We love giving gifts and making our loved ones feel appreciated. Sometimes we even come up with excuses (not that you need one) to surprise people. We have been doing these steps for years and we like to think we are pretty good “gift-givers”. That is why we came up with this guide to give you some insight into the art of giving meaningful gifts.
Picking the perfect or meaningful gift doesn’t need to be stressful. Hopefully, after reading this you will feel confident about your choices for this year. So, let’s get to it!
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A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE FOR GIVING MEANINGFUL GIFTS
HAVE REASONABLE EXPECTATIONS
It is easy to get lost with all the options and all the ads you are constantly seeing. However, one of the main parts of giving meaningful gifts is picking things that are useful, serve a purpose, and are within your budget. Don’t feel the need to spend more on a gift because you think that makes it special. Sometimes well thought out gifts are worth much more than luxurious items.
Funny story. For the past few years, we have told our families we don’t want gifts. Mostly because we don’t want to carry more things every time we move, but also because we don’t want them to spend their money on objects just because they feel the need to give us something material. Of course, this didn’t land too well, and they thought we were being rude. So, what did we do? We told them that they could give us experiences, food, or some of their time. This was the beginning of a new era of ideas and meaningful gifts.
If you or your family want to avoid overspending or buying something just because “you have to”. You can organize a secret Santa or a white elephant. That way you are only buying 1-2 gifts and you can cater them to the person. Plus, it can be a fun activity with your loved ones.
Finally, the key element to having reasonable expectations is listening or keeping an eye out for what the person might need. For example, if the person loves going to the gym but they don’t have a nice, reusable water bottle that could be a great gift.
THINK ABOUT THEIR NEEDS
This is related to the previous point. A meaningful gift is one that the person is actually going to use and find helpful. You want to give them something they won’t just put in a drawer or regift later. You are not only giving them something useful but you might also open a whole new world of ideas and opportunities for them (more on this later).
EXPERIENCES OVER GIFTS
This is a game-changer once you get everyone on board. Not only are you giving them something, but if you go with them, in a way the gift is also for you! We like to think of these types of gifts as “the gifts that keep on giving” since you will go together (2×1) and create shared memories (3×1).
HOW TO GIFT MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES
The first thing is to be intentional and pick something that has meaning. For example, if they like dancing you can get them dancing lessons, or if they want to improve their cooking you can get them cooking classes.
Another thing you can do is plan a whole day trip or adventure. Maybe there is a place they have been wanting to visit or even a new place that just opened. You can give them all your time and attention to make sure they have a great day.
Now, if it feels weird not giving a tangible thing, then you can give them something related to the experience. Going back to the dance lessons gift, you could give them a dress or even create a playlist and put it on CD (not sure if anyone still uses them, but you get the idea). It is something tangible but small that they can relate to the actual gift-experience.
You can also do things for the person. For example, you can give some maintenance to their garden, create a flower bed for them, or organize their library. Think of something that might make their life easier or happier if you help them.
Finally, if you gift an experience, follow through. Don’t just say it and never do it. Remember that creating memories is much better than collecting things.
GIVE THINGS YOU CAN CONSUME/EAT
Probably the best gift if you want to give something meaningful AND tangible. Everyone eats, so think of something special they might enjoy or don’t get to eat too often.
You can either buy it at a local store or make it yourself!
This year we are baking bread for our friends and gifting it to them. We looked up special recipes for their tastes to personalize it a bit.
M’s sister is making fancy desserts for each family based on what they like and their dietary restrictions. Then she will deliver them to their homes. If you ask us that is as meaningful as it gets!
GET THEM SOMETHING THEY WOULDN’T GET FOR THEMSELVES
This is your opportunity to introduce them to something new, AKA, a sustainable alternative for things they use frequently. This goes back to the water bottle example. If you have the opportunity to gift something that will also help the planet then why not take it?
These are our favorite bottles and the ones we use every day. We don’t leave the house without ours.
A lot of people don’t like to buy sustainable things because they are “different” or “who knows if it actually works”, so give them the opportunity to try and experience it. Who knows, they might like it and stick to it.
GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS
This is another meaningful gift that we love! If the person likes reading you can give them a subscription to a magazine they like, or to audible or even a book exchange.
It can also be a subscription to a podcast, a class on Coursera, or really anything they are into. The possibilities are endless with this one.
For example, this year we got ourselves “the ultimate bundle” courses for gardening. It is something we both enjoy and now we get to spend time together learning and having fun outdoors.
PLAN AHEAD
The last and probably the most important part of giving meaningful gifts is planning ahead. Don’t wait until the last minute to buy your gift in a rush. This might end up in you getting something too expensive, having to improvise, or finding out what you wanted is sold out.
It might seem excessive but we buy and think about our gifts throughout the year. This helps us spread out our budget so our balance is not in red during the holidays and it eliminates stress!
If you want to keep everything organized like us, you can also use this planner. We write everything down to keep track and not forget important things OR the gift ideas we have.
The planner can also be a great gift!
Our best tip
If you are paying attention to what your loved ones need throughout the year it will be much easier to pick something for them. They might be shocked to receive that book they mentioned in march but never got for themselves. Listen to what they mention or if they are struggling with something. The most meaningful gifts are those that solve a problem or make your life better.
Low waste gift wrapping
Check out our video to learn how to sustainably wrap your gifts. Plus they are super fun and unique!
Thank you for taking some time of your day to read our blog, we truly appreciate it. We hope this guide will help you master the art of giving meaningful gifts! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram for more ideas and tips.
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diciembre 12, 2020 at 4:06 pm[…] Read in English 🇺🇸 […]