Buying a gift for your other half can be fraught with the possibility of disappointment by the gift receiver, which leads to unnecessary stress and running around for the gift giver. The key to buying a gift for your wife, husband, girlfriend or boyfriend is to buy them something they would like, not something you like. I once received a vacuum from a boyfriend, yes it was a Dyson and very futuristic looking and did a great job but it just didn’t feel right. To this day I don’t know what the intention behind the gift was. A hint to vacuum more often? A sign of commitment?

Living with your other half or knowing them really well doesn’t make it any easier to come up with a great gift idea but it does give you an advantage to look for clues.

• Think about what the other person likes. Jewelry, video games, board games, books, music, cars?
• Have they commented on a movie they want to see?
• Do they have a favourite colour?
• Do they like certain brands? Xbox or Prada?
• Is there something that would make their life easier?
• What makes them light up with a big smile?

Once you have an inkling of a gift idea, for example a video game, think about what kind, if you need to buy a console, does it need accessories etc.

An anonymous sage once said ‘the answers you seek to your gift buying dilemma are right in front of you’. If you can’t see them just ask.

Good luck!

Miss Ren