Gift Exchange Etiquette 101
Whether it’s for a shared birthday or a holiday, gift exchanges are something that happen all over the world. But unless the gift exchange is well executed, it can lead to bad feelings and misunderstandings. So here are some of the things that you and your friends should do in order to make sure that the gift exchange is a success.
- Set a Date – The first thing that you want to do is to set a date for your gift exchange. This should be sent in an email so that everyone can set a reminder for themselves. It’s also a good idea to set the date for at least a month before the gift exchange is to happen. This gives everyone enough time to go shopping.
- Set a Limit – The second thing to do is to set a price limit on what everyone is to spend. A good guideline is a price somewhere around $20-$25, because it’s a price that everyone can afford. This way no one buys a more expensive gift, but at the same time no one buys a gift that is cheap as well.
- Give Suggestions – This is not a requirement, but it’s a good suggestion, especially if the gift exchange happens in an office environment. It’s a good idea to give suggestions for what you would like to receive for a gift. A total of three suggestions is a good idea. That way you don’t know what you will receive.
Gift exchanges are a lot of fun, but they need to also be planned so that no one is disappointed when the day comes to exchange. It’s not fair for someone to miss out on a gift exchange because someone involved wasn’t prepared, and it’s not fair for one person to choose cheap gifts when others are spending the suggested limit. So, sticking to the above gift exchange suggestions is a good way to ensure that the exchange is fun for everyone involved.