How to Shop for Your Wife

Make the next gift for your wife special.

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OK guys, your wife has a birthday coming up and you haven't purchased a gift for her yet. You have no idea what she wants as a gift. What do you do?

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

wife
money
time
good memory

Step1

Spend time talking with your wife. This is good for your relationship overall. Listen for clues as to what interests her at the moment. Try to be very involved in the conversation and ask pointed questions without being too obvious.

Step2

Buy a calendar or a personal organizer. Mark her birthday and other important occasions like your anniversary on the calendar and also mark a day, weeks in advance, to remind you to begin shopping for her. An electronic personal organizer is also very useful for this.

Step3

Become involved in activities that both of you can participate in. This makes shopping for accessories much easier. For example, if you both start playing tennis together, you can buy her some new equipment or take her on a surprise trip somewhere out-of-town to play tennis. Other activities may involve hiking, camping, or horseback riding.

Step4

Start shopping with her if you don't already. I know that clothes shopping can be excruciating for some men, but it allows you to spend quality time doing something that she probably enjoys and if you watch her closely and pay attention, she will identify things that she wants as you go. Only sit in the department store's comfy chairs while she is in the dressing room, trying on her clothes. Get back up and walk around with her when she comes out! The point is to spend time together and to learn more about what interests your wife.

Step5

Buy one, get one free! Today only! :) Do not buy clothes for her! This is not a good idea! Also, do not buy anything practical. She may want a blender, but don't give it to her for her birthday. Save practical gifts for non-important occasions. It's also a good idea to check before you buy certain items. Be sure she's finished that half-gallon jug of perfume before you go out and buy her another. (that's a joke, by the way!)

Step6

Your wife will recognize a well-though-out gift when she receives it and she will appreciate even more that you have started spending more time together.

Tips & Warnings

Use any excuse you can to spend more time with the woman you love.
Do not give your wife practical gifts for special occasions!

Comments

jtphantom said

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on 2/5/2008 I always thought the easiest way to shop for her was just to give her the money. No wonder I am not married anymore...

riceme said

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on 2/1/2008 This is great. My birthday is on Sunday and I am fairly certain that my husband has forgotten. I would like to commission you to come train my husband. I have usually been partial to useful gifts, but, for the men reading this, my observation has been that most women do NOT prefer utilitarian items for birthdays, christmas, valentine's day, or anniversaries.

kirsten62975 said

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on 12/12/2007 I guess I am clinically insane, to me jewelry is the lazy man's way out of thinking and taking time to know me. I do want something practical that I can use. One of the best gifts my husband ever gave me was my dishwaser! I love the thing. Anything that makes my life easier so I can go out and have fun is the right thing for me. I'm gunning for a Roomba this year....

And, no the Frederick's of Hollywood Catalog is not the right place to shop! ;)

CleaningLady said

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on 12/2/2007 Personally, my philosophy is that you can never receive too much jewelry!

JRIngrisano said

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on 11/30/2007 Interesting article. Having had two wives, I now know what I've been doing wrong. So, the Fredericks of Hollywood catelog is not a good place to shop? Hmm.

Seriously, I have found that surprise getaways and surprise romantic dinners are always welcome. Those and bling bling.

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