Chritmas gift-giving ideas
Holiday shopping and gift-giving can be one of the most fun and special parts of the season, but also one of the most stressful. Between crowds at the mall, financial stress that many of us are experiencing and not knowing what to get those hard-to-shop-for people, holiday shopping can be more stress than fun, which is really a shame.
One of the best ways to reduce holiday stress is to be organized: make a list of people you need to buy gifts for, decide on gift ideas for each (figuring your budget in to the equation) and get those gifts! (See this article on holiday shopping stress relief for more.)
While you're figuring out who should get what, I've done some research that can help by looking in to Consumer Reports surveys that can tell you more about people's buying and receiving habits: what people are planning to get, what people are hoping for and what happened with last year's gifts. The following information can help you to relieve much of the stress of shopping by helping you to make an informed decision on gift ideas. Listed in order of popularity (for those doing the giving, that is), here are some of the top gifts people give, with information you can use to decide if these are the right gift ideas for your recipients.
Holiday Gift Idea No1: Clothes
Giving clothing as a gift seems like a really good idea: Clothing is functional as well as decorative; it's fun to shop for; everyone wears clothes, so it's a relevant gift; and your recipient will think of you when they wear your gift. Perhaps this is why it's the most-given gift: according to a Consumer Reports poll, more than two-thirds of consumers are planning to give clothing this holiday season.
|
| Clothing, however, is also the gift that people most often find disappointing, 39% of those who received clothes were disappointed. When you pair that with the time it takes to buy the clothes - they often require a trip to the mall, plenty of time spent browsing and energy spent thinking about whether your recipient would really like this shirt or not - buying clothes may not be the best idea. If you are very sure, though, that someone wants clothes and you're very sure what type they want, it may still be a good idea. Other options may be a better bet for you and your recipient if you aren't sure. |
 |
|
Holiday Gift Idea No2: Cufflinks
|
 |
Cufflinks have come back in a big way the last few years. More and more shirt manufacturers are making shirts with French cuffs to meet the demand. It's definitely a nod to a time when men dressed more formally on a regular basis. It also reminds me of old Hollywood. Other than a watch and a ring, cufflinks are really the only other type of jewelry guys can wear. So |
|
|
if one of the guys on your shopping list wear French cuffed shirts, a gorgeous pair of cufflinks makes an awesome gift.
Holiday Gift Idea No3: Lighters
|
| Every cigar smoker needs a number of cigar accessories. Cigar cutters, lighters, ashtrays, travel cases and tubes can make for excellent gifts. However, to make a gift such as a lighter more personal, have it engraved with the initials of the recipient. A name brand cigar lighter would make a great gift for a newer cigar smoker. Veteran cigar smokers will eventually need a second or third lighter or a new lighter that is larger and more fashonable and cooler than their first one. The name brand lighters could be prefect gifts both for the new and the old smokers. |
 |
|
|
|
|