For those of us that have a special occasion coming up, have you thought about what you’re getting as a gift yet? Be it a birthday, an anniversary, a seasonal holiday or something more light-hearted such as a friendly reunion, there are plenty of situations in life where we might think about buying a gift. Sadly, it usually turns into a few days of frustration and a lack of ideas, then we’ll cave in and get something generic like flowers, chocolates, a gift card or, even worse, nothing at all!

So to give you some excellent sources of inspiration, here are a couple of ways to prepare yourself for the next big event you have. Keep in mind that these are just ideas and you don’t have to resort to them every time, but they’re fantastic ways to gather inspiration so that you have an idea of what to buy in the future whenever you’re stumped for ideas.

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Browse online stores

It doesn’t matter what store you look at. If you browse any online store and look at the most popular items that are being sold, you’ll be able to gather a lot of inspiration and get a lot of ideas for gifts. If you look up cool stuff to buy on Amazon, you’ll come across hundreds of different items that are suitable as gifts. Even if you search something like “gift ideas”, you’ll still find plenty of ideas and before you know it, you’ll have more choice than you imagined.

Look at personalised gifts

 Something personal is always good as a gift. Be it a mug that has a special message on it or a customised greeting card to go with something you’ve already bought, customising a gift adds a wonderful touch to any ordinary gift. It can turn something dull and boring like a sweater into a memorable and cherished gift. That’s one of the most important things about gifting; if your recipient remembers a gift and associates it with a positive memory, then it’ll give them a nice boost of happiness that motivates them to work hard and stay positive throughout the day. A personalised gift can be something you make yourself, or it could be something made to order.

Speak to the recipient

If you want some ideas on what to buy your recipient, then look no further than the recipient themselves! Speak to them, ask them about their favourite musical artists, ask which films they like, or even ask what the latest book they read was. As long as you gather up information about your target, you’ll find it gets easier and easier to prepare a fantastic memorable gift for them. Just try not to give it away and let them know you’re planning to buy a gift for them. Speaking to your gift recipient is also a great way to ensure you don’t buy the same gift as someone else. It’s always worth having a chat before you spend money on something your recipient already has!