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4 Great Tips to Buy Gifts for Distant Relatives or Friends
By Jill Peterson
Buying gifts for distant relatives and friends who you rarely see, can be really daunting. There are a few factors that make a simple task difficult. Because you don't see them often, you may not have a good idea of their current interests or hobbies. Besides, you also need to consider the cost and complexity of shipping holiday gifts to your distant relatives and friends.
Here a few ideas to make holiday shopping for distant relatives or friends more manageable and at the same time, save some money.
Gift Ideas for Distant Relatives and Friends
1. Call them to catch up before you do your shopping.
By giving them a quick phone call, you can get a great deal of insight into their life. It is also a good idea to make a call like this just to keep in touch.
You can find out a lot of things during a phone conversation. Ask about their latest hobbies or leisure activities they enjoy. Have they lost or gained weight since the last time you saw them? Is your friend still crazy about green color, or has she changed her favorite color to red? Or, you might want to ask your distant relative what they would like for Christmas.
All of this information can make holiday gift shopping easier for you. And, you can be sure that your gift is something that they really want.
2. Another option you might want to consider is purchasing a gift certificate. It can be a pampering treat at their favorite spa, a delicious meal at a classy restaurant, or even a gym membership. This may not be the most exciting holiday gift but it is one that is sure to be appreciated.
3. Shipping the gifts to distant relatives and friends could sometimes be a problem, especially if you are shipping the gift close to Christmas time when the lines in the post office are long.
One way to avoid expensive shipping costs, is to purchase gifts that are relatively small in size. By doing so, you save on excessive charges associated with shipping items which are oversized or heavy. Scented candles make beautiful gifts and they don’t weigh a lot. Pedometers are great gift choices for a fitness buff while a set of sable hair makeup brushes is sure to delight any beauty enthusiast.
4. If you are planning a trip to visit your distant relatives during the holidays, you could consider purchasing gifts that are small enough to fit in your suitcase so you can transport the items yourself. For example, a pewter photo frame or a leather wallet. It saves you shipping costs as well as the hassle of dealing with standing in long lines to ship the Christmas gifts. Gift certificates as mentioned earlier are excellent options for shipping.
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