1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:14,880 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:21,800 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to do a gift debrief. Figure out 4 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:24,400 Speaker 1: what worked and what didn't work in your gift giving 5 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: this past holiday season. Make notes to guide you in 6 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:35,160 Speaker 1: the future. So we are now about a month past Christmas. 7 00:00:36,080 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 1: For those who celebrate Christmas or any other December gift 8 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,839 Speaker 1: giving holiday, you may be glad to be done with 9 00:00:43,040 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: major gift giving occasions for the next eleven months, but 10 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 1: a little reflection right now can save future you a 11 00:00:52,600 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: fair amount of stress. If you've got kids, you can 12 00:00:57,120 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: reflect on what they received and what worked and what didn't. 13 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,559 Speaker 1: What are they still playing with now one month later? 14 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 1: What turned out to be a dud? Did anything create 15 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:15,040 Speaker 1: a lot of excitement when it was opened? Did other 16 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: siblings look wistfully at something or did you misjudge interests? 17 00:01:21,319 --> 00:01:25,040 Speaker 1: What about the volume of presents? Was it just right 18 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 1: or was it overwhelming? For other folks in your life. 19 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: It might help to write down what you gave and 20 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:38,040 Speaker 1: what you received while these items are still relatively fresh 21 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:42,119 Speaker 1: in your memory. It is easy to find yourself wondering 22 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: come November whether you gave your nephew a Duffel bag 23 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:50,360 Speaker 1: last year. Ten months hence, you will know that you 24 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: thought about giving him one, but you might not remember 25 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: what you decided a month after the holidays, though you 26 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: probably still remember ber and you can also see if 27 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 1: that duffel bag is getting any use by this point, 28 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: and thus evaluate whether it was a good idea or not. 29 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,320 Speaker 1: It can also be easy to forget which friends and 30 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 1: family members you exchanged gifts with, or even cards with. 31 00:02:19,720 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: No one likes the awkward dance when one person gives 32 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:26,400 Speaker 1: a gift and the other doesn't, so write it all down. 33 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,160 Speaker 1: If you've still got the holiday cards somewhere, and let's 34 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:32,679 Speaker 1: face it, it is entirely possible that you still do. 35 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:38,320 Speaker 1: Write down the names and addresses in a spreadsheet. Next November, 36 00:02:38,919 --> 00:02:42,799 Speaker 1: this will be all good to go. You might also 37 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 1: start creating a list of gift ideas. The upside of 38 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: doing this so soon after December is that you can 39 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:55,080 Speaker 1: remember what was a hit for some people and transfer 40 00:02:55,200 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 1: these ideas to other similar folks. You're new if you 41 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 1: love the Duffel bag, so you buy one next year 42 00:03:03,560 --> 00:03:07,919 Speaker 1: for your godson. If one set of older relatives really 43 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 1: liked a digital picture frame, probably another set will like 44 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:16,480 Speaker 1: it next year. If you particularly enjoyed a bottle of 45 00:03:16,480 --> 00:03:20,359 Speaker 1: wine from a colleague, well now you've got the name 46 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: of a winemaker to order in bulk from for other 47 00:03:23,639 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: people's gifts next year. And if something didn't work out, well, 48 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:33,080 Speaker 1: now you know. I will note that I gave my 49 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 1: husband something I really thought he would love, and as 50 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: of a few weeks post Christmas, it was still sitting 51 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 1: there in the room where we opened presents. I thought 52 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: it made a lot of sense as a gift, but 53 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:48,440 Speaker 1: I guess he just wasn't as into it as I 54 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 1: imagined he would be. I now know to look in 55 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: a different direction for gifts in future years. Santa isn't 56 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:01,160 Speaker 1: the only one who benefits from making the list and 57 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 1: checking it twice. Keeping a list of gifts given or 58 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 1: gifts received helps you make smarter choices in the future, 59 00:04:10,720 --> 00:04:16,400 Speaker 1: wasting less money and making people happier in the meantime. 60 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 61 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:31,919 Speaker 1: the most of our talk. Hey everybody, I'd love to 62 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:34,919 Speaker 1: hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 63 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:38,760 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter. Facebook 64 00:04:38,880 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast pod that's b the number 65 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: four than breakfast p o D. You can also shoot 66 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: me an email at Before Breakfast Podcasts. At iHeart media 67 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:54,800 Speaker 1: dot com that before Breakfast is spelled out with all 68 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,359 Speaker 1: the letters. Thanks so much, should I look forward to 69 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:05,599 Speaker 1: staying in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I 70 00:05:05,720 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 1: heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit 71 00:05:09,600 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 1: the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 72 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.