This, That, and the Other

Jim Adams has posted another Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Friday Faithfuls prompt in which he asks us:

How do you do your holiday shopping? Do you make a list for everyone that you will get presents for? Do you set a budget so you know how much you can afford to spend on every present? Are you a last-minute shopper? Do you make sure that you are getting the best deals? Have you ever re-gifted something that you didn’t want?

I would say that the bulk of our holiday shopping is online. I have neither the will nor the patience to drive around to brick and mortar stores looking for that perfect gift or deal when I can do it from the comfort of my family room couch. And the credit card we use has this neat little feature that, when we use it for our online purchases, it will scour the internet looking for the exact same item at a lower price and let us know. Shazam!

Our list of holiday presents that we buy is not that extensive. It’s only family members and a few close friends, so the task isn’t that onerous, at least for me. Were it up to me, I’d just get everyone on our list a gift certificate so they can buy themselves whatever they want or need.

But my wife thinks that’s cold and impersonal, so she drives the gift-giving process. She does most of the thinking about and hunting for presents. She researches, reads countless reviews, looks for the best prices, with free delivery services, etc. And she’s very, very good at it.

We don’t really have a budget, but I do have right of first refusal if I think she’s spending too much on any one gift. (Unless it’s for me, of course.)

My wife is also about making sure our shopping is done far enough in advance that whatever we purchase can be delivered well before the actual holiday. I would tend more toward being a close to the last minute shopper. But that’s the beauty of gift certificates. They are literally no brainers.

And as to re-gifting, no, I’ve never done that. If I were given something that I don’t like or want, I’d try to return it to the place of purchase. But if that’s not possible, I’d donate the item to Goodwill and take the tax deduction for charitable donations.