Bah humbug to those who think holiday gift registries are rude or not thoughtful

We’ve heard the occasional criticism that family gift registries are “rude,” “un-Christmas” or “take the joy out of gift giving.” I even have a family member who gets offended and proclaims, “what…I give great gifts! Don’t you like the presents I give you?”

Is this true? Could it be that registries are the death of thoughtful gift giving?

No…I don’t think so. The thought still counts (and probably counts more) even when you get your gift ideas from a holiday wish list.

No one makes this same statement to a person who verbally asks someone what interests or desires another has. The same claim isn’t made to a person giving a gift off a wedding or baby shower registry. The gift giver is just trying to make sure they give a gift that the receiver appreciates and wants. It’s all thoughtful research.

Isn’t that what wish list registries really are? They are centralized locations where you can go and research what a person really needs and, in some instances, what they would just like to have. You may find things you never thought a person would ever really want or find useful. You may also discover that you have a shared interest with a person that you never knew about simply by reviewing their wish list. How can that be considered rude or thoughtless?

Likewise, creating your own wish list doesn’t make you greedy or materialistic. Personally, I have many wish lists and those lists have many items on them. Does this mean that I expect people to give me everything on these lists? Absolutely not! Honestly, I appreciate being thought of at all and even though the lists have many items on them, they are just as much for my own reference as they are for everyone else’s.

But I know that people will ask me for ideas of what I’d like and now all I have to do is direct them to my Giftster list. There, they will find gift ideas for me in a variety of price ranges so no matter what their budget or the priority they give my gift, they will surely find something that will be a match.

The wise words of Henry van Dyke “it is not the gift but the thought that counts” still apply when you get your gift ideas from a gift registry. It’s just another tool you’re armed with to make your thoughtfulness count. If you already make a list of gifts you’d like to give, wish lists for yourself or your kids to distribute to family, or even just keep a running list for yourself of things that you find awesome, why not use a free wish list maker like Giftster to help make your gift organizing and budgeting easier?

And in closing, I leave you with this:

Santa has a list. Why shouldn’t you?

Create your free Giftster family gift registry today and help spread the joy of thoughtful and stress-free gift giving to those you love.