Holiday Hustle: Tips for Finding the Perfect Gift for Anyone

If you haven’t started your holiday shopping, you’re not alone. Though most people love to shop, buying gifts for other people can be exhausting. It takes a lot of thought, and even when you put a lot of energy into an awesome present, it might not be right. Here are 4 tips for finding the perfect gift for anyone on your list.

Excesses Try working backwards. Think about things your loved one already has too much of. If she has a curio cabinet packed with knick knacks, another curio might get lost in the mix. If his man cave is already covered from floor-to-ceiling with team flags and posters, he may not need anymore NFL decor. These are things you should eliminate from your list and steer clear of when you start your shopping in earnest.

Needs Think about life events that are coming up for your loved one: a European vacation, college graduation or moving to a new city. All of these events require items people don’t use every day. Vacations necessitate special luggage and clothing. Graduation means starting a new life from scratch. Moving to a new city means a new home with fresh decor. It’s easy to narrow down gift ideas based on what the recipient might need rather than what he or she might want.

Cyber Sleuthing Start looking at what your recipient posts on his or her social media accounts. If this person posts a lot of pictures of his cat, think about the different cat accessories you can give him. If she posts a lot of pictures of the treats she makes in the kitchen, maybe look into a fancy cookbook or kitchen gadgets she might find handy. If your loved one is a new mom and posts nothing but pictures of her little one, a scrapbook might be the perfect gift for her so she can document every event in her new baby’s life. These are all items your loved one probably wouldn’t think to tell you they want, and you don’t even have to ask.

Make it Personal There are a couple of ways to make a gift very personal. Either you can craft something yourself — knit homemade mittens to brighten those dark days of winter, or stitch together felt covers for smartphones and tablets — or you can buy something to personalize with their names like wine totes, rubber stamps or jewelry. When you make something for someone or you turn an everyday item into something unique for your loved one, it shows that you’re a thoughtful, caring person.

Of course you don’t have to put that much thought into a gift for it to be a hit! Try our Perfect Present Gift App to help you find the right gift for everyone on your list. Just a few minutes, a couple of clicks and you have your holiday shopping done!