Gift Giving: Too Much, Too Soon?
So, Christmas and the holidays are right around the corner and you’ve just starting dating a new guy. If you’re wondering what’s appropriate when it comes to gift giving there are a few things to consider.
For many women, a thoughtful gift needs to have a deep emotional meaning for the recipient, as well as, the giver. However, if a guy feels that he’s being given “too much, too soon,” he may read the gift(s) as a calculated show of affection or a stepping-stone to secure a relationship. Why? Because to a guy, a thoughtful gift is a stand-alone gesture with no hidden meaning.
With that in mind, here are some helpful gift giving tips:
DO: Get him an iTunes gift card.
DON’T: Make him a playlist of cheesy love ballads so he’ll know how he makes you feel.
DO: Take him out for a simple dinner.
DON’T: Take him out to a top five star restaurant and remind him how much you’re spending on him.
DO: Get him a gift tailored to his taste. If he’s talked about modern art, get him a coffee table of one of his favorite artists. If he likes to cook, get him a new cookbook he doesn’t have, a kitchen gadget, or a gift certificate to a specialty food shop.
DON’T: Yes, DO NOT get him anything cliché like a shirt and tie, let alone underwear or socks! If he’s not into sports, don’t waste your money on a book about sports.
DO: Make a gift of stuff that’s edible. They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and there is nothing better than a batch of homemade cookies or brownies.
DON’T: Buy an expensive $200 bottle of a scotch or wine to go along with the homemade treats.
DO: Give him a gift that you can do together, like tickets to a movie, concert, etc.
DON’T: Plan the event months in advance, which can read as having an ulterior motive. Make sure to plan the event no more than two weeks in advance.
DO: Get him a subscription to a streaming site, like Hulu, Netflix or Amazon Prime. (I would recommend this only after dating steadily for 6 months)
DON’T: Have a brand new 65” flat-screened delivered to his door.
Rule of thumb: If you’ve been dating less than a couple of months, keep the gifts under $30! The last thing you want to do is scare him off by buying him some expensive and flashy gift, which he’ll see as gift-wrapped motives with strings attached.
