How to choose a gift for your best friend

17 September 2019 year
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Giving gifts is a great way to show your friends that you care, but sometimes it can be difficult to find the perfect present. Luckily, with some pointers and intuition, you’ll be able to pick out the perfect gift for even the most difficult of people.

1. Start generating ideas. Get out a piece of paper and start writing out ideas for your gift. Think about what your friend likes in terms of hobbies and interests. Narrow the list down to what sort of books, movies, or music they like. Consider what type of gift you want you buy for your friend: a funny gift, a sentimental gift, etc.
  • Keep these ideas in mind as you continue to generate more ideas and narrow down your choices.
2. Pick a gift that relates to their personality. Using the mental list of information that you noted, think of gifts that speak to who they are as a person. 
  • Buy your music-obsessed friend an album or a t-shirt from their favorite band’s merchandise. Look into fan-club memberships as well.
  • Get art or craft supplies for an artistic person. Think about art projects they’d like to accomplish, or about work that they haven’t finished.
  • Look for rare or quirky team memorabilia for a sporty friend. Check out EBay for autographed cards, bobbleheads, stickers or other sports items that others are unlikely to have.
  • Buy toys for the person’s pets. Pets are important to their owners, and sometimes a gift for a pet can mean as much as a gift for their owner!
  • Continue to think outside the box. Remember that no matter what your friend’s interests are, your gift should be thoughtful and interesting.
3. Consider hand-making a gift. If you're giving a gift to a close friend, a good gift will be one that you and a friend can both relate to, and one with a great deal of meaning. Think of a gift that symbolizes your relationship, and remember, thoughtfulness and effort can mean more than money. 
  • Make a gift that may reference things that you have done together.
  • Make a scrapbook with all your photos. This can be a great gift, as your friend will appreciate the time you put into it, and it will bring back memories.
  • Make something simple like a friendship bracelet or necklace to remind your friend of how much you care.
4. Write a letter about how much you appreciate a good friend. Sometimes, a meaningful message or letter can be more thoughtful than a physical object. Pair your letter with a gift and you'll definitely make an impression. Don’t make it too long-winded though!
  • Remember, less is sometimes more. If you make your letter too long, it may start to come off as sappy or insincere.
  • If you are struggling with length, think about what you value the most about your friend. You could even focus on a particular moment, like when they helped you in time of need.
5. Choose an experience over material goods. Simply spending time with someone can show them that you care, and experiences can be even more fun than a physical item that they might not get much use out of. [3]
  • Take a friend out for dinner, drinks, a concert or a movie. As with physical gifts, think about your friends personality and interests and choose a gift accordingly.
  • Buy your friend a membership to a local museum, aquarium or zoo. They will get free entry for a year as well as special perks for joining.
  • Go a little crazy! Sometimes, gifts that seem impossible are more reasonably priced than you might imagine. Look into a horseback riding session if your friend loves animals, or skydiving if your friend is a daredevil. Rent a car and check out a state park with an adventurous friend.
6. Pay a bill for a friend. If they're going through rough times financially, sometimes an eased burden is just as meaningful to a friend as a nice gift. You could even create a fundraiser for your friend.
  • For example, if you know that your friend is struggling to pay off an expensive medical bill, you could create a fundraiser for it.
  • Only choose this option if you know that your friend will appreciate it. Some people are very proud and feel uncomfortable receiving financial aid from friends.
7. Consider donating to a charity on behalf of someone who has everything. Make the donation in their name, and they'll get some gifts and perks in recognition of the contribution. Make sure that the charity is something that they are interested in, however.
  • For example, if your friend cares about wildlife, especially wolves, you could donate to a wolf conservation center.
8. Give them something they actually want. Sometimes, in gift giving, we go overboard thinking about how to give the absolute perfect gift. However, it’s more important to think about how the gift will affect your friend, and whether or not it is something truly useful and meaningful to them.[4]
  • For example, just because your friend really likes cats does not mean that they'll actually want that set of cat magnets for their refrigerator.
9. Before you give him/her, send him/her a mail wishing him for the occasion you are going to give. But do not reveal that you are going to give or what is in it. If you really can't keep the gift a secret, you could imply that you are getting them a gift--but keep the actual contents a secret!
  • For example, you could say "Can't wait for your birthday surprise!" or "I know you'll get a kick out of your gift!"

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