Christmas Shopping For Your Parents

Christmas shopping can be tough when you are first starting out on your own, but it is especially tough sometimes to figure out what to buy for your parents. What do you feel is expected of you? What is too much to spend? What is appropriate for you to purchase for the people that raised you? One good way to figure this out is to spend some time with your folks on a casual basis. Getting dinner every so often, or going out for a drink is a good way to figure out what kinds of things that they are interested in. More importantly, it is a good way of figuring what kinds of things they are interested in but would not invest in themselves. Here are some helpful hints.

• If your mother is a world class cook, but it is still baking with the same pans that she made your childhood birthday cakes with, perhaps getting her a new pots and pans set is a good idea. Do not worry too much about the logistics of stainless steel versus Teflon. Stay in your price range and get her something she can use, and she will love it no matter what.
  
• Let us say that your parents just moved in to a community for retirees. Your father is taking a real shining to the golf course, but he doesn’t have his own clubs. Maybe you cannot afford a whole set, but buying him a gift certificate to a sporting goods store could help him out and nudge him in the direction of spending a little bit of money on his new hobby for himself. Maybe you buy a golf bag and a small gift certificate, and that way there can be no confusion about what the gift certificate is for.
  
• Do not worry too much about how much you spend on your parents. They are going to care more about the thought that you have put in to their gift than the amount of money that you spent on it. For example, the entire set of golf clubs might not mean as much to your dad as a season of his favorite show on DVD. Your mom would probably be just as happy with a new cookbook as a whole new expensive set of pots and pans. It is all a matter of how much thought you put into it.
  
• Think about the gifts you got your parents for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day as a kid... Watches? Ties? Flowers? A new Vacuum? Stay away from anything generic like that, that does not show a lot of thought put into it. Opt instead for something simple but thoughtful. Get your parents a picnic basket with the makings for a gourmet meal and a nice bottle of wine. It may not be that expensive, but it shows that you care and that you want them to have some time to themselves for all that they have given to you.