What do you buy for the person on your list that has everything? Or the mother who says, "Oh no, I don't want gifts, just spend time with me." And how about the other extreme; the person who is very specific and always chooses hard-to-find gifts that are far too expensive to even consider?
It's the thought that counts
Canada's etiquette experts maintain that it should always be the thought that counts, not how much you pay. Most of us know this but we still find ourselves running around at the last minute choosing a gift that suits our budget better than it suits the recipient. Or, we just grab one of the generic "just in case" gifts we bought off season and on sale. You know, the stash of wine glasses, candles, towels, scarves or screwdriver sets we keep in the basement cupboard. Think about how many times you have been on the receiving end of one of those "just in case" gifts. Recall how obvious it was to you just how little thought the gift giver put into it.
High exchange rate
A recent national poll conducted by Decima Inc. suggests that many of us are not choosing gifts carefully enough. Some 42 per cent of Canadians said they've wanted to re-gift, return or exchange a gift they received in the past year, at least once. Ontarians are especially difficult to please, with 52 per cent admitting that they've wanted to re-gift, return or exchange a gift they received in the past year, at least once. Students are also among the most difficult to please, with 62 per cent saying they have wanted to re-gift, return or exchange a gift they received in the past year.
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