What type of gift-giver are you? It’s important to know because the type of gift that you select for someone says a lot about your relationship with them. Of course, you can give a general gift without much thought, but if you’re trying to say something more than just “I hope this is just what you want,” then perhaps it’s time to put some more thought into it.
The following is a list of the most common gift-givers types and some insight into what they might be trying to say when they buy you a birthday gift. Take a look at the list and see how many types you recognize from your past experiences.
- The Impulse Buyer
The first type of birthday gift-giver is best represented by those who buy gifts impulsively, either in physical stores or online gift shops. While their motive is usually to get rid of something, the end-product is that they often spend more on a gift than someone actually needs, buying a new toy or dress for your kid even if it wouldn’t be of any use to him.
You might wish you could say that no one had ever made such a mistake with you, but there’s always been at least one person who gave you something for your birthday that was either totally unnecessary or so extravagant as to be laughable.
- The Pessimist
You might think that the impulse buyer is the worst gift-giver, but you’d be surprised to learn that there is a type of gift-giver who gives out far worse gifts. The pessimist can rarely find anything in their home that they like, so they feel the need to go out and buy something new, often assuming it’s either going to break or lose its novelty quickly.
Because pessimists care so little about the actual value of what they’re giving, it’s no surprise that their birthday gifts are often the worst. What is a surprise is just how bad they can be, whether it’s an ugly sweater that couldn’t possibly be flattering or an electronic gadget bought just because everyone else has one.
- The Genuine Gift-Giver
There’s one type of gift-giver that’s almost unknown in the world of birthday shopping. This person buys birthday gifts purely because they are thoughtful, genuine, and well-received by their recipients. They don’t have an ulterior motive, no need to impress anyone with a flashy premium gift set they’ll never use or appreciate.
Instead, these people buy gifts that are something they would like to give if it weren’t for the fact that giving them would mean disappointing someone else on their birthday.
For the most part, this type of gift-giver only appears once or twice a year in your life, and they are best represented by people who don’t professionally give out gifts for birthdays.
You might suspect that someone like this exists because you’ve had a friend who buys new clothes for their children or a parent who occasionally buys you presents for birthdays without expecting anything in return.
- The Big Spender
Many people don’t like to think of themselves as big spenders when they’re buying gifts, but they might fall into this category nonetheless. This is because they don’t just buy one thing and be done with it. Instead, they buy a lot of different things, some of which you might not even want or need.
If you get a gift set from this type of person, you are their top priority at the time. When they’re spending money, they want you to be a part of it, which means not just one but several birthday gifts instead of just one big extravagant gift.
- The Scrooge
Many people don’t like to shop and would rather stay at home than go shopping. This type of person doesn’t believe in buying anything other than what’s absolutely necessary for day-to-day life because it’s not a practical use of money, especially not on frivolous things which aren’t necessities or luxuries.
Most of us never meet people like this, but you might find them in your family. They often leave you with a bit of money to spend on yourself, but they won’t tolerate spending anything on anyone else.
- The Prankster
You might think that the big spenders are serious and work hard at making sure they don’t go overboard, but they haven’t even heard of the word “prank. “
These people are sometimes hard to spot, but they do one thing that helps them stand out from the crowd. They buy things intended to be funny, which is the only reason they might buy anything at all.
- The One Who Doesn’t Know You At All
There’s one type of gift-giver that you don’t want to be, and it’s the kind that buys things they think are funny or cute without realizing just how insulting they could be.
Most people don’t like to receive surprise gifts from this type of person because they’re the ones who give them the lame and offensive birthday presents that they can never use. After all, they’re either too small or too big.
- The Person Who Buys Gifts For Others But Not For Themselves
You might think that the big spenders are bad gift-givers, but they don’t have to deal with the people who buy surprise gifts for other people but not for themselves. These people buy everything for everyone else but offer nothing for themselves because that’s just how generous they are.
The most important thing to remember about the people who buy you birthday gifts for your birthday is that, by and large, they probably care about what you think. Even if they don’t, there’s at least a chance that they will after receiving your reaction.
