1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:14,840 Speaker 1: Good Morning, This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:21,560 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to be a good gift recipient. By 4 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 1: making yourself very easy to shop for, you can allow 5 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:28,600 Speaker 1: others to have fun giving you gifts and give them 6 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:34,199 Speaker 1: the gift of making this far less stressful. One of 7 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 1: the upsides of adulthood is having your own money and 8 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:41,040 Speaker 1: being able to buy yourself what you want within reason. 9 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: Of course, that jaguar or yacht might not happen, but 10 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: if you want a sweater, or a juicemaker or a book, 11 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 1: you generally buy it, and this is quite efficient. But 12 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 1: when it comes to gift giving occasions, people can be stumped. 13 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: If you wanted a sweater, a juicemaker, or a book, 14 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 1: you would have already gotten it, so people tend to 15 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 1: throw up their hands and funnel more money to Amazon 16 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:11,920 Speaker 1: in the form of gift cards, or you wind up 17 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: with a sweater that the person feels stressed about. Saying oh, 18 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:20,040 Speaker 1: I don't need anything isn't helpful. Even if it is true, 19 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:24,960 Speaker 1: the social pressure to give gifts is strong, so it's 20 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:28,640 Speaker 1: actually nicest to let it be widely known that there 21 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:32,840 Speaker 1: is a certain category of things you always like. This 22 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:35,400 Speaker 1: makes it easy for people to know what to get 23 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:39,240 Speaker 1: you if you don't have one already. Consider starting a 24 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 1: collection of something precisely for this purpose. In trusting bottle 25 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:49,680 Speaker 1: openers or corkscrews, old lighters, old boy scout paraphernalia, depictions 26 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: of cellos, miniatures, tacky Christmas ornaments, vintage cookbooks. You want 27 00:01:55,600 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 1: something that is specific but broadly available, then people will 28 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: know they can always add to your collection. If you 29 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 1: are not taken with the idea of collecting things, you 30 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 1: could collect, I'm putting that in quote marks here. Things 31 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:14,160 Speaker 1: that are specific and consumable. Let people know that you 32 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 1: are a connoisseur of hot sauces and you will get 33 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 1: varieties from everywhere. Or you could become known for liking 34 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:27,919 Speaker 1: flavored vodkas or really smelly blue cheeses. Again, think broadly available, 35 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:32,000 Speaker 1: but distinct enough that there is no doubting what fits 36 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 1: your interests. If you really don't want any stuff, then 37 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:40,760 Speaker 1: let your favorite experiences be known. Have a favorite restaurant, 38 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: or be known for liking movies in theaters. That way 39 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: people can give you gift certificates. You could also let 40 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 1: people know about a cause you feel passionate about. If friends, 41 00:02:53,880 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: family members, and colleagues know that anything related to dog 42 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 1: rescue will warm your heart, then they can feel confident 43 00:03:01,520 --> 00:03:04,639 Speaker 1: choosing to donate in your honor to animal welfare charities. 44 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: They know that you will be happy about it. Now, 45 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,919 Speaker 1: I know, on some level this all seems inefficient. If 46 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 1: you don't need anything and it is going to take 47 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: the other person time and money to get you something, 48 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:23,360 Speaker 1: then why is anyone bothering? And if you can have 49 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:26,360 Speaker 1: an honest conversation with people in your life about not 50 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:32,080 Speaker 1: exchanging gifts, that is great. Many extended families decide to 51 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: only do gifts for kids, which is certainly a good option, 52 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: and offices might do a secret Santa type gift exchange 53 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 1: to make sure people only buy one present, or a 54 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 1: white elephant gift exchange so the gift doesn't have to 55 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 1: be thoughtful. The whole point of a white elephant gift 56 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: exchange is to not be thoughtful. But the more I 57 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 1: read about the human brain, the more I see how 58 00:03:54,720 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 1: deeply embedded the idea of reciprocal gift giving is. For 59 00:04:00,200 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: the situations are the folks who aren't going to be 60 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: able to help themselves. The nicest and least stress inducing 61 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 1: thing you can do is be very easy to shop for. 62 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: So as friends and family start asking you what you want, 63 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:19,800 Speaker 1: figure out something specific but broadly available that you can 64 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 1: be known for liking. You will solve this dilemma of 65 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: what to get you for years to come. In the meantime, 66 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:32,960 Speaker 1: this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making 67 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: the most of our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to 68 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 1: hear from you. You can send me your tips, your questions, 69 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:48,920 Speaker 1: or anything else. Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook 70 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:53,839 Speaker 1: and Instagram at Before Breakfast Pod that's b E the 71 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:58,159 Speaker 1: number four, then Breakfast p o D. You can also 72 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:02,240 Speaker 1: shoot me an email at Before Breakfast podcast at iHeartMedia 73 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 1: dot com that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all 74 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: the letters. Thanks so much, I look forward to staying 75 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:16,480 Speaker 1: in touch. Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio. 76 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i 77 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 78 00:05:23,560 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.