Back when I had money, it was fun to think up fun gifts for people. I loved doing it. I almost never gave gift cards except for the record store for my daughter. Record store—is that even in existence anymore?
Anyhow, a psychologist at Duke named Dan Ariely wrote in the WSJ Nov 27-28, 2010, about how to give good gifts.
He asked people what a good gift was—and many said something the person wants but feels guilty buying for themselves. In other words, alleviating guilt was the gift.
If you have a great meal, he says, do you prefer to pay cash or a credit card? Credit card! It delays the negative, prolongs the positive.
What if a restaurateur charges you by the bite—but at a reduced rate. You have to gauge this with every bite. Would you like it?
My, we are a prissy little bunch of Calvinists.
He says this is why gift cards are good—they give the gift of delaying the pain or even eliminating it.
What do you think? I don’t think they are very imaginative. But this is another way to look at it.
By the way, I think those car commercials are so stupid...Wife blindfolds hubs and then shows him her "gift" to him--a new Lexus or something. Don't these people talk? If my mate did this to me, I would melt down--"HONEY, we don't need a gas guzzler. Are you insane?"
0 comments:
Post a Comment