Finding the Right Christmas Gift
This is CharlB’s submission for the HP Magic Giveaway. Feel free to leave comments for this article as you see fit – your feedback is certainly welcomed! If you’d like to submit your own how-to, what-is, or top-five list, you can send it to me. Views and opinions of this writer are not necessarily my own:
The Holiday season is here! This is when the stress begins to find the perfect Christmas gift.
I know the excitement of waking up Christmas morning; searching under the tree, hoping the gift you open is the one you have been hoping for. I know I am not the only one who dreads opening the gifts from the distant aunts and friends of the family, who give the “I don’t know them very well” filler gifts. Everyone likes to receive things like Chia Pets, Clappers and all the other “As seen on TV” gifts for Christmas, right? Of course not! The question I ask is, “Why would you give someone a gift you would place in the circular file?” Every year I have a problem finding the perfect Christmas gifts for the individuals in my family and friends. The conversation always begins like this, “What do you want for Christmas?” The usual response is, “Oh I don’t know, you know what I like, just get me whatever.”
I am tired of all the guess work behind this JOYOUS gift giving season. This year, I am a sucker to the merchants no longer. I will not buy just any old run of the mill gift, just so I can say I my shopping list is complete. Instead of asking everyone what they would like this year, I have searched the web and found some very useful websites to help me find the perfect gift for each individual on my list.
Many gift websites are similar, and each sports a very “user friendly” interface. Every one of them asks a series of similar questions:
- General Questions
- Occasion: Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa
- Gender or Who the gift is for: Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, etc.
- Age Group: Goes form 0 – 65 and over
- Interests
From there it will give you the option to select pricing, a list of categories (Clothing, Electronics, etc.) or pages of potential gifts. Some of the sites allow you to purchase the item directly from the site and the others will direct you to a different site were the item can be purchased.
My favorite site? Findgift.com – this site is simply amazing! When you are finished with the general questions you will get a list of over 1000 potential gift ideas and 20 different categories! There the website presents you gifts far beyond your imagination. The next step is to click on the item you want and it directs you to the website where it can be purchased. I went shopping for most of my family members in a matter of minutes. This year there will be no money WASTED on the “circular file” gifts.
And after you find the gift you’re looking for don’t forget to check our coupon site to and save even more money:
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30 Comments
Flight Simulator Headquarters
December 6th, 2008
at 7:35am
Chris Pirillo How to Write a How to GuideFinding the Right Christmas GiftWhere is Technology Headed? Star Wars Prequels vs. the Original Trilogy Top 5 Reasons to Use Evernote
Roland Ancheta
December 6th, 2008
at 12:59am
Thanks CharlB for helping me find great christmas gifts for my niece, the websites you listed gave me a lot of ideas for finding toys that kids want now a days, and Because i didn’t have any idea what little girls even liked today. Thanks a lot and happy holidays!
Edvin Imperial
December 6th, 2008
at 10:30am
OMG ROFLCOPTER D00DE
So so so helpful
I’ll definately check this out, when I need to find presents for my family and or friends and relatives.
I seriously hate thinking about the perfect present, I love how computers help me not think anymore.. :D
Carly Rae
December 6th, 2008
at 10:36am
Wow CharlB what a great article! I hate when I get those gifts, it’s like “what were they thinkin?” Not to mention, I always have the problem of not knowing what to get my family and friends. I didn’t even know that there were websites out there like this. Thank you for all your great help this season.
Marjorie
December 6th, 2008
at 10:42am
This was awesome. I’m definitely going on that website to get gift ideas for my cousins. They’re definitely the type that says “You know what I like” like you mentioned in this article. Totally helpful, thanks (:
Kim
December 6th, 2008
at 12:12pm
Thanks CharlB. You’re right, your favorite site is awesome. While us ladies need help on what to buy from time to time, I think this site should be directed to a target audience… like my husband. :) No more Black and Decker cordless drills for me. I really appreciate the research you did on this.
Cori
December 6th, 2008
at 12:23pm
Thanks CharlB! I’ve been struggling with that very issue. I also love to find the “perfect gift”. Nice to find out there is help :o)
e
December 6th, 2008
at 12:44pm
OMG thanks i just found like a great gifts for my bros. this site is so gonna he,lp me so thanks and hope u get what you want for christmas…..and my family will gwt what they want.
Alan S
December 6th, 2008
at 4:40pm
Just in time, I was about to give everybody on my list an onion slicer……lol Thanks for the info, I would have never thought sites like that existed.
T.meyers
December 6th, 2008
at 6:19pm
In these times of economic strife, no one wants to waste there money, let alone thier time buying gifts that don’t even match the person you’re buying for. Thanks C.B.
Ron Knights
December 6th, 2008
at 8:55pm
Thanks for the tips.
I think if you know someone, you can easily figure what they’d want for gifts.
