How to choose a gift.

While completing some errands today, I found my mind drifting to the imminent holiday season. In case you are oblivious (and likely not in a western country), Christmas is fewer than two weeks away. That means for those of you who procrastinate, the time to finish preparations is now (as an aside, Friday will likely be a thorough post all about procrastination). If you continue to dawdle, you may find your gifting season extending into January or even March!

The difficulty of properly preparing for Christmas often stems from an inability to choose the perfect gift for someone you know. First, let go of the expectation of choosing something that will be a cornerstone in their life and except a less ambitious criteria for success. For example, choose something that acknowledges one of their interests or hobbies.

Second, consider Hacking Asia's trademarked gift-o-meter. Extensive review and research has led this blog to conclude that age is directly correlated with the optimal type of gift. Observe.

When people are young, they typically have an excess of time that they must fill. This is coupled with minimal resources. So, for children, the best gifts are those that are able to take advantage of and consume that time. Play guns that make noises and allow children to fantasize about killing aliens, 60hr+ video games (a la Skyrim or Final Fantasy), and book series are all great examples of gifts that devour time.

As children grow older, they gradually have less and less free time. Studying, boyfriends/girlfriends, jobs, other pursuits, and eventually families consume greater and greater amounts of their free time. During this transition, gifts that require large time investments increasingly lose their value. Instead, a shift is made toward gifts that augment their current reality. That is to say, gifts that improve their usual routine hold greater value. For example, a doctor who frequently hand-writes prescriptions may appreciate a quality fountain pen to replace her disposable BIC.  Likewise, buying a new pair of shoes for gym teacher could be a pleasant indulgence that they normally would pass-up but greatly enjoy when it is given as a gift.  Thus, Hacking Asia heavily advocates approaching gifts as augmentations rather than additions.

Impatient readers may already be asking the question: "What about those who are retired and once again find themselves with extensive leisure time?". For them, we suggest deferring to their years of acquired habits and tastes. That is to say, don't try and introduce a new love for wine in a whiskey drinker or a love of impressionist paintings in a person that would rather go camping. Instead, take a more conservative route and stick to focusing on ways to improve their routine. However, because they do have more time available, this group may enjoy the addition of new hobbies closely related to their activities. For example, tying flies for fly fishing or a home brewing kit for beer lovers. A non-fiction tome about their interests can also be a great gift to consider.

Scarcity is one of the other key factors in considering gifts. When money is limited or the receiver seems to have everything, consider what item you could contribute that would be difficult to obtain without your assistance. Perhaps you have access to some awesome local alcohol, logo-ed apparel, hand crafted chess pieces, or old photographs. Scarcity does not necessarily mean expensive, it just means it is something they would be unlikely to come across and it is a wonderful approach for gift giving. For example, instead of trying to buy the scotch lover in your family a "good" bottle of scotch; instead, buy them a brand that is unique to your region.

Of course,  a favorite standby on Hacking Asia is a book gifted with a personal note written inside the cover (this is a wonderful example of a small addition greatly adding to scarcity). Further, as the world increasingly converts to digital, an enduring hard copy gains more appeal each year.

Best of luck with your last minute gifting. Stop procrastinating and finish it up!