5 Ways to Find the Perfect Gift

Do you dread having several gift giving occasions coming up this year? Don’t miss these five fantastic (and super easy) ways to find the perfect gifts for less!

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine.

In the next few months, several gift giving occasions will be coming: my anniversary, Mother’s Day, my birthday, high school graduations, college commencements, Father’s Day, my husband’s birthday, and my dad’s birthday. Whew!

Buying gifts can be fun for those who like to shop, but it can be completely overwhelming with the sheer number of decisions to make.

Not to mention, we’re talking about seven or eight people to buy for. Men, women, teens, husbands, wives, moms, dads, young adults…

That’s a lot of personalities, occasions, and preferences to think about.

When I go into any gift giving season (or just a single event), I try to keep these five things in mind:

1. Set a Budget

Unless you have unlimited funds, it’s probably a good idea to set a budget for gift giving. “When you are thinking about the amount you should budget you should consider the expected gifts. You need to budget and plan for birthdays, anniversaries, and Christmas. Then add a little bit to cover the unexpected gifts that may come up over the year. Simply divide the number by twelve and you have the amount that you will need to budget each month.” (Source: About.com) You’ll probably have an idea in mind for how much you want to spend on each gift, too.

2. Be Spontaneous

I’m not talking about spontaneous “just because” gifting. I mean – be open to inspiration and opportunity. If you go to a store or online shop, browse the deal of the day or featured items. These are typically best sellers or they may be items that are offered at deep discounts. You may find the perfect gift without even having to try while saving a few bucks, too.

3. Limit Your Choices

Decide whether you are shopping for perfume, shoes, or an item for the kitchen. I find that when I shop overwhelmed, it’s much more stressful and harder to pick a gift. If the sky is the limit, how will you ever pick anything? You also tend to spend more when overwhelmed. You’ll likely throw your hands up at some point and just buy something…that’s too expensive.

4. Pick a Store

Another way to limit your choices it to pick a store that the recipient likes or that sells the type of items that your recipient likes. It’s another way to reduce overwhelm. For example, if I am shopping for my dad, sure Belk may sell automotive tools, but I am less likely to be overwhelmed by other types of items if I shop at Advance Auto Parts.

5. Consider The Recipient’s Hobbies

Is she a foodie? Is he a fisher? Does she like Lego toys? Does he collect baseball cards? Once you’ve narrowed down the type of item you want to buy, you can decide on an item or store to purchase it from. The Huffington Post has a great suggestion: “make a list of all the things the person is interested in and things that define who they are. Make this list long—spend at least two full minutes writing down as many things as you can. Now brainstorm something to go with every item on that list, small or big.”

BONUS: How to Save on Gift Giving

When shopping websites and stores, check out Groupon Coupons for exclusive coupon codes, free offers, and other giveaways.

I love how easy Groupon Coupons makes it to search for coupons for your favorite items, stores, and occasions.

 

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