With the holidays rolling around and big sales hitting the stores, the time to start buying gifts is now. Finding the perfect gift at this time of year is one of the greatest struggles. We all have that person who is incredibly hard to shop for, often hitting you with the most cliche line, such as “I don’t want anything,” or simply having the problem of drawing someone you do not know for Secret Santa.
However, this should not be the type of year your loved ones open a card stuffed with cash and pretend to care about what the inside of your Hallmark card says.
For Senior Mayumi Jackson, her mother has been the toughest person to shop for this year. Her top three pieces of advice are to ask questions in advance, know what stores have good sales, and have money in advance.
What she considers a bad holiday gift is “when you don’t know what they want, and you just grab anything,” adding that a good gift does not have to be expensive, but should be considerate of someone’s interests and come from the heart.
When it comes to Secret Santa with either loved ones or coworkers, not knowing where to start shopping happens more often than anyone would like. Senior Leroy Walker’s advice for this year’s Secret Santa is to “Get to know them, get to know their friends,” says Walker, “but don’t go too crazy, sometimes simple is enough.”
Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference when purchasing gifts. Often, it can be easier to ask for a wishlist, but in most instances, a heartfelt surprise is a better gesture. It really only takes a few questions and looking around on someone’s social media to find out an interest. The act of being seen and heard means more than you think.
Receiving a present you dislike or can tell had no thought put into it often defeats the point of a good gift. Always keep someone’s best interests in mind, as Walker noted when asked about the worst Christmas gift he has ever received: Whopper candy, “I don’t even like Whoppers.”
The holidays are notorious for being expensive, as shoppers spend on average $1,007 per year according to Gallup News, but it does not have to be this way.
“Make sure you know the person and don’t overspend if you aren’t sure,” senior Audrey Gomez says, emphasizing the importance of setting boundaries while holiday shopping. A good rule of thumb when shopping is to ask these two questions. Is this something they need? Is this something they want? However, if you can’t answer these questions, ask yourself, is this gift tailored to their age, lifestyle, and interests? Gomez says she occasionally even makes her own gifts for her loved ones.
The price tag on an item does not determine how good the gift is. “If the gift matters, that’s like the most important thing,” says Gomez.
Gifts should reflect your relationship with the person. All three students emphasize making an effort to do research before buying a gift. The goal is to strive towards a gift that will fit in their lifestyle, whether it is a Starbucks gift card for a teacher who always has a coffee cup on their desk, or a handmade poster for a friend who is always complaining about the lack of color in their room.
