With December comes the most festive season of the year and among all the end-of-year festivities are the Christmas exchanges, which take place between friends, family and co-workers (the latter are usually the most complicated).
If you are one of those who love Christmas and gifts, participating in the exchanges can be a pleasant experience for you. But if, on the contrary, you are a spirit grinchthese events could bring out green gray hair.
To prevent any of these exchanges from turning into a bad experience, you can follow the tips below.
If you do not want to participate, say so clearly
Few things are worse than having to do things without the motivation to do them, simply out of obligation.
So if you really do not want to participate in any of the exchanges to which you are invited and you consider that, more than something pleasant, it will become a bad experience that you would rather not live, it is okay if you refuse to participate.
Yes, maybe there are those who think that you are a grinch and bitter, but does it matter what others think of you, even more so when they are people you hardly live with? Learn to say «no» without feeling guilty.
see the bright side
This point applies especially to those people who are not very interested in participating in exchanges.
Think that by doing so you will have a moment to live in a relaxed atmosphere with your co-workers, to meet again with those friends whom you have stopped seeing due to lack of time, or to live together and strengthen ties with your friends. relatives.
Also, if your family is large, think that when making an exchange you should only buy one gift, and not one for each family member. Your wallet will thank you.
Gift price range
To avoid disappointment and disappointment when someone gives an amazing gift and receives something they don’t like and that seems to have been bought last minute in the supermarket, it is ideal to establish a price range that is not very wide, and that all participants promise to respect it.
thematic exchanges
When you do not know all the participants of the exchange well, for example, when it includes everyone from the office or those relatives that you only see on these dates, the ideal is to do a thematic exchange, be it books, movies, mugs or garments (sweaters, socks, scarves, etc.), to name a few examples.
In this way, everyone avoids having to find out what the other person likes, if they don’t know them well and don’t know what their likes are.
gift options
Alternatively, once the price range is established, each participant gives three gift options or at least an idea of the type of things they would like to receive. So, even if the other person doesn’t know what she likes and what she doesn’t, she can get an idea of the type of gift she should look for.
generic gifts
In case the exchange is not themed and there are no gift options, the best thing to do is stick to the established budget and look for gift options that are as generic as possible.
Avoid giving away personal things in which there is a huge variety of tastes, such as perfumes, books, records and movies, because what you love may not like others.
In these cases, gift cards from department stores or Amazon are a great option, or cards to pay for services like Netflix and Spotify, or to download apps and content in the Apple and Android stores.
Alternatively, you can find a way to find out what the person you’re giving the gift likes, so you get an idea of what they might like.
Respect for the rules of the game
The fun of the exchanges is the surprise of knowing who is going to give you. For this reason, the participants should avoid asking and commenting with the others who is the person who got them, otherwise, days before it is done, everyone will know who will give a gift to whom and thus everything loses its charm and fun. .
Enjoy it
If you have already decided to participate in the exchange, the worst thing you can do is become bitter and see it as something negative (in which case, it is best to refuse from the beginning).
No matter who you have given as a gift, strive to get something that is to their liking and enjoy the experience.
It may interest you: 5 tips to avoid ending the year broke