Updated Sep. 22, 2019. Originally published May 14, 2013.
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How Are Gift Lists Different?
If you’ve been following along with the Getting Organized series, you’re probably wondering how “gift lists” are any different from what we’ve already talked about. Well, these are not lists of people to buy/make gifts for, they’re lists of ideas. There are two varieties:
- Your own wish list. If you’re not used to having a wish list, don’t think of it as selfish. Think of it as helpful. Surely, at some point, someone is going to ask you what you’d like. If you haven’t been keeping a running list (at least mentally), you will draw a blank! Having a wish list gives you a place to jot down things you wouldn’t mind having, as they come to mind. That way you’re not on the spot if/when someone asks.
- Ideas for other people. It’s good to have lists for all of the people closest to you. These ideas can be very specific – exact items they’ve expressed an interest in – and more general – favorite colors, teams, themes, etc. Chances are, your lists will be a combination of the two. You’ll probably have a separate list for people you’re very close to (like your spouse and children), and possibly one single list with ideas that come to mind for anyone else. (“Cousin Joe likes Star Wars.”)
Where to Keep Them
As with all of our other information categories, we have to consider how portable these lists need to be. If you do a lot of spur-of-the-moment shopping, you might need to have them with you most of the time. If you do most of your shopping online, or do a pretty good job of remembering mentally most of what’s on your physical lists, you might be able to leave them at home.
I think that, for family, the “family information” section of my household notebook is a good place for this information, together with the more essential family information we talked about a few weeks back. I also keep Amazon Gift Idea lists for items I come across while searching online. (And I have a Pinterest board for ideas of gifts to make, ‘though that is not divided by recipient – it’s just a general list of ideas.)
STEP 1: Decide where to keep your list(s).
STEP 2: Make/gather your lists.
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I do use gift lists, and they help me. Thanks, you must know me. I tend to lose my gift lists, when I “get organized” I’ll start a new notebook and lose the old one.Now I keep them on my ipod with a free app called “grocery list”. I can check off the boxes after I bought something. That works well for me. My other tip is that I keep a couple of boxes on a shelf in the basement where I put things I have bought to be gifts, whether for someone particular or just to have on hand. When it gets near
Christmas or birthday time I divide them up into other boxes by child, so I can see who needs more and then I use my gift list. It also gives me a place to look when we need a quick birthday party or wedding gift, and saves me time and money.