Gift Giving And Receiving 101

Deciding which gifts to get the people on your list is stressful enough. Now think about who should get on that list in the first place. Are you forgetting someone? What about the people at the office?

Compiling your holiday gift list doesn’t have to be a chore. Etiquette expert Ann Chadwell Humphries suggests taking a moment to consider all of your options.

“People feel obligated to give something,” she says. “If you stop and think what you want to accomplish, who you want to show how you appreciate them, you can get more organized.”

Not everyone need get a gift.

“Really nice cards can work,” she suggests. So does cash. But greenbacks aren’t always the best choice. “It’s better to work in gift certificates for people like teachers,” she says.

What if someone gives you a gift, and you have nothing for them? Say “thank you,” she suggests. It worked for her.

“I just accepted their gift, then found an opportunity to return a gift,” Humphries says. “You don’t have to return a gift for a gift. People may feel insulted.”