People buy gifts for others out of love, guilt, admiration, appreciation, tradition, reciprocation, fear, and finally the good old holiday spirit. Why do you give? I’m sure your answer is different based on who you are giving to. The next variable in the giving equation is: Why do you buy what you buy for the person you are buying for?
Here are some possible reasons that you choose to buy what you buy.
- You think that the receiver needs the item.
- You think that the receiver would like the item.
- You think that the receiver would be impressed that you bought them the item.
- You want to show the receiver that you can afford the item.
- It is a forced gift exchange and you bought the first thing you could find under $10 at the drug store.
- You like the gift and you want the receiver to not use the gift so that you may use it.
- It is the only thing that you can afford.
- It has sentimental value.
- You are re-gifting.
I like to think about all of this when I am buying gifts just to make sure that I am doing things for the right reasons. Maybe you need to take yourself through the same process.
Peter Dunn a.k.a. Pete the Planner® is an award-winning financial mind and a former comedian. He’s a USA TODAY columnist, author of ten books, and is the host of the popular radio show and podcast, The Pete the Planner Show. Pete is considered one of the foremost experts on financial wellness in the world, but he’s just as likely to talk your ear off about bass fishing.