Posts Tagged ‘reminders’
What Makes a Great Gift #7: It’s Timely
Belated birthday presents. Late Christmas gifts. Forgotten anniversaries. To give great gifts, we strive to give them in a timely manner. While “better late than never” applies, often gifts are meant to mark a specific occasion. Yes, in the case of weddings, gift etiquette allows guests to give gifts up to one year from the ceremony. But do you really need 12 months to decide whether to shop from a gift registry or go creative with a carefully chosen surprise?
Here’s one way to stay on time. Set up automatic reminders for gift occasions as recurring alerts. Allow yourself enough advance notice to keep from scrambling for that last-minute present. For example, my iPhone just chimed to notify me that Valentine’s Day is one month away.
Not only is a great gift given in a timely manner, the actual present is in season. Giving water skis for Christmas or snow skis during the Fourth of July can deflate the impact of your gift. Give seasonal presents in season to avoid a delay in enjoying the gift. Of course, there are always exceptions. Let your giftee be your guide. If your recipient specifically hints about a premium picnic basket as a Christmas present, then by all means, visit Picnic-Basket.com.
Tags: birthday, christmas, fourth of july, giftology, reminders, valentine's day
Like to see your loved one re-enact the “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” musical number from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory? Consider giving concert tickets to see his or her favorite performers. That’s what I did last night. My wife and I saw Josh Groban in concert, and we enjoyed his stunning baritone vocals.
To keep track of upcoming concerts, I rely on Performer Alerts from ticketmaster.com. Simply sign up for a free My TicketMaster account and login. Search for favorite bands, singers, and comedians by name and add them to your e-mail alerts. Ticketmaster will send you reminder e-mails well in advance and just before the concert tickets first go on sale. You can buy the tickets online through ticketmaster.com and have them mailed to you (or even printed from your computer). If you want better seats, find out if joining the artist’s fan club will allow you a pre-sale purchase date.
One caveat: Ticketmaster discloses your e-mail address to the concert venue, so you might get event e-mails from the venue. Most (if not all) will have opt-out links at the bottom of the message if you don’t want these e-mails.
Tags: for her, gift sites, guy gifts, music, reminders
Of course, no one forgets gift occasions like anniversaries, birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, weddings, showers, graduation, housewarmings… need I say more? Rather than scramble at the last minute, use free web sites that email (or text message) you a timely reminder.
Set up the regular occasions (e.g., Christmas, birthdays, anniversary, Valentine’s Day) as recurring alerts. Be sure to make the reminder subject clear, such as “Start shopping for the 5th anniversary gift now.“ Give yourself enough notice to find a thoughtful gift.
Try out one of these free reminder services:
Tags: anniversary, birthday, gift systems, reminders