I wouldn’t want a Chia Pet, but a Clapper might be fun.
Ok, seriously, I’m happy with just about anything related to computers & accessories.
Even things like getting more minutes on my TracFone are nice.
Ace Lover
December 7th, 2008
at 8:16am
That is an awesome article filled with some great advice! Thanks so much for sharing it with us and making gift giving easier for people!!
JENNAAAA :D
December 7th, 2008
at 12:12pm
whoaas. i never knew there were websites like these! this is so helpful especially since females always have trouble finding guys something for gifts. cuz yaaknoww, guys are picky. lol. so yea, i will mosdef use the website to find my friends somthing this christmas. thank you so much charlB!
Kyle H
December 7th, 2008
at 3:41pm
Lolz, “I am tired of all the guess work behind this JOYOUS gift giving season.” True that! Thanks Charlie, now i know how to get the perfect gift.
jenna
December 7th, 2008
at 5:30pm
thanks for giving me these tips on great gift ideas, i found them very useful :) thanks agian.
Ana Maria ;]
December 7th, 2008
at 7:45pm
Wow, this is way helpful! I’m definitely going to be checking out those websites! I never knew they existed. Your awesome!
Joe Montoro
December 7th, 2008
at 8:48pm
Nice article CharlB. It really helped me in my shopping for the holidays. I hope you will post more great articles. Thanks again.
Meadows
December 8th, 2008
at 9:08am
I wish my grandma would listen to your article. The family jokes every year about the horrible things she sends, but we love her anyways. Something a few useless gifts are worth the laugh.
Mrs Hackwith
December 8th, 2008
at 9:30am
Charlie,
The usefuleness of your essay topic is terrific! Gift selection is something that is important to me at Christams, and all through the year. My husband has frequently complained of difficulty selecting gifts. We both will appreciate checking out the links you”ve provided. Your essay is pretty good with a only a few syntax issues. ‘Hope you have the contest win “in the bag!”
Mrs Hackwith =)
John Laufer
December 8th, 2008
at 4:28pm
I defend my right to send what you call “circular file gifts”. After all, if all we gave were useful gifts, then imagine all of the warehouses full of Chia pets just withering away, and Clappers with no one to clap them to life. How sad!
Seriously, the biggest problem is simply lack of imagination and that is what these sites help to overcome. They do offer all sorts of suggestions that people often overlook, or are unaware of. Thanks for your suggestions for useful sites.
DeeDeeJ
December 8th, 2008
at 7:04pm
Thanks for the informational sites to help with my shopping. You are right about the gifts going to waste in the circular file. It’s very hard to buy for family and friends as it is. I appreciate all the work you did for me. This makes it easy for me. This will be a different type of shopping for me this year. Thanks again CharlesB.
Betty C.
December 8th, 2008
at 7:09pm
Thank you CharlB what a great website. Never knew that there was so many great places to look for gifts and ideas for gifts. Glad that you gave it to me.
Betty C.
December 8th, 2008
at 7:12pm
Thanks again for the sites
Chaz
December 8th, 2008
at 8:54pm
Great Stuff!!
GMoney
December 8th, 2008
at 9:01pm
Speeking of bad gifts, how about the one I got from you last year. Why would you get me hair care products when I’m bald!? Well I hope your exploring new websites gets me the perfect gift this year. Guess will see. I know your next gift will be great thanks to that website.
Bonqueequee
December 8th, 2008
at 9:24pm
Thank you for posting those websites, they helped me choose some good presents to buy. They are very informational. They made this years holiday shopping much much easier. Thank you, again.
T Loresco
December 8th, 2008
at 9:43pm
Thanks again these sites really helped me out.
Alfred Ebel
December 9th, 2008
at 10:05am
When one gets old, when one is a man and gets old, when one is a man who is getting older and has a wife, when one is a man who is old and has a wife and has many grandchildren, when one is an old man with a long time life who together have many grandchildren and who just loves to shop, and likes to wrap gifts. Then an old man lets his lovely wife shop. I don’t have to do it any more–beautiful. Oh yes! What to get your wife? Just the things she has on her list.
It becomes rather boring, but the gifts are useful and used. Enjoy your freedom and the joy of gift buying.
Lindsay B
December 9th, 2008
at 6:08pm
Wow amazing I had no clue there where sites that actually did that!!! :) thanks so much. Every Christmas I have had such a difficult time finding gifts and now I wont it should be very easy!! Thanks so much!!! Have a great Christmas!! :)
bust out
December 10th, 2008
at 10:30pm
that is just awsome! I always have the same problem finding the right gift every year. I know for a fact that some people in my family have the same problem, like this one year i got toilet paper, the next year toilet scrubber. maybe that is my generations coal and stick?
Fran
December 16th, 2008
at 2:50pm
What a great essay! And very helpful as well. I’m not a shopping fanatic so any help I can get is appreciated. Good luck!