Gift Giving - Thoughtful or lazy?

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06-12-2008, 01:57 AM
Miriel

Gift Giving - Thoughtful or lazy?

Do you give good birthday/anniversary/MothersFathersDay/Christmas/Graduation gifts?

Until a few years ago, I was such a lazy gift giver. Friends got various items of clothing or handbags, my brother got a $20 bill for his Birthday, and my Dad inevitably got ties. Fathers Day, he got a tie. Christmas, he got another tie. Etc etc.

I don't know why I've changed, but recently I've put a lot more consideration into the gifts I give. And seriously, it makes me feel SO HAPPY to see people I care about express delight over their gifts.

This Friday night, I'm going over to my little cousins house. And while she's sleeping, I'm gonna be blowing up tons and tons of balloons. I plan on filling her room with balloons, and streamers and a big Happy Birthday sign so that when she wakes up, it'll be a magical and surprising transformation a la Little Princess style.

I also have special birthday surprises for Boyfriend's birthday in a few weeks, but I can't post about that or it'll ruin the surprise.

But yes. I love giving unusual and unique gifts. It takes more effort and sometimes more money, but it's so worth it I think. So are you thoughtful or are you a lazy bum. Or... do you simply not give gifts at all?
06-12-2008, 01:59 AM
Momiji

That's because when you learn that giving gifts makes you feel better than receiving them, you're much more inclined to give more. =D
06-12-2008, 02:00 AM
Roto13

I put a lot of effort into gifts, usually. My dad is impossible to buy or do anything for, though. xP Everyone else gets lots of consideration. xD
06-12-2008, 02:01 AM
Laddy

I'm a cheap bastard, but I usually do give good gifts.
06-12-2008, 02:42 AM
DMKA

I'm too selfish to give gifts to anyone other than myself.
06-12-2008, 02:52 AM
Balzac

I buy good gifts when I can afford them. Otherwise, I just draw them something. Which is odd, because they seem to like it more than a bought gift.
06-12-2008, 02:56 AM
Shoeberto

A lot of time when I think I'm doing something unique or awesome for a gift it turns out to not really be that great. I'd like to put effort forth but failure has made me lazy.
06-12-2008, 02:58 AM
Caraliz

Quote:

Originally Posted by Balzac

I buy good gifts when I can afford them. Otherwise, I just draw them something. Which is odd, because they seem to like it more than a bought gift.

Draw me a picture, Stu!
06-12-2008, 02:58 AM
Balzac

Quote:

Originally Posted by Caraliz

Quote:

Originally Posted by Balzac

I buy good gifts when I can afford them. Otherwise, I just draw them something. Which is odd, because they seem to like it more than a bought gift.

Draw me a picture, Stu!

I only draw on special occasions.
06-12-2008, 03:19 AM
fire_of_avalon

I'm not very creative at gift giving so my gifts usually suck. I just buy people stuff they need or stuff I know they'll like. I just bought my dad a set of barbecue tools for father's day. Someday, though, I'm going to take him to Alaska to go camping.
06-12-2008, 04:26 AM
Necronopticous

I got Lamonda a Wii for Christmas last year, which is the best gift I've ever given anyone, and it felt great. Big surprise for her, too; can't believe I was able to keep it a secret all that time.
06-12-2008, 04:38 AM
Laddy

I once gave my friend a kitten.
She was so happy!
06-12-2008, 08:37 AM
Breine

I think I do.. Or at least I really try to. I always think about it quite a lot when buying a gift to someone, and always try to be a little creative about it.
06-12-2008, 08:44 AM
Randgris

I'm not good at buying gifts cause I don't really know what the receiver likes. I would mostly give them useless miniature figurines or mugs or picture frames. the best I gave was an organizer which really put a hole in m wallet.
06-12-2008, 11:17 AM
Blue Harvest

My family's lazy. We just give each other money.
06-12-2008, 11:27 AM
Cz

I'm not very creative when it comes to gift giving. Normally I just fall back on buying the person a book or a CD that I know they'll like rather than taking a risk on something unusual. Not to mention that some people are just plain difficult to buy for. I've got to buy a Father's Day gift by Sunday, and my dad doesn't want anything. What the hell do you say to that?
06-13-2008, 10:30 AM
Cloudane

I'm really jealous of those who have the imagination for thoughtful gifts. I try, but can just never think of anything!

My dad especially is not easy. He's into computers and gadgets (like me), but already has the best of everything and it's not like I can splash out on a £600 Apple display or whatever. Pretty much all I can think of is whiskey or beer.
06-13-2008, 04:27 PM
Necronopticous

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cloudane

it's not like I can splash out on a £600 Apple display or whatever.

You're just a bad son.
06-14-2008, 02:17 AM
Rye

Holy crap, Miriel. I leave for TWO DAYS to go to college orientation, and y'all are spamming up the place. It's making me crazy.

I'm the queen of unique inside joke gifts.
06-14-2008, 02:28 AM
The Unknown Guru

My gifts are horrible because I'm cheap.
06-14-2008, 02:45 AM
Vikeve

You can put all of that stuff in her room without waking her up I'm impressed.

I go through phases of it sometimes I really care and buy awesome gifts but this year I've just sort of been lazy and didn't put too much thought into anything.
06-14-2008, 02:47 AM
Peegee

I'm in a sense, both.

I can be a very thoughtful giftgiver until you realize that I probably grabbed that present at the last minute or just bought you something I would love to get.
06-14-2008, 02:47 AM
Muhyo

A good gift shows that you DO like to spend time doing things for them. So I like to spend some time investigating what they want without talking to them. I'm going to give a birthday present to my friend today. I got her a playstation controller (her second one broke... we like playing red faction II multiplayer XD) and I'm going to bake her a green-tea cake :up:
06-14-2008, 03:03 AM
Madame Adequate

Quote:

Originally Posted by Momiji

That's because when you learn that giving gifts makes you feel better than receiving them, you're much more inclined to give more. =D

No. No it does not. Giving things away < Getting things.

My gifts tend to be crappy generic things. At best, pulled from an Amazon wishlist.
06-14-2008, 03:30 AM
Miriel

Quote:

Originally Posted by I'm my own MILF

Quote:

Originally Posted by Momiji

That's because when you learn that giving gifts makes you feel better than receiving them, you're much more inclined to give more. =D

No. No it does not. Giving things away < Getting things.

I used to whole heartedly agree with that. But these days, I find giving gifts to be so much more fun.
06-14-2008, 04:47 AM
Madame Adequate

My opinion may stem from my truly epic inability to give gifts people like.
06-14-2008, 05:05 AM
Avarice-ness

Thoughtful but then I become lazy.

I bought my mom a diamond necklace that was on sale like.. 3 years ago.
I just never mailed it out.
I still have it with me.

I figured I'll just give it to her when I move back to her house and be all "HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!"

I would have bought my husband a much better Father's Day Present but since he's in boot camp the best I could do was mail him a father's day card and have some pictures in it.

I usually buy things for my dad that both me and my dad like because.. well there are certain things we have bonds over.
I want to buy him the Indiana Jones DVD box set but I don't know if he can take it back to Dubai because customs has a list of certain things he can and can not bring over movie wise because of their content.
A couple of years ago, he was going all nostalgia over Magnum PI so for Father's day and then later a "Hi I love you because you're good to me" present, I got him the Magnum PI season 2 and 3 DVD's since he had the one.

I'm the kind of person who buys things for people just because I love them, I feel that every once in a while everyone deserves a present out of random, usually those are the best presents or at least to the people I give them too.