Three people have told me today what terrible gift buyers their male partners are.

Guys, get it together. It doesn’t need to be this way. As an expert gift buyer – no really – let me help you out.

Pick up What she’s Laying Down

It may be too late for this year, but for future years, from about mid-October onwards, listen to every sentence your lady says that starts with: “I saw this gorgeous…” or “I’d love a…” or “I really want a…” These are the best hints you are going to get so take notes if you have to and keep a list somewhere (like your smart phone).

Check her Size

How do you know her size? Look! Look in her closet, check her underwear drawer. Do you recognise something that she wears a lot? Then that’s a good size for her AND a good style. This is especially important with bras, because telling her you went for the “slouchy look” just ain’t going to cut it. Pay attention to the brand name labels too. Sizes can vary greatly from one brand to the next (at Ricki’s I wear two sizes smaller than I do at  H&M for example). When in doubt, step away from the clothes rack (I’ll explain in more detail below).

Ask her Friends

Hey guess what? Girls talk. Drop a text or email to one of her besties and ask if there is anything specific she has been hankering after. You can also ask her mom and earn some brownie points with the in-laws.

What is She Pinning?

Does she have a Pinterest account? Then go snoop. If you’re not sure how to do this, just Google Pinterest together with her name. If that gets you nowhere then check the browsing history on her laptop. You might get a few other hints this way too. It’s sneaky, but it’s awesome. Chances are she is pinning on Pinterest exactly what she covets and your purchases are just mere clicks away.

Favourite Store

Does she have a favourite store? One where you know she shops a lot – check her clothes and plastic bag collection for hints. Go to that store. Let your gut instinct reign supreme as you choose something, or ask one of the retail assistants. Chances are the assistant will jump for joy at being allowed to spend your money, what fun! If it’s clothing you are buying, be armed with answers: her favourite colours, her size, the occasion it’s for, and how much you want to spend. Ask the assistant to help you choose something that is special. Something she will wear but might not buy herself.

Are you Experienced?

If you really can’t get your head around buying the perfect item, go with an experience. Spa services, parachute jump, pottery class, paintball – you should know what she will enjoy. You SHOULD know. If you are unsure, then next year refer to point number one.

Romance

When all other ideas fail you, just play the romance card. Perfume, simple jewelry, night in a hotel, a love poem written by your fair hand, or a handmade gift. Just be sincere and it will be perfect. If your wallet is hurting this year, this is a good card to play. Gestures go a long way. Think coupons for cleaning, massage, dinner, breakfast in bed.

What not to buy:

• Anything in the wrong size. Too big and she will think you see her as fat, too small and she will be depressed she isn’t small enough. Remember, DO NOT RUIN CHRISTMAS
• Dollar store anything. If you’re broke, then get out a pen and a piece of paper and write her a poem, or refer to our Used.ca sites, use the search term “new” and take a look at the many many items we have that have never been used but are still cheap. You can even use the handy filter on the right hand side and search items under a certain dollar amount – this is a great way to see how far $20 can go
• Kitchen supplies. You know, some women would appreciate this, a gift of a KitchenAid blender to an avid baker could be the perfect gift. So get it right and steer clear of cleaning products. Always
• Stuff for you. The most transparent gift of all
• Nothing. Even if she explicitly said the words, “Let’s not do gifts this year.” Trust me on this

*Disclaimer. This is a generic blog post that has assumed that all women are the same. Yes. A big old generalisation of a blog post. But you got this far so, forgive me?

And hey look, what’s this? A male persepctive? Sure is.