birthday gift-ideas

Whether you're looking for birthday gift ideas for your sister , your mom, your friend or even your best friend, you're in the right place. We've pulled together some of the best birthday gift ideas for women that are perfect for any occasion.

Things to consider when picking your gift:

Gender preference

As a general rule of thumb, gifts for men tend to be more abstract offerings like art pieces, and gifts for women tend to be more tangible, like trinkets, bracelets or jewelry. Keep in mind that people love to give and receive feedback about their presents, so if the holiday doesn't align with your personal gender politics, it might not be the best idea to give one.

Age

If you have the opportunity to give a gift for someone much younger than yourself, that presents a unique challenge. Parents with younger children especially are more likely to gift their kids a yearbook as opposed to picking up a few inexpensive magazines for their younger kids. Depending on how the parents have handled the younger child in the past, you may want to reconsider both the age of the child that you present along with the items that you bring.

Financial status

Gifting a gift to someone living paycheck to paycheck may simply not be in their budget. If that happens to you, there are still plenty of options available for you. You could gift your friend $500 to help her make a purchase, and you could gift her $500 worth of the latest tech gadget purchases. Or, you could finance the purchase of those items for them. Be careful to trust your friends around gift purchases, though. Girls like jewelry, bracelets and jewelry get the best response from women, while boys like electronics, electronics, video games and gadgets get the best response from guys. Don't be surprised if your tech buddy doesn't pack his birthday present as tightly as his friend. Pleasure comes before wealth

Empathy

Your instincts will tell you it's not right to gift someone who doesn't appreciate or understand your motives. However, think about why you provide things for your loved ones, and what role they play in your life. Trying to profit from others is frowned upon in most modern societies. Stop doing it here. If you really like your giftee and you think you could compensate them for the gift, go for it. Just remember that it shouldn't be in exchange for anything, and you shouldn't feel pressure to turn your friends into salespeople. Have fun with it. Give gifts that honor the person you're gifting.

Just because you're a geek doesn't mean you want to get an expensive laptop for your birthday, but just throwing a couple of things together is totally acceptable.