Never mind that many of us buy our Christmas gifts at the last minute. What about those of us who procrastinate in actually wrapping the present for the relative you haven’t seen in a year? Well, we waited until the very last minute this year so we threw all the gift wrapping supplies into the car and hit the road. Don’t, I mean, do, try this at home as opposed to the car 
Are you looking for the perfect gift to give your boss for his birthday? Perhaps you are about to attend a bridal shower or baby shower and are unsure of what to bring the guest of honor. Is your daughter at that awkward age where you just don’t know what she’ll want for her birthday? Fear not, the perfect gift for these and all other occasions is easy to purchase, wrap and give. Consider giving gift cards for all of the important gifts on your list.
Very simply, gift cards are like gift certificates and they can be purchased at most stores in a variety of amounts. They are the perfect gift to give for people of any age and with any taste. Think about the person you need to purchase a gift for. Of course you know the basic details like their age and gender, but it might help to know if this person has any special hobbies or skills. If they love to snowboard perhaps you can get them a gift card from a local snowboard shop. If you know a woman who loves to read there are countless bookstores that sell gift cards. So do a little bit of detective work to determine what kind of store your intended would enjoy gift cards from.
If you aren’t sure of any specific things that the person you are buying for enjoys, take heart, there are plenty of stores that sell gift cards to meet your shopping needs. Consider buying gift cards to department stores or other general stores that sell a variety of items. You can never go wrong purchasing gift cards at stores that offer many options.
Another great thing about purchasing gift cards for any occasion is that most people love receiving gift cards. Who doesn’t love being able to go into a store and spend their money on the thing they like most? Most everyone would prefer receiving gift cards over having people guess on items they will like, especially for important events like weddings. So, even if you feel like giving gift cards seems impersonal, think about how much your friend or loved one will appreciate your desire to have them pick out the gift they love the most. Read more…
It’s a little early to start thinking about gift giving but I thought Debbie’s article was interesting and hey, why not?
The new year is just around the corner, and I’m thinking that it is already time to get ahead of the gift game. That sounds like a great idea, especially with all of the after-Christmas sales that stores will be running. But how do you make the good thought a reality? It all starts with a detailed list.
Start with a piece of lined notebook paper. Divide the page into two columns. On one side write Holidays, on the other Birthdays. Then get out a calendar and, starting in January, write down the Holidays that you will be buying gifts for. I start with Valentine’s Day. I know I will be buying each of my children a little gift. I write February 14, my children’s names, and beside each name I write the amount of money I want to spend. I do this for each Holiday thru Christmas. By that time, the list is pretty long, but look at how much information I have!
Then I start over with the Birthday list. Again, starting in January, I start listing the people whose Birthdays I will be buying for. My first Birthday is my mother-in-law. So I write January 31, Mom G., $10. Go thru the entire calendar making these notes.
Once you have your lists finished, start making notes on your calendar, preferably marking occasions about two weeks ahead to give yourself plenty of time. If you need to mail the gift, I suggest marking it down three weeks ahead so that you can mail it a week ahead of time. If the calendar you are using is a purse-sized calendar, just carry it with you and you can shop for any number of people at a time. This will help you take advantage of sales and save time by not making a special trip at the last minute to buy a gift. If you have some idea of what you want to buy or where you want to buy it, make those notes on your calendar as well. By doing this, you are already more than half done with your gift giving for the year! Read more…
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