce and custody battle, but now she's happily settled with a new partner. When you're writing out dozens of gift cards, old habits die hard, and without realising it, the joint gift bears the ex husband's name, not the new partner's. This type of mistake is surprisingly common, so check and double check those gift tags.
An inappropriate gift for a child
Children's gifts should be chosen with parental approval in mind. If a friend confides that her son spends too much time on his computer, don't even consider buying him the latest computer game. Choose a gift that will encourage him to spend more time outdoors and with other people, such as a basketball net, for example. Always run gift ideas for children past the parents.
Gifts that go against the recipient's beliefs
Whether you agree with other people's beliefs and lifestyles or not, you should respect their position. So if a friend never has alcohol in the house - either because of religious beliefs or because of a childhood disrupted by an alcoholic parent - don't even think about giving a gift of alcohol. And if your friend likes good clean family comedy, they won't appreciate the latest hot DVD if the comedian can't tell a joke without the benefit of four-letter words.
Gifts that bring extra expense and responsibility
Remember the advertising slogan, 'A dog is for life, not just for Christmas?' Well, that applies to any pet, so never gift livestock, unless the recipient has begged for a budgie for Christmas. Even if you're convinced your elderly aunt would benefit from the company of a dog or cat, it's up to her to make that decision, not you.
Gifts that are obviously cheap
It's okay to buy a good gift cheaply, but it's inacceptable to buy something that's likely to break or malfunction before the Christmas decorations come down. With that in mind, don't do your gift shopping in dollar discount stores. It's better to buy nothing at all.
Inappropriate gift vouchers
If you really don't know what someone would like, or if you just don't have time for gift shopping, a gift voucher allows the recipient to choose what they want. However, ensure that the voucher is suitable for their preferences. If your brother only ever reads the daily newspaper, he won't appreciate a book token. If you're unsure, ask someone close to the intended recipient.
Size matters!
So does colour and style, so bear this in mind when shopping for clothing gifts. Great Aunt Mary may have the figure for racy red skimpy underwear, but that doesn't mean she'll ever wear it. And it's difficult to decide which is the worst offence - buying a sweater that's far too big or far too small for the recipient.
If you must buy clothing, play it safe with accessories such as gloves and scarves, where size doesn't matter, unless you know someone well enough to accurately judge their style, size and colour preference.
Gift exchange should be a shared pleasure, and if you keep these mistakes in mind and avoid them, it's possible to live up to the old adage that 'It's more blessed to give than to receive.' Happy shopping!
