2016 Holiday Gift Guide for People Who Are Hard to Shop For

By Ally Russell on December 5, 2016

We all have that one person who is incredibly hard to shop for. In most cases, it’s mom and dad because let’s be real, you don’t know what they’re interested in half the time and being away at school doesn’t change how uninformed you are about their hobbies, but sometimes it’s that aunt you only see twice a year or maybe a step-sibling who’s so young that you had already moved out by the time they came into the world.

Here are some tips and suggestions to try while holiday shopping this year so that you can find a gift for those people in your life who are simply too hard to shop for.

via Pixabay

1. Go simple.

At this stage in my life, people are shocked if they get a holiday gift from me — after all, I am the broke college student. So, I found that buying simple gifts are great. Some of the best ones I have found?

•Gift cards to restaurants
•Holiday sweaters
•Blankets (especially the plush kind)
•Gift cards to their local movie theater

 2. Remember food is the key to anyone’s heart.

As the old saying goes, “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” and that applies to anyone even those people who are hard to pin down as to what they want for the holidays. Some suggestions:

•Chocolates
•Cookbooks
•Cooking utensils
•Cute wine glasses

 3. Try and get a list.

via Pixabay

Now, this isn’t always the easiest thing to do. Sometimes there are people who are so far removed from your life, who you only see on holidays, that don’t have a list that you could check twice. But, I’ve found that my mom always seems to have a good idea as to what those far-removed relatives want. So, try asking your mom or dad.

Also, if you are trying to buy a gift for someone who is younger than you, like a cousin or a niece or nephew, try asking their parents what they have been asking for all year. Just hope that they aren’t asking for iPhones or new video game consoles that will cost you an arm and a leg.

 4. Appeal to their want to be pampered.

This may sound hard, but it’s actually really easy to find gifts that people will like simply because it makes them feel good. My favorite go-to’s for people tend to be:

•Bath bombs (specifically ones from Lush)
•Candles
•Gift cards to spas or masseuses
•Sephora makeup bundles
•Perfume
•New slippers/pajamas

 5. Give them a subscription to something.

via Wikimedia Commons

An easy way to get someone to try something new is to give them a free trial run of it without having to pay. Some of the best subscription services offer deals around this time of year, for you to give someone their service for a gift. Some places to check out are:

•Netflix
•Spotify
•Audible.com (for audiobooks)
•Amazon Prime
•Hulu Plus

Note: Do make sure that these people are not already in possession of these services before you buy them, though.

 6. Get them something you would want.

This may seem like an odd tip, but here is my reasoning behind it: sometimes the best thing you can buy for a person is something that you yourself enjoyed immensely. That way you can have the shared mutual experience of enjoying something together and which hopefully grows a closer bond that way.

Some examples of your favorite things to pass on?

•A good book you read recently
•Your favorite movie
•A TV show
•Favorite makeup product
•Tickets to a show that you loved

 7. Something homemade.

This is always my absolute last resort, mostly because it eats out a chunk of my time that could be spent studying for finals. However, nothing compares to something that is made from the heart. People are always impressed when you give them something you made yourself, so if you’re really trying to impress someone, give this tip a shot. There are easy how-to videos all over the Internet that explain how to make the objects that I am about to suggest.

•Soap
•Blankets
•Sweaters
•Candles
•Shampoo
•Lip Balm
•Personalized mugs/dishes/wine glasses, etc.
•Jewelry

 8. Check with someone to make sure it’s a good gift.

via Wikimedia Commons

Sometimes, I’ll think that I have found the best gift that I could find for someone who I am struggling to find a gift for this season, but I tell someone else, like a friend or a sibling, what I got for them and they say something along the lines of, “they’re gonna hate that.” It is the worst feeling and then you are stuck searching for another gift for the person who will always be dubbed as the “person who is so hard to shop for.”

Before I buy anything, I always double check with my mom or dad to see if a family member of mine is going to enjoy whatever it is I want to give them. If it’s a friend, I’ll ask my other friends. I always make sure to double check because the last thing you want is to see the look of disappointment on someone’s face as they unwrap your gift.

Now, go out and buy some gifts for that person on your list who you have the hardest time shopping for.

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