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When it comes to thinking of the right gift, there are plenty of factors to consider. What the person enjoys, what is the message you want to express and how to surprise them with it. We already talked about how some people ended up getting the worst gifts ever and what were the mistakes behind them. If you wish to avoid getting involved in such stories, just remember that there are two main goals when it comes to buying things for your loved ones: to make them happy and to strengthen your relationship.

In order to achieve them, you have to come up with a memorable gift that will show how much you care about them. Usually, people think that the most special gifts are the ones they come up with themselves. But more often than not, people tend to be happier when they receive something they actually wished for. So the obvious solution is to ask them directly, although it may seem like failing in the thoughtfulness area. 

Often, spending so much time thinking of the perfect gift can really make you feel anxious. What if the person will think this is a terrible gift? Or what if others will buy something better? When it comes to this, there’s always a social risk involved. A thoughtful gift can strengthen your relationship and make you feel even more connected to each other than you were before. A bad gift can do the opposite.

Research shows that undesirable gifts can have an impact on the way we see our partners or spouses. Gifting plays a big role in determining if there’s a similarity in tastes and interests between the two people. After a couple of experiments with 62 participants, it became clear that the things we buy have an influence on how we see the future of our relationships, and sometimes not in a good way.

When people received an undesirable gift, "men viewed themselves as relatively dissimilar from their girlfriend and reported a more negative outlook on the relationship’s future. Women responded to their boyfriend’s poor gift choice by inflating their reports of similarity to him, leaving their relationship outlook intact," the researchers explained.  

"Although we suggest that this gender difference emerged because women marshaled psychological defenses in response to the threat posed by receiving a bad gift, it is possible that women were less displeased with the bad gift than were men."

If done right, gift-giving can actually be one of the best ways to manifest your love. In 1992, Gary Chapman released a best-selling book called The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate which revolutionized the way we can see our relationships. According to him, there are five romantic ways people give and receive love: physical touch, quality time, acts of service, words of affirmation and gift-giving. 

And today, we are particularly interested in the gift-giving one. It means that we actually "speak" through the way we choose and give presents to our better halves. This does not mean that people who identify themselves with this love language are constantly buying statement gifts and doing grand gestures. It’s mostly about small tokens and cute surprises and not about greediness at all. 

Mark Williams, a licensed mental health counselor and relationship coach said, "If you or your partner’s love language is gifts, that means you feel loved [or that you’re demonstrating love] with a tangible item." It doesn’t matter if it’s a pair of comfy Christmas socks or a brand new car, the important thing is the idea behind it—showing that you are always on their mind. There’s also a sentimental value to it, because every time you’ll look at the present, it will remind you of the experience.