THINKING “OUTSIDE THE BOX”
by Susan Melony, ©2018
(Jul. 11, 2018) — Buying stuff for someone’s birthday or a holiday is risky. Unless you know exactly what they want, you could end up getting them the wrong thing and it’ll end up being returned, donated, or forgotten about in the back of a closet.
Gift cards are a great alternative, but what kind of gift card should you get? Most people stick with the basics and give gift cards to stores. That’s not a bad idea, but what’s the point in giving them a card to get stuff when you didn’t want to get them stuff in the first place?
Think beyond store and restaurant gift cards and give a gift that goes beyond material possessions with the ideas on this list.
Activities and Events
No matter where you live, there are tons of things to do in the evening and on the weekends when you step foot outside your door! Encourage your friends and loved ones to get out more with BookMyShow gift cards.
There are a wide variety of activities and events the cards can be redeemed for that include:
- Movie tickets
- Plays
- Sporting events
- Music concerts
- Comedians
- Children’s events
- And much more
A gift card like this allows them to something they already enjoy doing, like going to a movie, or they can do that thing they’re always talking about trying.
Amusement Parks
Families that live close to an amusement park are lucky that they have something so fun to do to keep them entertained. However, it isn’t uncommon for life to get in the way and before you know it, you haven’t gone to that amusement park in years!
Encourage them to rediscover their local amusement park with a gift card. This is an especially good idea for children and teens who need something to keep them occupied during school breaks because many amusement parks offer season passes, which means they can return again and again!
Make this gift even more meaningful by going with them. If the gift is for a teen, offer to be their ride whenever they want to head to the amusement park.
Subscription services
Most gifts are quickly forgotten about. After all, do you remember who got you what for your last birthday? The solution is to give them a gift that keeps on giving, and a subscription service is a great way to do that.
There are tons to choose from! Choose a meal subscription box for your foodie friend, a beauty box for your girly niece, or a pop culture box for your nerdy cousin.
Many subscription services offer gift cards in addition to the subscription itself, which means you can allow them to get something they love that they were able to try beforehand!
Overnight Stays
We tend to remember experiences more than who got us what for our birthday, so it should come as no surprise that you can’t go wrong if you give a friend or a family member a gift card to stay overnight somewhere.
This is a great idea for newlyweds or a friend who is taking a vacation in the near future, but a gift card to a local hotel is a good idea too. Give them a card to a hotel with a spa to help your overly stressed friend relax or get a gift card to a local bed and breakfast as an anniversary gift.
Airline Gift Cards
There are a lot of gift options for the traveler in your life. You can pick out new luggage or a money belt to keep their cash secure, but they’ll be even more grateful if you help them with their biggest expense—the plane ticket.
There are a lot of great airline gift cards out there to choose from. Just make sure you choose a card the recipient can actually use. For example, a domestic airline is a good idea for the local traveler, but not necessarily a good purchase for an international traveler.
Don’t feel like you have to purchase the entire cost of the ticket either! Most airline gift cards allow you to determine the amount you want to put on the card so you can help them pay for their trip without paying for the entire cost of their expensive airline tickets.
The next time it’s someone’s birthday and you want to reach for the restaurant gift card, think again! With the ideas on this list, you can give a meaningful gift while providing them with the flexibility to spend the card however they wish at the same time.
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