Men whose girlfriend or wife is a difficult person to shop for, what do you do when it’s time to buy her something?

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My GF is a very hard person to shop for. So after about a year I gave up on buying her something for her birthday, Christmas or special event. Now I just put money on prepaid credit card or gift card and tell her “heres your present”. That saves me a lot time and headaches

Comments

  1. andronicus_14 Avatar

    I listen to her talk about what she wants throughout the year. Some of it she won’t buy because she thinks it’s too expensive. That’s what I get.

    She was talking about the new Kindles last year. She could write notes on it for work and also use it to read romance/fantasy books. Got it for her birthday. She loved it.

    She loves Beauty & The Beast. For Christmas, I got her a limited edition BatB themed Belle purse from the Disney store.

    Part of it is knowing what she likes. Part of it is listening to what she says.

  2. Just_a_Teddy_Bear Avatar

    You have to learn to pay attention when you’re out and about with them. They will mention something they like in passing, those are the things you go back and get when she’s not with you.

  3. Pretty-Structure-766 Avatar

    I just dont buy her anything ever

  4. Alchemaic Avatar

    One year and you gave up?

    Pay attention to what she has, what she actually uses and likes. Then listen to her “I’m just venting” moments and use gifts as a way to solve those problems for mundane day to day things that make her life better. You can’t fix her crappy coworkers but you can get her something that makes the things she likes more enjoyable. Hobbies, escape mechanisms, crafts, etc.

  5. Fit-Birthday-4083 Avatar

    There must be something she likes? Hobbies? A specific style/brand of shoe? Cooking gadgets? Fitness gear? A frequently worn jewelry item?

  6. Dorksim Avatar

    Buy her experiences. Take her to that expensive restaurant she’s always wanted to try but it was out of the budget. Take her to see a stand up comic, or live show, or whatever else she’s into.

  7. zzaro22 Avatar

    Surprise her…get her nothing.

  8. Baranamana Avatar

    I don’t wait until it is time. If I see something nice during the year, perhaps on a business trip, I take it with me straight away and hide it until I give it as a gift or give it straight away. It can be just little things. Special chocolate, something to snack on, flowers. It’s easier over the years and we know what makes each other happy.

  9. S00pergenius Avatar

    Jewelry is always a safe bet. I think most ladies have a little Dory in them. So if you appeal to their “Oh shiny” side you’re probably safe. As we age we need fewer and fewer things and want less. Listening to what they want can be a slippery slope. My friend got his wife a very nice rice cooker and a vacuum because she said she wanted a new and a different one. I still told him it was cool that he was paying attention to her wants. He really should not be disappointed if her reaction is not what you’re expecting. My closing statement as I left him to either enjoy the festivities or face the music was that he should not even remotely expect to get laid after gifting her a rice cooker and vacuum on Mothers Day. I was surprised he had 3 kids after giving her gifts like that.

  10. Canna-Lily-Livi-Love Avatar

    No, no, no. When you are out you need to pay attention to the items she looks at. Be sneaky and take a picture of the item and the barcode. Or when she uses the restroom you can go to the counter and ask to order it to have it shipped to you. Don’t try to guess what she wants, pay attention. Gift cards and cash is very impersonal unless it’s what she’s asked for.

    You can do what I did for my husband’s last birthday. We went to the mall and I told him he has a budget of $500 to get whatever he wants. It was really fun to go shopping with him. I would have preferred to find something for him myself but up until recently we didn’t have much money and the only place we would shop is Walmart.

  11. Mehh_12 Avatar

    Buy her the things she comments on when your out together. My partner is not good at buying gifts so when i see something that i would consider expensive or not something i should buy right now he gets it. Often forget about them till birthday or Christmas

  12. Responsible_Bake_854 Avatar

    As a woman, if you have access to her phone/accounts, get into her carts on her shopping apps (Amazon, Sephora, Ulta, SHEIN, clothing/brand apps, etc..), look through her browser see if she has any stores open or an item, look into “saved” items on her shopping apps and social media apps. Obviously try to remember if it’s something she already has, but if it’s there is because she liked it.

    If you can’t find any item at all (extremely doubtful), she may also have saved places, restaurants or activities and you could gift her those. A new experience is always nice, specially if it feels like they chose it specially for you.

  13. Quietus76 Avatar

    We share an Amazon wish list. We save stuff to buy later. Sometimes we find something the other wants and get it as a gift.

    She has even found my Summit Racing wish list and bought me car parts for me hot-rod.

  14. QuietorQuit Avatar

    Start to LISTEN and to make notes. Buy and store and give on the occasion. My wife is not an easy shop, so I learned this lesson early. In the past year or so, here’s what she “MENTIONED” and what I’ve purchased: A cast iron pan sized for 2 eggs. A cream cheese/butter/ peanut butter spreader. Good sizzors. A cordless charging strip for her phone and watch. None of these were particularly romantic or expensive… but they were all very much appreciated!

    PS: I do this with our kids and their significant others, too. We make a big deal about it when we sit down for our New Year’s Eve dinner and it’s a lot of fun.

  15. principium_est Avatar

    I have a list that I start every year on Jan 1st. It gets updated with things she mentions

  16. ildadof3 Avatar

    My huge penis.