Give a Gift of Learning and Memories
Whenever it comes to gift giving for whatever the occasion it’s common that most of us are left scratching our heads wondering what to give our loved ones. For those of us that are older, especially those over 50, if you are like me you will probably recall it all very differently today than when we were youngsters. Many of us grew up in a time when Xmas and birthdays were about the only time you would receive any type of gifts. Almost anything would be appreciates and there were often real needs to be filled.
With Christmas fast approaching and it seems like it’s someone’s birthday almost every week the topic of gift giving is at the forefront of many minds, especially right now. And as one young mum recently said to me, these days it’s Xmas every day. This may seem a little bit of an exaggeration especially for some people but I think we all have a good idea of what she is referring to. People buy for themselves and receive things all year round, so when it comes to one of those special occasions finding the right gift is far more difficult because if it’s something the person really wants then the chances are that they already have it.
Even knowing this I think most of us go out on the hunt in the hopes of coming across something unique that the person in question may actually like, but it’s not easy. We all have such individual tastes in clothes, accessories, music and everything else.
If you have grandchildren you may already be aware of how things can change as they start to get older. There was probably a time when you were pretty much guaranteed to be a hit with any gift you gave them, what you got for them they would love. When they are older the chances of getting something they honestly love are slim, even though they may still say they love it just to keep you happy. This is when you have to ask what they want and just hand over the money or get the exact item, no more surprises.
So often the gift that you may spend a lot of time searching for, and even paying a lot of cash for could end up being set aside because it’s not to their taste. Naturally loved ones don’t want to offend you by asking for it to be changed and usually they have lots of other stuff anyway. Many people have reverted to giving gift cards in place of a gift but thousands of those never even get used which ends up being a complete waste of money.
So what can you do instead? It’s never going to be easy but think outside of the box and find something different. Some have taken to making a donation on behalf of another person. Buying a goat or helping with the cost of providing a well in countries in need. Or think of an experience that will be remembered either something they wouldn’t do for themselves or have done and talk about. Encourage an interest that could be a gift that lasts a lifetime think learn how to gifts. There are home courses on how to play an instrument, photography, sing, dance or paint. All these are great ideas because it’s something that can continue to bring enjoyment for years to come.
