Guidelines for Gift-Giving For Your Significant Other

The holidays are right around the corner, which only means one thing - time for that all-too-fun task of holiday shopping! (Insert sarcastic tone here.)  For those of you who haven't started searching for a gift for your significant other yet, below are a few guidelines to keep in mind before you start, to help you find that perfect gift that he/she will love.

1) At the beginning of the relationship, start the bar out relatively lower on the price of gifts, and then "work" your way up. I'm not saying that you need to shop at the "Dollar General" or what-not, but if you aren't ballin' outta control (and in this economy, who really is??), start with something reasonable and not over-the-top expensive, and as the relationship progresses, "work" your way up to pricier items (if that's what you can afford and feel you want to give your significant other).

For instance, guys, you might think it's sweet and generous to give your girl a super-expensive designer purse your first Christmas together, but any gal friend would tell you that if that's not something you could normally afford, you are shooting yourself in the foot by doing that. Next year, she will most likely expect something equal (whether consciously or unconsciously), if not better, so anything less would be seen as a "downgrade".  She might not tell you, but trust me, she'll notice; you want to "build" your way up to more expensive, pricier gifts, not start out with them from the offset.

2) For people who are romantic, thoughtful gifts work best.  If your boyfriend or girlfriend is the romantic type, "sentimental" presents will probably mean more to them than say, a shirt or a watch.  Make a scrapbook of your relationship together so far, think of a well-planned weekend of activities they love, get tickets to their favorite musical artist who's coming to town, or any other gift that has significance to an important moment in your relationship. 

3) The above rule applies for those who have it all, as well. People who are well off and "have it all" usually don't care as much for expensive, material things as they do for thoughtful gifts that show you took the time to think and/or plan it out. A guy who has a closet full of designer suits and several Rolexes, for instance, probably won't value a new designer watch as much as a sexy, romantic weekend getaway with his girlfriend (look for deals on worryfreevacations.com, jetblue.com, or southwest.com), a pair of tickets to see his favorite team play, or a slow, homecooked dinner of a favorite childhood meal. No matter your budget, don't fret if your significant other has a larger paycheck - giving a gift that shows you put in thought and detail will usually mean more to a beau who is financially well-off.

4) Don't give the same gift to your current beau that you gave to an ex. Ever. Major buzzkill! For instance, guys, if you gave a piece of a jewelry to an ex-girlfriend, for heavens sake, do not EVER buy the same thing for your current girlfriend! Even if you think there's no way she'll ever find out, there's no better way to devalue the gift (and annoy the heck out of your girlfriend when she discovers it), than by being lazy and buying the same one that you gave to an ex. The reason is she won't feel special if/when she finds out, and that's the message that it sends. This doesn't mean that if you gave one person a necklace, that you can't buy a necklace for the other one, as well - you can, just not the same one.

5) If you don't know what to give him/her, look for hints. Look at his/her taste in music, their clothes, past purchases, favorite hobbies, etc. Women usually don't have much of a problem finding the right gift for their man (unless theirs is very picky), but guys usually have a bigger problem with this. They're usually afraid their girl won't like it and will end up returning the gift or never wearing/using it. An easy way to find out where you could shop for her is by paying attention to the stores you see her shop at usually (which stores have the most bags laying around in her room?).  Also, around Christmas, your girlfriend might also start dropping hints about what she likes or wants - pay attention!  She didn't linger around and admire those shoes at the mall for a good 30 minutes for nothing ;)

You probably have an idea of his/her tastes or style, but if you don't, you could always go with something "safe" and useful, such as a music player loaded with their favorite songs, or something thoughtful, such as a scrapbook with pictures of your recent vacation together (and maybe a giftcard to one of their favorite stores tucked inside). If you can't think of the perfect, "ideal" gift, giving two smaller ones - one thoughtful and one practical - works also.