Tag Archives: Christmas
Want the Secret for How to Pick Gifts for Men and Women Who Have Everything?
They’ve got that. They’ve got that. They’ve got that. What could they possibly need? For me it’s my parents, my grandparents and my boss. I want to buy them presents for Christmas or their birthdays, but I have a hard time finding something that they could possibly want. After all, they make more money than … Continue reading
Why Is Everyone (Else) So Shallow About Gifts?
15% of the money spent on gifts are wasted. 27% of gift cards sit unused. 40% of clothes given as gifts are returned. Obviously there is a problem here, gift givers and gift receivers aren’t coming together on what, exactly, makes a great present. So if you give a gift to your mom are you picking a bad … Continue reading
How to Spend Less On Gifts Without Pissing Off Your Family
Christmas has just come and gone, are you happy with how much you spent? Do you have plans to spend more/less next year? Do you wish you could get through Christmas without taking out a second mortgage on your house? It’s the post-holday hangover; looking at your bank statements and trying to figure out if … Continue reading
Get the Tickets, Forget the Presents
With Christmas just past I think it’s a good time to talk about how little presents matter. What? Wasn’t this supposed to be a blog about giving gifts? Well, yes, it is, and I am still continuing in my quest to give better gifts, but for as much as I talk about picking better gifts … Continue reading
Tagged blog, Christmas, coming together, Family, Gift, gift idea, gift ideas, gift selection, Giving, giving gifts, going shopping, happiness, Ken Sheldon, merry christmas, money can buy happiness, perspective, plane tickets, receivers, spending time, spending time with family, tim kasser
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How to Make Any Gift More Appealing Without Spending More Money
I found a free lunch. I write about how to pick gifts for people and you’ve probably done lots of searching over your life for the perfect gift. We’ve all been there. Once you pick the gift that’s it, though right? You’re done? As you might suspect, no. I recently read about a weird trick … Continue reading
Posted in Psychology of Gift Giving, Talk About Gifts
Tagged Birthday, Christmas, christmas morning, desires, experiences, feelings, free lunch, Gift, gift recipient, Giving, material gifts, material possessions, material things, memories, money can buy happiness, perfect gift, surprise
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How to Become a Gift War Veteran
Stupid grandma. Beat me again. How are you supposed to pick a gift that shows that you care when other people pick gifts that show that they care about $150 more? It’s a situation you’ve surely been in. At a birthday party or large Christmas to-do and you brought a very nice present only to … Continue reading
Playing Elf – Unexpected Benefit of Keeping a Gift Journal
I had an unexpected success this Christmas that highlights how important it is to keep a gift journal. We had picked out a gift for my sister in-law about a month in advance. My wife wanted to make her something so she needed lead time. A few weeks before Christmas, though, I overhead a conversation … Continue reading
Tagged Christmas, clothes, Family, friends and family, Gift, gift return, Giving, good gifts, Holidays, in-law, limited time, Opinions, Seattle, Sister-in-law, sweats, thoughtful gifts, unexpected benefit, unexpected success, university of washington, Victoria's Secret, weeks before christmas, wish list
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Who Is This Gift For?
It’s December 27, gifts have been opened and waffles have been eaten. But one gift this year was a huge miss for me. I think that I picked some good gifts in general. My wife squealed and jumped up and down when she found out what she was doing and my son’s face lit gratifyingly. … Continue reading
Tagged Christmas, Christmas eve, christmas morning, Gift, gift giver, Giving, good gifts, grandchildren, grandma, great time, Holidays, Human Interest, Love, love actually, Martha Stewart, Martha Stewart Mistake, mistake, morning surprise, mother in law, Opinions, Santa, Santa Claus, stocking stuffers, surprise, thoughtful gifts
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Are Picking a Terrible Gift for You Niece or Nephew?
If you don’t have nieces or nephews congratulations, you are not going to be the worst gift giver at Christmas. Oh, wait, you do? Bad news. Economists, being the super fun party people that we know them to be, have studied the economic value of Christmas giving and, unsurprisingly found that many Christmas gifts have … Continue reading
Tagged aunts and uncles, behavioral psychologists, birthday gifts, booby prize, Christmas, christmas gifts, christmas present, confidence, Gift, gift certificate, gift certificates, gift giver, gift givers, Giving, how to pick a gift, mistake, niece, nieces and nephews, waste money, wish list, wish lists, wishlist
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This one is too big, this one is too little, this one is just wrong.
There are few gift giving rules that apply across different people… but I might have found one. My son doesn’t want clothes, my sister in law does. My brother still wants action figures but my nieces think he’s crazy. Because giving good gifts is so hard, we don’t spend a lot of time thinking … Continue reading
Tagged behavioral psychologists, best gifts, birthday gifts, blind spot, Business and Economy, cheap christmas gifts, cheap gift ideas, cheap gifts, Christmas, Christmas and holiday season, confidence, couples, Gift, gift idea, gift ideas, gift recipient, gift recipients, Giving, inexpensive christmas gifts, inexpensive gifts, Joel Waldfogel, Price, relationship, shopping, uncomfortable questions, warm fuzzies
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