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Health & Fitness

Gifting Mistakes You Never Want to Make

Buying a gift for someone requires a lot of deliberation and smart thinking. To avoid becoming a laughing stock or the object of family gossip, it is important to keep the following mistakes in mind:

Re-gifting something:

Some people have this annoying habit of re-gifting things they themselves found awful.  Even worse, some leave the “to” and “from” card inside due to complacency. This certainly creates a very bad impression and is one of the biggest gifting mistakes people make.

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Self Improvement gifts:

What some think as a great gift could initiate deep resentment for the others. Gifts that tend to target a specific short-coming of the recipient are normally not appreciated. Such presents may include:

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    Weight loss foods and supplements for overweight people

    Coaching tapes for someone who is presently unemployed

    A year’s supply of Nicorette for chain smokers.

A thoughtless gift:

Sending brownies to someone with a nut allergy is extremely thoughtless. The message one sends is “I don’t care to spend my time thinking of what your needs might be”.  Gifts must be bought with the recipient in mind.

Worthless Gadgets:

There are a variety of worthless gadgets in the market that one may be tempted into buying, especially for someone with no hobbies, talents or someone who does not seem to need a thing. Undoubtedly, such people are hard to buy for, but that does not mean its okay to send them a Mood-Detection Device. It is most certainly to end up in trash. 

Artwork:

It’s tricky to buy artwork as a gift for someone. Art is extremely subjective and may differ according to taste. Unless a person has specifically asked for a particular piece, it is best not to assume their preferences.

The Joke Gift:

Some may think that a whoopee cushion or a square-egg maker is perfect gift for a person who has everything. But not everyone has a sense of humor. A lot of people may find such things offending and may get agitated.

An appliance for a lover:

If the romance in a relationship has been buried, and the couple no longer cares about putting thought into each other’s gifts then they can go ahead and buy appliances such as, vacuum cleaners. Otherwise, beware. No one, no matter how practical they are, would be excited to find an appliance under the tree.

Partial gifts:

There are several people who do not mind sending off a gift that obligates the recipient in spending more money to use it. For instance, spa gift certificates for which the recipient has to pay the rest of the price is one of such examples.

Gym membership:

Gym memberships can be a great gift for those who are already toned and fit. For everyone else, these kinds of gifts are insulting and suggestive.

A Puppy or any other pet:

Pets are not toys. They die if they're abused, mishandled, or neglected. They are a huge responsibility and should not be obtained on a whim, or without any regard to the lifestyle and personality of the recipient. Hence, it’s best to stick with a stuffed toy instead unless the recipient is an ardent pet lover.

We all have good intentions in mind when buying gifts for family, friends, and co-workers, but at times we persuade ourselves to believe that something perfectly awful, is actually a great gift for a person on our list. The best way to avoid any such blunders is to stick to the recipient’s personal tastes and choices. Apart from this, there are plenty of good suggestions available over the internet for the sender to choose from.

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