The way to Prevent Acquiring Terrible Gifts Should you suffer panic attacks in the mall or you've got recurring nightmares concerning the colossal gift gaffes you have made more than the years -- you might be an HGSS sufferer.
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Take two Advil and maintain reading, because the only remedy is always to spot the pitfalls early. The following primer will help you save yourself some angst -- and very a bit of dollars -- by avoiding these classic gift-giving faux pas. (And your nearest and dearest will likely be ever so grateful whenever you give them stuff they like this year.)
The not-so-subtle suggestion: There's nothing very like watching the expression on people's faces when they open 1 of these: a set of meditation tapes for Mr. Sort A, a low-carb cookbook for your sister or an Elizabeth Arden makeup and spackling extravaganza for Grandma. Just do not be surprised if they all go in on a gift for you next year: a one-way ticket.
The useless gadget: Every person has somebody on his or her list who's seemingly impervious to gift-giving. It may well be your boss, your dad or some other (inevitably) male relative. They appear to have no interests, no style, no obvious wants. So you race to one of those shops that specialize in "stuff guys like" and spend far more than you ought to on a PGA-approved golf ball cleaner. In case he ever starts golfing. Why Why, why, why
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The lingerie trap: My husband passes along this lesson learned from difficult expertise: By no means get lingerie for a woman unless she has ripped out the page from the Victoria's Secret catalog and circled the precise item herself. If she opens a box and sees some thing that looks like a black satin hanky, it just opens up a can of worms: "Why does he want me to wear that Does he require me to appear trashy Doesn't he like me the way I am Next thing you realize he'll want me to wear a blond wig and fishnet stockings like a streetwalker!" You are able to go from surprise to Splitsville in five or six mental leaps. Way too costly on sooooo numerous levels.
The deadly weapon: A former editor admitted that he briefly deemed getting his 12-year-old son a water-balloon slingshot (since he wanted one himself, needless to say). But following reflecting a bit on the damage that a water balloon can do to unsuspecting passers-by right after traveling 500 feet from his backyard to a nearby road, he decided against it. Unless you're just dying to test the limits of your liability insurance, stick to Dora the Explorer and video games. Go here for non-terrible gift ideas
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1 for the cost of two: You actually want that MAC lipstick for your self, but you're in denial. So you get it for a friend and talk yourself into believing she will like this gift, when what you are unconsciously hoping is that she will give it back to you -- which she does not. So right after Christmas you wind up buying the thing for your self anyway, therefore spending twice as a lot funds and making only 1 of you pleased.
The maroon mistake: It's virtually often a poor notion to give clothing to an individual you do not actually live with. And even then you have to be careful (see "The Lingerie Trap," above). You'll invariably acquire either the wrong size or the wrong color or both, like the time I randomly bought my aunt a quilted maroon vest. Why did I think she would like a quilted maroon vest when she wears neither vests nor the color maroon
The guilt-edged party gift: Ack! You're invited to a holiday party in the last minute and you do not have time to even pick up a bottle of wine. But you do have time to throw some ribbon about those earrings your dad gave you last year and give them to the hostess. Is this worth the thousands it is going to price you in therapy bills to overcome your guilt Take into account the cost -- specially when your dad meets said hostess at your personal holiday party a year later, and she's wearing your earrings. Just purchase the wine, will ya
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The joke's on you: Before you devote $20 on a whoopee cushion or an additional joke item, consider flushing that $20 down the toilet. Is that funny I didn't believe so.
Books by the pound: Why get a mere book when for exactly the same dollars it is possible to give a tome That 2,000-page volume of the sixth installment in the life of Lyndon Johnson is A lot more desirable than a book a person may really read. Positive, the megabook could be read by those with more time than taste, but it can also serve as a flower press, a doorstop and kindling. Four gifts in 1!
Inventiveness or desperation
Gifts produced by your own $40-an-hour hands: At some point, the Spirit of Frugality will pin you to the floor and tell you that the very best method to save cash throughout the holidays is to make all your gifts by hand. Resist this impulse! To begin with, just simply because you don't have cash doesn't mean you've talent. Second, handmade gifts always price a lot more than you think, in both time and cash. My genuinely talented sister-in-law, Deirdre, decided to make folks jewelry 1 year. She quit when she located out how much it was costing her in supplies, never mind the all-nighters spent stringing tiny beads.
Points that cannot be exchanged on this planet: Resist the urge to go down to your neighborhood Tofutti 'n' Points boutique and buy a one-of-a-kind set of embroidered Bolivian hankies imported by the proprietor herself for your sister who lives on the opposite coast. The odds are very good your sister will hate them and curse you for creating her buy a $400 plane ticket to exchange them.
Last year's gift, once again: My mother's greatest friend gave her a kaleidoscope. Several times. At the least two Christmases plus a birthday. So try to keep track of what you've given folks inside the past. Dad doesn't need to have a fourth scarf. (I as soon as gave my sister-in-law the same book 3 times.) If you are not confident, ask a person who may well remember last year far better than you do.
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Treasures from King Tut's tomb: It's usually so tempting to purchase from those slick museum catalogs. How can you go wrong giving a replica of some thing that has been sitting in the Smithsonian Museum for a hundred years But unless you know that your cousin in Denver loves Egyptian artifacts or truly wants a lamp that sprouts from the head of Queen Nefertiti, forget it. Warning: If it looks tasteful, preserve shopping.
The pro-am present: My brother is actually a cooking maven. Ask him the difference in between braise, stew and saut and you'd better have an excellent hour on your hands. So guess what I in no way give my brother Anything to do with cooking. I know, it is tempting. Your brother-in-law plays a mean game of golf. For that reason: Do not waste your funds on a golf gift. He already has it. And now he has to return it.
And lastly . . .
The thoughtlessness that counts: Do not get pierced earrings for your friend who does not have pierced ears (I did). Don't buy cookies for a diabetic. No booze for the teetotaler. Do not get "Fear of Flying" for a born-again Christian. You get the notion.
With these 15 rules in mind, you are able to simply steer clear of the worst gift-giving mistakes. You'll save time. You will save dollars. And you may thank me when your credit card bill comes in January and, thanks to this list, you haven't bought a factor for any person.
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