Finding the perfect holiday gift can sometimes be difficult, but here are some tips to help you through this stressful experience with all your hair still intact.  

First, have an idea of the person’s general interests and abilities.  If you are shopping for someone who collects unicorns, figurines of angels or children praying, or a mechanic who is always losing his sockets, that will give you a starting point.

Second, find something that will be a benefit in the end.  The best gifts are gifts that can be used repeatedly.  For an internet guru, that might be a website domain name, which is a hot gift among techies right now.  It also might be something like a digital camera or a musical instrument. In order to be useful over and over again, though, it must be something that fits their interests and abilities.

Third, find something that fits in with the family’s moral values and beliefs.  A gift is easier to enjoy if it does not create a big controversy.  If you are not sure about something, talk to a leading family member.  Discuss pros and cons to help decide if it will cause conflicts or not.  

Lastly, check to see that you are getting a good deal.  Look around to see where you can get good quality for the best price.  Look in local shops and online both.  Sometimes you will get a surprise just because you did not rule out a shop by thinking that they would not have what you wanted.