Gift Fatigue
Once upon a time, I was a decent gift-giver. Not the best, but certainly decent with people I knew well. I walked through toy stores or picked out outfits. And I believe most people were happy. And if they weren’t, they didn’t tell me, so I’m choosing to believe they were.
But in the past few years, I’ve moved to checks. Not even Visa gift cards. Or store gift cards. I’ve gone straight to checks, which may be the most unexciting thing you can give a child. Or even some adults. But that’s what we’ve done unless the person tells me, “I want this exact thing” or something like that.
I think the check thing is kind. I mean, a gift card means they now need to track a physical or digital card. While they may feel guilty spending money on something when they use a check vs. a gift card, I feel like that’s a small price to pay for the convenience of getting to make a choice on their own timeline whenever they need something fun in their life.
Maybe I’ll loop back to the fun side of gift-giving. I still do get physical things when I see something and think of the other person. But that’s different from gifting on command; gifting in a specific moment because it’s a holiday or birthday.
Clearly trying to be okay with this.
3 comments
Feel free to send me a check whenever.
In all seriousness though, I think checks are an excellent present. I’ve never liked gift cards because they make it more limited because you HAVE to spend money THERE. And I am past the point where I want pointless stuff in my life and so often gifts are pointless stuff.
Cash or gift cards make great gifts, especially when you’re really lacking in inspiration re: what to get someone. I know my sister will always welcome a gift card to a bookstore!
I have a funny related story: last weekend was Little Great-Nephew’s 5th (!) birthday. He got some clothes and Lego but we also put some cash in his birthday card — one bill, a not insubstantial sum, especially for a 5-year-old. We’ve given him cash for Christmas & birthdays every year of his life, but this was the first time he seemed to recognize what it was — and he was quite excited. He said, “I’m LITERALLY rich!!” lol His mom insisted on putting it away for him, and he kept asking her to see it! We were struck by the fact that he knew the denomination and that it was a lot of money. How many kids his age see cash being used these days?? Most people use credit or debit cards to pay for things now.
Cheques are just about dead, here in Canada. I probably only wrote two or three this past year, tops, and I’m willing to bet our nephews could count the number they’ve written in their entire lives on a couple of fingers. If I owe someone some money (e.g., pay my sister my half for things she’s bought for our parents), I send her an electronic money transfer.
I give some gifts – for my friends, I usually get them books and snacks and drinks and cozy socks. For my kid, I buy her things that I think will make her laugh, but mostly give her money or experiences. But I don’t give out a lot of gifts.
I hate bank gift cards – they never work right. I don’t mind store-specific gift cards though. I send those to the college kids in my life so they can buy themselves some treats.