In my last post I shared some tips for saving money on your Christmas gift purchases. Black Friday and Cyber Monday will be here soon so make sure you are ready to take advantage of all of the great deals.
For a full list of the top gift ideas for this season, check out my list of Hot Christmas Gifts 2011.
There I share what I believe will be the hottest gifts for 2011.
But let me give you a few ideas on how to find the best gifts for whoever you may be shopping for, whether the gift is “hot” or not.
But before I do that, let me just explain that the value of knowing what the hottest or top gifts are for Christmas is that you can have an easy win. The top gifts usually represent the most popular items of the year, often because they are new or unique. If you are shopping for someone and are not quite sure what to buy them, choosing something popular is often your best chance at getting a gift they will like and not already have have. Not always, but there is an advantage.
That said, let me give you 3 tips on how to find the best gift for all the people in your life.
1. Figure out what the person likes.
Sounds simple enough but I can tell you I have received many a gift (you may have also) that clearly had no thought put in it. You don’t, for example, buy cookware for someone who hates to cook. So take some time to think about what the person you are shopping for likes to do and if you aren’t sure, ask someone who might know. If you just buy whatever you see the person you are buying for will know it. Take your time and come up with some good ideas.
2. Consult gift lists for ideas
Like the link I gave you above, lists of gift ideas are a great way to come up with a gift you may not have thought about. It doesn’t have to be random, but maybe you know a person who loves movies and didn’t realize you could buy a NetFlix subscription until you saw it listed somewhere. Flipping through store circulars is also a good way to come up with gift ideas. But whenever checking lists or papers for ideas, still keep in mind tip #1. Don’t just buy something that looks neat.
3. Get a good deal
Most people have a budget for how much they can spend on each person on their gift list. You can get the best gift for the budget by trying to catch stuff on sale. If your limit for someone is $50 you can usually get a nicer gift buy choosing one that is regularly $75 but on sale for $50 rather than an item that is $50 retail. This means you need to plan ahead a little and watch for sales, but the effort is worth it as you are getting the most bang for your buck.
Finally, when you are having trouble choosing a gift for someone, don’t forget a gift receipt. Better that your recipient exchanges your gift for something they like or can use than to have your gift end up in their next yard sale. That is just wasted money an time on your part so avoid that scenario by including a gift receipt.
