by Jill Jacks

Created on: August 08, 2008

For Men: How to shop for a great anniversary gift.

In general men don't like to shop and it shows in their gift choices. Shopping can be fun and doesn't need to take a lot of time. Your mission men.....is to know your target.

There are men who rush the mall the day of their anniversary grabbing the first item they can find. Other men order flowers or pick up a bouquet from the local grocer. Others yet take their wife out for dinner believing a night off from cooking and dishes will rock her world.

The trick to buying the perfect gift is simple:

Step 1: Identify your wife

What kind of woman is she...
a) princess
b) thrill seeker
c) romantic
d) down to earth

What types of things does she like to do...
a) shop
b) camp
c) spa
d) dancing
e) hobbies and crafts
Your wife likely shares many of these characteristics and interests. This is useful information when choosing gifts.

Another question to consider is knowing what your budget is. No one should go into debt from gift giving but sometimes it's nice to go a little crazy as long as it doesn't keep the bills from being paid.

Finally what anniversary are you celebrating? Some years are considered benchmark or milestone anniversaries. These should be given their due otherwise you'll likely get yours...later when you least expect it. Milestone anniversaries are first, five, ten, fifteen, twenty, twenty-five, forty, fifty, and seventy-five year.

Milestone anniversaries historically have customary gifts. Twenty-five years is the silver anniversary and gifts are silver, such as a silver cake server. On the fiftieth or golden anniversary gifts are gold such as gold goblets. The couple might give each other jewelry such as gold rings or cuff links. Some follow tradition but not commonly so today. Gifts were given by friends and family to acknowledge the couple's accomplishment.

You have identified your wife as a person first and by what she likes to do second. Here's how to use that information:

For the romantic that likes to go dancing consider taking her to a lounge that serves good food and offers a dance floor. The music will be toned down so patrons can talk while the music plays and will tend to include more slow songs than a nightclub. If dancing is not your favorite pastime ask if making your wife happy will get you through the night. Don't do it if you won't dance as that is a sure way to ruin the evening. If you like to dance take this one "step" further by enclosing a gift certificate for dance classes at a local studio.

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