How to Tell Someone What Gift You Want

Giving and receiving gifts is great. When we give someone an incredible present, it’s wonderful to see their face light up with delight and feel the appreciation coming from them. In the same way, when we receive something great, we get a sense that we’re understood and loved by the people we care about. 

While it’s always nice to see what people in your friends and family come up with when they’re trying to find the ideal gift, sometimes you have some specific desires and requests that you really want them to pay attention to. 

The question is, how do you drop a hint when there’s something you really want, without creating an awkward experience?

Talk About your Passions

One great way to drop a hint about a present that you want is to talk about it with the other person, discussing where you saw it, and why you think it’s great. You could tell them that you’re thinking of investing in it one day, or that you’ve wanted to buy one for a while but haven’t had the cash. This can seem like a slightly obvious way to drop a hint for some people – particularly when it’s coming up to a special occasion. However, it’s also a great way to give someone some ideas. 

If you’ve seen the item you want somewhere, consider pointing it out the next time you see it when you’re together, and asking what the other person thinks. To make the experience less about you, consider asking the person in question what they really want to buy lately, or discussing products that they’re interested in too. 

Make a Wishlist

These days, there are tons of online websites where you can make a wish list of items you’d love to have and share them with your friends and family. Creating a Wishlist ensures that you can create a full list of ideas for the people who care about you to use when they’re struggling to find you the ideal gift. To make the requests from you seem a little less obvious, make wish list making a community affair. Ask everyone in your family and friends group to create their own lists.

You can then share your selection of must-have products with each other, and ensure that everyone gets a great idea of what the other people might want for upcoming special occasions. Wish lists don’t have to be digital either, you could make a list of items you really want and stick it to the fridge for a reminder of what you might buy when you get paid. 

Get Other Friends Involved

If you want something important from your other half or a family member, but you don’t want to go and ask for it directly, why not get your friends and other loved ones involved? Let them know that if that person comes asking for advice on what to buy you, there’s something specific that you want. You could even ask your friends to help you with dropping the hint, by mentioning the product or item regularly. 

Although your friends might not be subtle about the way that they drop the hint to your other loved one, you can at least avoid the complication of having to speak to the person directly and ask for what you want in-person. If you’re concerned that one of your friends might be too obvious, you can always ask them to take a more subtle approach with their suggestions. 

Just Ask For It

Finally, if no matter how hard you try, people won’t always realize that you’re trying to subtly ask for something that you really want. Not everyone is great at picking up on hints. Sometimes the best thing you can do is simply ask for what you need. Most of the time these days, people who struggle to find the perfect gift would much prefer to have their friend or family member just be upfront about what they’re really looking forward to getting. 

Although it might seem awkward to directly ask for something that you want, it’s actually a great way to make sure that you don’t end up with an item that you’re unhappy with. Most people would rather you tell them what you want, than make the mistake of getting something you don’t like. Just be careful to check the budget of the person that you’re requesting the item before you make your plea.

LivingBetter50 is a magazine for women over 50, offering an over 50 magazine free download for women with spirit!