We all have them, usually we're related to them: people that are nearly impossible to buy Christmas presents for. I don't know this for a fact, but I would bet one of the most common reason people dread Christmas shopping is the anxiety involved in finding gifts for hard-to-buy-for people. What do you do? Here are a few ideas that might help.

Christmas gift ideas for hard to buy for people
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Food

There's a reason Christmas cookies and Christmas candy get passed around every year, and there's a reason that every single store stocks up on those sausage and cheese baskets. Everybody eats. Depending on how well you know your hard-to-buy-for person, you might be able to do a little better than a tin of popcorn, or pair of mugs and hot chocolate mix. Customize your own basket with the person's favorite foods, candy, sodas, etc. (booze). Even if you're not sure about favorites, there's a good likelihood that you know someone that can give you the info you need.

Experiences

Concert tickets, theater tickets, movie tickets...anything that requires a ticket can be a great gift. They don't take up space in a closet, or under a bed. They don't have to be dusted. One size fits all. Just make sure you get tickets to something that the hard-to-buy-for person is interested in. Don't send them to see Garth Brooks if their iPod is only full of Metallica. As a bonus, you can also buy a ticket for yourself and attend the event with the person, assuming it is something you would like to go to, and assuming you like the person you're buying a gift for! Sometimes we have to buy gifts for people we really don't like. If that's the case, give them a pair of tickets, say "Merry Christmas," and then do your best to avoid them until next year.

Magazine Subscriptions

Here's one I've used in the past. Just about everyone has some sort of interest or hobby, and nearly every single interest and hobby has at least one regularly published magazine dedicated to it. Magazine subscriptions are great because you can buy the current issue and wrap it up in a box, along with a card that explains to the person that they'll be getting the magazine for a year. This idea is only a good one if the hard-to-buy-for person likes to read.

Gift Cards

And then there's always the most popular last resort in the history of Christmas shopping: the gift card. In the past, people only gave gift certificates or gift cards when they ran out of time before finishing their shopping. It was also a gift that was once considered thoughtless, almost rude, but times are changing. Almost every single business imaginable offers a gift card or gift certificate, and some people actually prefer to receive gift cards for Christmas. Just like with the concert tickets, you have to be smart to pull this one off. A gift card to a pizza restaurant, for example, could be a great gift, or a dud. It all depends on whether or not the intended recipient likes pizza. Do a little homework, and you'll be just fine.

Do you have any great suggestions for hard-to-buy-for people? What has worked for you, over the years? Leave a comment below; we'd love to hear your ideas!

Happy holidays, and best of luck with the rest of your Christmas shopping!

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