Do you ever find yourself in a rush and a panic to buy a gift for someone’s birthday? It’s so easy to forget even if you love that person dearly. We’re just so busy sometimes! There are some really handy tips I’ve learned over the years to help me become more organized when it comes to buying gifts on time. It’s not nearly as difficult or time-consuming as you might think. And best of all, it takes all the stress and hassle out of it!
You can start by writing a list of all the people you know well enough to buy a gift for. This is half the work done straight away. Use a gift buying template or a spreadsheet app to help you get the list started. Next you need to find out when everyone’s birthday is. Your own family is easy, so pop them into the list first. For those you’re not so sure about, don’t panic. There are ways of finding these things out!
Firstly, you could just ask them. But if you feel a little embarrassed or uncomfortable, look on their FaceBook page first at www.facebook.com. Chances are, the date will be there. Or you can find some birthday wishes posted up from friends if you look back over the months. If this still seems a little too much like stalking (!) then ask other friends who might remember the date.
Once your list is compiled, make sure you have a few columns left over. These should have headings for the years, starting with this one. You might even add a column for the holiday gifts as well if they’re relevant. It’s a way to check off what you have bought. The next thing to do is pop these dates in your personal calendar on your phone with an alert a week before. This will prompt you to check the list to confirm you have bought the gift already!
Finally, you can sort the list by date from January to December. Now who is next for a birthday? That’s your priority for your next shopping expedition. The list is really handy for you while you are out and about. We often see things that we know someone would like. If you know a birthday is coming up, you can buy it and put it away ready for their big day.
Have a place in a particular closet where you can store all the gifts you’ve bought. It’s up to you whether you wrap them in advance or not. Sometimes when we get home from the store we’re in a rush to get on with the next thing, so we might not have time to wrap the gift. Make sure you note down on your list what you’ve bought, so you can find it and wrap it for the right person later on.
Sometimes you find you haven’t yet bought a gift for someone with a birthday that is fast approaching. There are plenty of ways you can find inspiration for that perfect gift. One of the best gifts to buy for anyone is a personalized gift. You can even personalize children’s gifts like sweaters online at http://www.makaboo.com/jackets-and-sweaters. This makes any gift perfect for the recipient.
There is another way you can be sure to buy the right gift. Listen. Often friends will talk about their interests and hobbies. When you’re out shopping with them, you may notice their interest in one or two items. Use your list again to make a note of what appeals to them most. This will help inspire you when it comes to buying their gift. If they’re looking for fashion and accessories, make a note of the color, length, or other details that pique their interest. This will help you make the right gift choice later on.
Sometimes we need to buy gifts for distant relatives that we only see once or twice a year. Elderly relatives often enjoy seeing photos of your family. A beautiful photo frame with the picture already inside can be exactly what they would love. A gift hamper of fruit or even some fresh flowers can also be ideal.
There is a danger that you will become over-organized. When you buy gifts for lots of people all at once, you may run out of space to store them all. You may find you have plenty of space somewhere to keep things in a useful order, and that’s fine. But if you don’t have the room, things may get lost or damaged. Try to work no more than six months in advance, to help save your sanity!
If you are not likely to see the person you are buying for on their birthday, you might try to save a postage cost by buying online. This is an incredibly convenient way to purchase gifts. All you need to do is change the delivery address from yours to theirs. Some online stores even gift wrap on your behalf and allow you to put in a gift card message.
If you see something nice for someone online, why not add it to a wishlist labeled ‘gifts for friends’? That way, you’ll be able to find the gift again quickly when it’s time to order it. You could use a bookmark service like Pocket as well. Your personal calendar will give you an alert in plenty of time for you to order it for them.
Greetings and Birthday cards are also often forgotten until the last minute. Many online greetings card stores offer an email reminder a few days ahead of the special day. They may even offer you choices of cards based on your previous purchase for that person. It saves you browsing through thousands of designs that may not be appropriate. Alternatively, why not buy a birthday card organizer? You can store lots of greetings cards in the correct month for each person. Then just pop it in the post when you’re ready.
Getting organized when it comes to gift buying can take a lot of the stress out of the process. And it means you never have to apologize for forgetting again! Make gift buying fun again with these handy tips.
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