Every time a friend or family member’s birthday rolls around, I always assume I have more time to purchase a present than I actually do. What usually happens to many of us is that we make plans to go shopping at the last minute and expect there to be something our friend or family member would like. Long story short, many of us end up purchasing the thoughtless gift card.
Who wouldn’t want a gift card? You get to pick out whatever you want and you don’t have to pay for it! It’s the ideal scenario, right? While it may seem ideal, giving a gift card has an insensitive connotation. When you give someone a gift card, you’re showing them how little time you spent in search for their present. Instead of spending weeks searching for just the right gift, you’re showing them you waited until the last minute and couldn’t find anything on the spot. Not only are the receiver’s feelings hurt that you chose to take the quick and easy route, you feel terrible knowing your present is transparent. How good would it have felt to have bought something you knew your friend or family member would have truly wanted and to have seen their face light up in excitement while opening their present? It probably would be much better than having to rant on about how you couldn’t find them anything at all… in the entire world.
I’m guilty of giving gift cards just as much as the next person. In some cases, a gift card is totally appropriate and may even be your best option. If you truly want to show a close friend or family member your love and appreciation for them, stay away from the gift card and spend time looking for the right gift!