Why you aren’t giving the right gifts for your sustainably woke or minimalist friend and how to fix it!
Getting the right gift for someone can be taxing, stressful, and dang right annoying. You want to get something they will like, use, and but most importantly something that doesn’t leave you looking like a fool for wasting your money.
I know people have done it to (not liked/ or never used my gifts) and I have for sure done it to others. Now that is past tense. The days of giving or receiving gifts that nobody wants and doesn’t match anyone’s values is way behind me.
I am a fan of asking point blank what do you want as a gift or present.
In my opinion it avoids a lot of problems:
- Returning gifts
- Having to lie you like the gift
- Trying to find a space for the gift
- Getting caught you gave the gift to someone else
- Hurt feelings because you’re returning the gift
- There’s more but you get the point.
I applied this same mentality with my wedding when receiving gifts. My husband and I told people point blank we only want monetary gifts (no matter the size). We even set up a page on the knot.com for people to gift online and avoid wedding cards that would be trashed in the eventually. It was amazing, simplified our process, and man oh man did it feel good to get large sums of money in our account. If you want more eco-friendly tips on how to throw a wedding that is also budget-friendly, I go into detail here.
I will say the only downside of asking straight up is that you’re never fully surprised about a present. However what I can tell you is that I asked for a lunch box in middle school from my best friend. She thought it was weird and low key didn’t take me seriously but I told her that is what I wanted. So she got it for me and hunnnyyy when I tell you I stunted that lunch box for like 4 years, I stunted it!
The drama that comes with getting a gift for annual celebrations can just dang right be overwhelming or just leave you frustrated. Those annual events like birthdays, especially the big ones (16, 21, 30, 40, 50, etc.) and holiday season (Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa) is just a process. Weddings at least only happens once- or ideally. I created a mini guide of sorts to help you get meaningful presents that match the value of the loved ones you are gifting.
Here are some questions to ask yourself before getting a gift for someone?
- What is something they have mentioned wanting multiple times?
- What is something they have said they needed multiple times?
- What is a thing they wanted to try but not with their money?
a friend that is sustainably woke?
- What have they been looking to swap for a sustainable alternative?
a friend that is about that minimalist living?
- Will they see this item as adding junk or value to their home?
A great rule of thumb that I tend to use is:
- Experiences over things: examples include massages, visiting a park, wine tasting, photoshoot, etc.
- Digital items over physical things: examples include service subscriptions (i.e. AYOlogue), ebooks (i.e. Guide to Becoming a Confident Thrifter, etc.
If you feel like you can’t answer any of these questions confidently or still feel shaky- just ask them! Remember to focus on what the person wants whether that’s for their birthday, Christmas, baby shower, wedding, or house warming party.
What’s the best gift you have ever received ?