So I am of course going to preface this by saying the best gifts can't be bought because yes it is true, HOWEVER, bought gifts are also still quite nice. With that being said, the best gift you can buy someone is an experience. This is typically in the form of a ticket, whether it is to a concert or a play, or on a plane to go take a trip, this is the ultimate gift. The last thing most people need is more stuff.

Obviously, these things can get expensive really quickly, so it does not seem like the ideal gift for every person. However, there are definitely smaller options people tend to overlook, or not even consider.

The tickets I talked about above are the most common ones (aside from going to the movies which is always another cheaper alternative), but people do not often think about conferences, talks by someone they like or on a topic they like, or things like masterclasses. Especially with so many things being virtual right now, there are some really interesting conferences and talks being held online for 20 to 30 dollars a piece since you are not having to pay for the in person portions.

So I get that this could start to sound like you are buying them schooling, and that is boring, but a lot of these are really interesting, and the topics seem endless. There are conferences held on video game designing, or the importance of video games in our culture, and so on for that man in your life (because yes, 90% of them play video games).

If you are looking for something really impressive, name one person who wouldn't think it would be amazing to say they have been in person to one of the Oscar's, or the Grammy's (yes, us common people can buy wildly expensive tickets to those).

If the special someone in your life enjoys film, get tickets tot he Sundance Film Festival, or something similar.

If your mom likes cooking, buy tickets to be in the audience of one of her favorite cooking shows.

These are the types of gifts that will always be remembered because it creates a memory.

I completely get being on a limited budget, but some of these options are actually pretty inexpensive, if you are just willing to look for them.

So if you want to be considered the best gift giver in your family, start gifting experiences instead of items.

Merry Christmas, good luck with your shopping!