

Christmas – it’s the most wonderful time of the year, right?
Food, family, fun…and presents. Well, maybe not the last one. Sure, getting presents is great – but shopping for them? Not so much.
Even if you’re one of those impressive people who plans months in advance, you’re likely to have on your list at least one of the following:
- The person who has everything;
- The person who says they don’t ‘need’ anything;
- The teach who’s getting 25 scented candles;
- And the person who proudly asserts that they are not remotely interested in Christmas.
(If you’re buying a gift for me this year, please note I don’t fall into any of those categories.)
The thing with presents is, we just want to make people happy. So, please allow me to suggest gifts these tricky types actually want.
No socks. No candles. No chocolates. Well, maybe some…
The person who has everything.
What they want: Experiences.
Before I had a child, I could spend all my money on myself. Those were the days!
People told me I was difficult to buy for because I had everything (admittedly, that was mostly true – and I had the credit card bill to prove it).
As a result, I was often given experiences. I don’t mean jumping out of a plane; I mean things like a gift voucher for my favourite restaurant, or tickets to a play they thought I would like to see. Because it was purchased for an experience, it didn’t feel impersonal.
For the person who has everything, I think trying out a new hotel is another thing that’s super special. In Perth, the Ritz-Carlton is opening on the banks of the Swan River on November 15, and it looks super swanky. Rooms start from just under $400 a night.
A little more budget-friendly is The Adnate Perth, which just opened in October. It’s part of the Art Series hotels and oozes glamorous visuals. Rooms are from $179 a night.
The person who says they don’t ‘need’ anything.
What they want: Just a nice gesture.
Everyone loves to feel special, but the people who say they don’t need anything from you at Christmas are just trying to save you stress and money. And yet, you want to give them something.
So, here’s an idea that will satisfy you both: a scratchie and Lotto ticket bundle like Lotterywest’s Christmas gift packs. They have $1, $3 and $5 Christmas scratchies,l but you can customise your pack to suit any budget – and they’re particularly handy if you’re a last-minute shopper.
Lotterywest is unique in Australia as the only lottery to directly support the community through their grants program. Last year, they gave almost $282 million back into the Western Australian community alone. I love that, and it means even if the ticket isn’t successful, the money has gone to something meaningful.