Holiday Tips

I spent yesterday afternoon watching a friend, who is normally a very calm and rational individual go into full-scale panic mode as she tried to find a gift for her boyfriend who "doesn't need anything and has everything". The normal suggestions of cookware and the like were very quickly dismissed. People would say things like "he's got a ton of hobbies, he's easy to shop for", which didn't seem to help the matter any.
I've been reading a book called The Paradox of Choice : Why More Is Less which seems to point out that excessive choice leads to choice overload. It also points to a lot of other things which I think would be wise to keep in mind as we move into the final shopping weekend before Christmas.
Some advice for holiday shoppers:

1. There's no such thing as the perfect gift.
   
   Be a person who says "it's not perfect, and it may not be the best, but it's good enough". Be satisfied and happy with your purchases. If you fail to get what they most want, the world will not end, your signifigant other will not desert you, and your children will not hate you forever.
   
2. Beware the fallacy of "sunk cost".
   
   This is good to keep in mind, especially because of high demand items (like Xbox 360s or white iPod nanos). Let's say you've driven to the store, and when you get to the store, they are selling it in a bundle for $1500, rather than the base price of $500. You've got three choices -- either pay up (losing another $1000 dollars) or go home (losing the time spend on the trip). My advice? Go home, lose the time. Just because you're already there doesn't mean you have to buy anything, especially if it's more than you thought it would be. This lesson can be applied in other ways as well -- just because you buy them an item doesn't mean you need to attach every accessory under the sun to the purchase.
   
3. You don't have to spend a lot.
   
   Plan a realistic budget on how much you want to spend per person and stick to it. Driving yourself into financial ruin for a holiday is unwise and foolish.
   
4. Use wishlists.
   
   People have wishlists for a reason -- it helps them get what they want, and it helps those who don't know what someone wants some choices. That being said, a person may leave things off their wishlist if they've been dropping hints that they want something in particular.
   
5. Don't underestimate the value of quality time.
   
   Being able to spend time with the person is sometimes the best gift of all.
   
6. If all else fails, a bottle of nice wine and/or a box of good chocolates is an excellent gift.
   
   If they have kids, buy chocolates. If they drink, buy wine. Be mindful of food alergies (nuts is the big one).
   
7. It really is the thought that matters.