The Ten commandments (of gift giving)

1: Thou shalt employ thought.

It’s the universal golden rule of gift-giving: It’s the thought that counts. It’s true for the most part. “Thought” won’t compensate for a terrible gift, but a well-thought out gift seldom goes down badly.

2: Thou shalt gift the gift of life.

How long will this gift last them? Chocolates are an easy win, but once they’ve been eaten, that’s it. Gifts that carry some longevity are great. Timeless jewellery, or maybe something for the home. Something that they can look on fondly for a long time.

3: Thou shalt not cheat.

Unless they specifically specify what they’d like, you’ve got to do your own homework when buying a gift. Don’t ask them what they want, pay attention to them and make the right choice accordingly.

4: Thou shalt not envy.

Whilst you want to give a nice gift and one that’ll stand out, don’t turn it into a competition. Comparing gifts is a big no-no. It’s not about giving the favourite gift, just that your gift evokes the right feelings in the receiver.

5: Thou shalt not flaunt finances.

Gifts aren’t about the money spent, but rather the sentiment that goes into giving something nice to a loved one. So never rub the price in, they’ll more likely resent the gift than appreciate it more.

6: Thou shalt not present the same gift repeatedly.

So her favourite chocolates are Ferrero Rocher. Does that mean you will get her those every single time? Don’t. And even if you do, get/do something else to switch it up a bit so that there’s still some thought to your gift.

7: Thou shalt keep private jokes private

Sometimes, when buying gifts for particularly close friends or lovers, we can be tempted to buy the odd risque gift. That’s fine, but don’t present them in front of family. Last thing you want is somebody opening an adult gift in front of their grandmother.

8: Thou shalt not buy en-masse.

Buying the same gift en-masse may seem like a logical economical thing to do, especially if it’s something that they’d all like. However, giving gifts is about making people feel special and nothing makes you feel less special than being just the same as everyone else.

9: Thou shalt not spread gifts.

It doesn’t matter if their birthday is near Mothers’ Day, don’t spread the same gift over two holidays! They are two separate occasions, celebrated for different reasons. Let them feel appreciated for all that they are.

10: Thou shalt present the gift exceptionally.

After you have gone through all of the above and picked out the perfect gift, you don’t want to go and ruin it by packaging it poorly. Put as much effort into the presentation as you did in choosing it and you’ll be fine!