every gift-guide online sorts by price. under ₹500, under ₹2000, splurge. these are not the things that make a gift good.
the thing that makes a gift good is whether it's specific to the person. a mid disco ball for the friend whose whole personality is her room. a custom hoodie with the inside joke only two people get. specific beats expensive every single time.
i spent one december testing this on my own family. i bought some people the 'obviously nice' thing and some people the 'weirdly specific' thing at half the price. the specific ones are the ones people still talk about.
the part of gifting that gets less attention than it deserves is the part where you sit, alone, and actually think about the person for ten minutes. that's the whole craft. it's mostly that.
if you're stuck, i'd say: don't buy anything until one idea makes you smile. you'll know when it's right because you'll be a little excited to see them open it.
— naina