Being that I have found myself, one sole person of limited income amongst a rather extensive family- most of whom have chosen to have their day of birth fall in the final three months of the year- in my experience it is of the utmost necessity to begin making my purchases for the winter holidays nearly as soon as the prior year's celebrations have ended. Such foresight saves my budget as well as my sanity from an otherwise certain onslaught in the weeks prior to Christmas. It is my opinion that almost any person can be satisfactorily gifted, even with such advance purchasing. This being said, I do realise of course that there are exceptions to this rule. I shall state them henceforth:
I. Children. A child CAN be purchased for in advance, as long as allowance is made for last-minute changes in mind, which of course are inevitable in one of limited maturity. The same allowance may be made for certain adult males, as the need arises. When purchasing for such persons, keep in mind certain criteria, such as changes in interests, maturity (not applicable in those of the adult male variety), and birthday. A child who is five now and is content with a toy labeled for ages up to five, may not be so pleased when he reaches the ripe old age of six. This is especially true in older children, who often look to their peers to determine their wants, rather than their own minds. A character they are obsessed with one moment, will be forgotten the next. Clothing in children simply cannot be estimated accurately in advance. Even efforsts at an accurate fit such as waiting until the last moment are often thwarted by a sudden unforeseen growth spurt.
I lean toward the habits of the squirrel gathering his acorns for winter in my early shopping methods. When I happen across a great deal, I purchase only smaller items that are likely to please any number of persons on my gift list, rather than a single large item with a specific person in mind - unless I am CERTAIN the item will remain pleasing. This way, if the person the gift is intended for somehow changes his or her mind or behavior before the time of gifting is at hand, all is not lost and the gift can still be of use. When a great deal is unturned, I will often purchase several of the item to be scattered amongst my giftees as I find appropriate.
II. Picky Persons (For lack of a better term). We have all met the acquaintance of one or more of these. These are the ones who kick up a fuss in a restaurant when an ingredient not to their personal taste is included in their entree. Rather than removing the offending object calmly and with a measure of grace, they feel it is their personal duty to inform the waitstaff of the misdemeanor. It is my suggestion that you skip gifting these persons altogether, for it is certain that you will never be able to please them. If a gift is absolutely necessary (say the person is of importance or influence, or simply one to be feared, such as your boss or mother-in-law), my suggestion would be to give a gift in which it is nearly impossible for fault to be found - such as a gift card or a donation made in their name to a favorite charity. Another possibilty would be to choose the most garish and unpleasant gift you can locate. After all, if they are going to be difficult, you might as well gain some enjoyment out of their bad behavior.
I hope my insight has proved helpful. In future posts I will address: finding bargains, finding and using coupons, staying organized and on schedule during the Christmas season, creative gifts and budget holiday decorating, and more.
Pinch a penny today!
Yours Truly,
Miss Pinch
Penny Pinching, Single, Working, Crafty, Homeschool Mom
