What Should I Buy My Girlfriend? (Wife or Significant Other)

Ladies-print this now, and leave it somewhere that your special person can see it.

I was going to title this, “Don’t Buy Your Wife A Vegetable Bowl” but I’m new here, and I do want Google to find me! Believe me, I’ve never let my husband forget the year that he bought a vegetable bowl to go with my everyday dishes for my birthday. We’d only been married a couple years, and I was still at that stage of trying to appear grateful and nice when I opened it, until I started sobbing. It wasn’t that the bowl sold for only $7 (it was the 70’s, stuff was cheap) or that I already had 2 of them that upset me. It was the fact that he didn’t give it any thought at all. I have to say, he didn’t make that mistake again.

Women are generally easy to please. Most of us don’t really care if we get huge diamond rings or lavish trips to exotic islands, we just want to know that you care about us. We want to know that you pay attention to the little things that make us happy. Women tend to take care of everyone else, and on those few days a year that are truly “ours” it is such a treat when someone does something nice for us. I have a few suggestions that might help you with your shopping this year.

1) If we say we don’t want anything for our birthday, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day or Christmas…we don’t really mean it. The budget may be very tight, but we would still like a token gift that is special just to us. One year I had a photo enlarged at Walmart, and bought an inexpensive frame for it. It hangs in my husband’s office as a reminder of a special vacation. I didn’t spend more than $15, but he loved it.

2) Do not buy us a gift and charge it to a credit card that we have to pay. Trying to work an extra expense into the budget takes the pleasure out of the gift.

3) Some women love to get lingerie, some don’t. If she doesn’t generally wear lacy lingerie and that is what you buy her, you are really buying yourself a gift. If you buy her the comfy boxers and t-shirt she loves, she (and you) will be much happier in the long run. On the other hand, if she loves sexy lingerie, don’t buy her a flannel nightgown.

4) We don’t want cash to go shopping for ourselves. We can do that any time.

5) Most women would rather have a small bouquet of a favorite flower than a dozen red roses. Red roses don’t require thought, but every time my husband brings me tulips (my favorite flower) I am thrilled. I don’t care if they come from the grocery store, the unexpected surprise makes me feel loved.

6) There are times when an extra special gift is nice to receive. If it is one of those special birthdays or anniversaries, plan ahead. Many jewelry stores will let you put something in layaway, or start a special savings account. Don’t wait until the day before her 30th birthday and try to find something for the $20 you have in your pocket.

7) You really don’t have to spend a lot of money to make her happy. Grab an inexpensive basket from Target and fill it with a book from her favorite author, her favorite chocolates, a candle and some bubble bath. Tell her you will watch the kids for an hour while she soaks and reads. If she has children, there is nothing she would love more than some quiet time.

8) If there is no money to spend (and we’ve all been there), make her some coupons to trade for your services. Some suggestions might be, I’ll Make Dinner, A Backrub, I’ll Take the Kids to the Park, I’ll Clean the House This Week, I’ll Watch a Movie That You Like…you get the idea.

It isn’t difficult to shop for a woman. You know your partner, all she really wants is to know that you’ve been paying attention.