CasualDates

Once again the holidays have crept up on you and you're faced with the ultimate decision. Should you buy that person a gift or pass on the entire idea. Gifting giving is already so complicated, when you add the factors of your relationship to the mix - chances are, you'll be extremely confused. While you weigh out your pros and cons, you start considering all the different factors that you should take into consideration.

• the length of your relationship 
• the seriousness of the relationship 
• who's going to see the gift exchange 
• possible gift ideas & their costs 

The questions continue, we know! We figured that this was a start. The length of the relationship isn't at all the tell-all but you want to keep in mind that the longer a relationship is - the better the gift should be. If the relationship is fairly new, just a couple weeks old, get them something light-hearted, simple; it shows you cared enough to think of them while you were shopping around. If it’s an exclusive relationship that you think is very serious, then be prepared to put more thought into your gift, make it meaningful.

In regards to the type of relationship you’re in, think about whether it’s something casual, something extremely exclusive, or a little bit of both. The less serious the relationship is, the less pressure you have to get the “perfect” gift – at that point, it’s the thought that counts. Remember, giving a gift should be enough for that special someone - if it's not then maybe you've got bigger issues than just figuring out what gift to get them.

Who's going to witness the gift exchange is also an important aspect of gift-giving. If their family, friends, coworkers are going to be there - leave the inappropriate gifts at home. You wouldn’t want them opening up to a trunk full of sex toys in front of their immediate supervisor.

The last factor is probably the deal breaker. What are the gifts you’re considering and how much do they cost? Remember that the more you spend on someone, the more important they’ll assume their role is in your life. You don’t want to spend too much if the relationship doesn’t mean that much to you; on the flipside, you want to spend enough to show them you care for them – if that’s the case. Gift giving is like an investment, you only invest in things that you find worth-while, things you’ll eventually benefit from.