{"id":7949,"date":"2021-11-26T02:14:20","date_gmt":"2021-11-26T10:14:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.storagecafe.com\/blog\/?p=7949"},"modified":"2023-12-11T05:25:45","modified_gmt":"2023-12-11T13:25:45","slug":"5-bad-gift-ideas-and-better-alternatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.storagecafe.com\/blog\/5-bad-gift-ideas-and-better-alternatives\/","title":{"rendered":"Avoid These 5 Bad Gift Ideas And Try Their (Much Better) Alternatives"},"content":{"rendered":"

The holiday season, along with the gift-giving frenzy, is almost upon us. While some people make a priority out of being thoughtful and buying the perfect gift well ahead of time, others put it off and prefer to take care of things last-minute. Regardless of where you fit in this typology, there are bad gifts and there are good gifts, objectively speaking.<\/p>\n

A recent StorageCafe study<\/a> looked at which gifts Americans appreciate the most, based on a survey with over 9K responses. The research also revealed which gifts recipients generally deem bad. So, as you play Santa Claus over the following month, it\u2019s important to avoid these gift ideas and replace them with better alternatives. However, don\u2019t forget that we\u2019re not only talking Christmas gifts here \u2013 these tips will come in handy for your nephew\u2019s birthday party, your anniversary and maybe even the next time you celebrate Valentine\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n

<\/span>1. DIY all the way but avoid socks and sweaters <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Most of us have ugly Christmas sweaters somewhere in our homes. Whether we know exactly where we stashed them or if we forgot about them until this very moment, they\u2019re not coming out of their hiding places until spring cleaning. Why? Well, because X-mas socks and sweaters have been a Christmas staple for so long that they quickly turned into a tedious and underwhelming clich\u00e9.<\/p>\n

If you do want to take the DIY route for this gift-giving season, consider other options that are less frequently given as gifts and could surprise your friends. Depending on your skills and the time you have on your hands, think about hand-knitted mittens<\/strong>, handmade necklaces<\/strong> or bracelets<\/strong>, custom wine cork stoppers<\/strong>, little Christmas ornaments<\/strong> or even a coffee mug<\/strong> if you\u2019re into pottery.<\/p>\n

<\/span>2. You\u2019re not fooling anyone: gift cards are lazy<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

While cash might be a somewhat appreciated gift \u2014 especially in some states, as research<\/a> shows \u2014 giving someone money is not very thoughtful and can denote a lack of imagination and creativity, not to mention attention. Gift cards are a form of cash that looks better but limits the receiver to one store or place. However, you just need to take one more step to make that gift card really count.<\/p>\n

Experiences are the second-most sought-after gift. Why not opt for gift cards providing experiences? More and more places provide gift cards for the experiences or activities they offer. Even if you cannot get one for the preferred activity, you can always make one yourself. After all, it\u2019s not very difficult to make a reservation for your friend to go parasailing, book a massage or an entire spa day for your parents or get your colleagues to go kayaking or river rafting.<\/p>\n