But don’t forget the main lesson of the economics of present giving: “It’s the thought that counts”. If you can find a €40 item that seems personalised and full of meaning, it’s valued much more than the €50 bottle of mindless perfume.
Of course, it’s much easier to be considerate if you know the person well. The closer you are, the more you know their preferences, and the more they will value your consideration. So be cheap and attentive to those closest to you, moving up to spendthrift and indifferent for strangers...
(that actually is my pattern of spending—are others in the same boat?)
But don’t forget the main lesson of the economics of present giving: “It’s the thought that counts”. If you can find a €40 item that seems personalised and full of meaning, it’s valued much more than the €50 bottle of mindless perfume.
Of course, it’s much easier to be considerate if you know the person well. The closer you are, the more you know their preferences, and the more they will value your consideration. So be cheap and attentive to those closest to you, moving up to spendthrift and indifferent for strangers...
(that actually is my pattern of spending—are others in the same boat?)