by Jason Quinn

Created on: March 27, 2007   Last Updated: April 23, 2007

When becoming acquainted with someone and they gradually become a new friend, finding a suitable gift can be difficult if you don't know their tastes and preferences.

Cost
Make sure the gift is appropriate; don't buy something overly expensive for your new friend, but don't buy something which screams cheap. If it is cheap it could not only give out negative views of you, but also of how you treat your friends. Although, there is nothing wrong with buying something cheaply if it hits the right spot.

Don't buy too expensively either, as this could lead the recipient of the gift to feel embarrassed upon receiving it, especially so if they hadn't planned to buy you one!

Relevance
The gift you buy (or make) for somebody should be relevant to them. You probably wouldn't buy a CD for a deaf person, so employ this logic when buying for someone. Most people practice cleanliness, so a gift set of soaps or gels is an idea, though one that seems to have been used many times before and become quite generic. Candles... again quite generic and quality is an issue, obviously rising in style and quality of the materials as the price does. A present I often get for friends is josticks or incense. It's good to introduce these to friends as they are relatively cheap, smell great and I've never met anyone who didn't like them. Just steer clear of the synthetic, factory produced ones. Another idea is a short book; one that can introduce a person to something they were otherwise not aware of or didn't know much about. For example; a book on Feng Shui, Karma, Calm, Confidence; ranging right through from self improvement to politics.

Cards
Cards are suitable for small budgets and anyone with creative flare. Don't leave it blank when you can put some heart felt words in to make it priceless. If you're creative, you could make a card. There is something special about receiving a card made by someone and this is probably because you can see the effort and time they have put in. This is a great idea for anyone wishing to give a memorable gift on a small scale. It also makes it a very personal present.

Generally, we tend to make friends with people who are like us. Though this is a generalisation, it has rung true many times throughout the years for me. So if you get really stuck for buying a present, consider what you might like for yourself as an optional present for them. Naturally you should also take into consideration at the same time, whether they will like the present! Don't blindly charge in to the nearest shop to buy CD's of your favourite band. Buying a present that is interesting, useful and won't break the bank is a must and I hope you succeed.

Good luck!

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