Give Someone the Weirdest Version of Something They Already Use
Gift-giving is not the universal language of love; If you’re having a hard time figuring out what to give someone, think about what they like to use and bequeath the highest quality version of this item to them. It is the perfect combination of luxury and practicality.
This idea comes from u / hubgat at r / LifeProTips, although they phrased it as a recommendation for someone who never knows what to ask for . This is very important to me, because receiving gifts is much more stressful for me than giving them. I get most of the things I want, just like Ariana Grande. For the Giants in your life who seem to have everything, a nicer version of what they use every day is an approachable gesture:
LPT: How often does the family spend money on gifts that you don’t like? Ask for a deluxe version of the everyday product you use, like olive oil.
We do it and birthdays just got so much better! They might suggest something that seems out of the ordinary (although the difference between the top shelf and the supermarket brand can be as high as $ 10) and we get what we really enjoy using.
It’s a really perfect concept – most of us hesitate to buy $ 25 olive oil for our own kitchen, or a really nice bottle of booze, or expensive hand soap for our bathrooms. We strive to cut corners around things that are used a lot, which means we are missing out on really good things. Give someone a break from the bargain rack. According to u / hippiestyle , asking for this kind of update works wonders:
I can confirm! Asked for fancy maple syrup; got really good syrup instead of a shitty butt smelling candle.
In terms of gifts, u / sunsailing has luxury items for everyone on their list:
Silk pillowcases are my luxurious gift that I can give and receive (there cannot be many, you will never go back to cotton when you try silk).
I get some weird comments when people get them, but they always come back to thank me later.
Many people have also recommended asking for really nice socks; who wants to spend money on trendy socks? No one but your feet will thank you every day for wearing them.
If you’re not sure which fashion item is right for you, consider asking close family and friends if they have a wishlist anywhere; This is how u / freshfromthefight and their family figure out what to get:
Hopefully it doesn’t get buried at the bottom, but my family and I have gotten into the habit of making Amazon lists for things we don’t need, just for the holidays or special occasions.
My mother always wants my brothers and I to get exactly what we wanted, but if we just give her a general term, she will almost always miss. With Amazon’s listing, we can download a lot more of it than we expect her to get, and then she can choose what she wants to get us out of this stuff, so we’re still surprised.
I did the same with Pinterest boards – they give family and friends an idea of my taste. If you know someone is publicly cataloging their likes, check them out. You may not even need to update – people tend to fantasize about the version they want, even if they never buy it for themselves. What a pleasant surprise when you do.