Give the gift of experience
Polls say many are Grinch-like toward receiving physical items and would rather ‘do’ than ‘get’
The last thing you want to give anyone this holiday season is a waste of your money. Yet that’s what gifts can become.
In an Ipsos poll done for Global News last year, one-quarter of Canadians surveyed said most of what they get is “useless junk.”
Those unwanted presents come out of the $570-to-$723 budget consumers said they earmarked for gifts in other polls done during last year’s buying blitz.
But there’s an alternative that is welcome and delivers good cheer: An experience. Researchers have discovered experiential gifts — events or activities — are preferred over material things and have a more positive, lasting effect.
In a survey done by Travelzoo in 2015, 80 per cent of Canadians polled applauded experiential gifts but were decidedly Grinch-like toward physical items. For example, a getaway triumphed over bed sheets, a round of golf ranked above clubs, and dinner for two won out over a mixer, respondents said.
It’s all about emotions, according to Cindy Chan, a Toronto expert on consumer behaviour.
“For instance, a safari adventure can elicit feelings of awe and fear, a rock concert can fuel excitement, a spa package can promote calmness, and an opera may move one to tears,” observed Chan and co-researcher Cassie Mogilner, both at the University of California at Los Angeles, in a report two years ago.
Whether it’s taking someone out for a coffee or sending a stressed-out parent for a massage, the outing will pay off in a stronger social bond between giver and recipient, Chan said in an interview.
Amrita Singh knows firsthand that the gift of an experience, done well, “creates a meaningful memory that will stand the test of time.”
Known as Toronto’s Frugalista, Singh, a consultant on shopping and saving money, has been on both the giving and receiving end of low-cost, heartwarming experiences. Recently, she took her parents — new arrivals in the city — to Allan Gardens conservatory (free admission) where her dad recalled childhood memories of certain plants as her mother challenged herself to name the flowers.
“It was a beautiful hour of discovery and calm in what had been a deluge of stressful hours, days and weeks for my parents,” says Singh. One Christmas, she gave friends jars of ingredients for spicy dahl soup, one of her specialties. The $5 gifts still evoke memories of “recreating my soup, infused with my love, inside their own kitchens.”
A close friend celebrated Singh’s birthday one year by combining her favourite things to create “FoNaMo Day.” “Fo” is for food at a special eatery, “Na” for a nature walk and “Mo” for a movie with popcorn. The thought and planning behind what is now an annual event “meant the world to me,” Singh says.
Chan’s research bears that out. In her studies, gift recipients reported that experiences made them feel more intensely emotional than possessions. That, in turn, made them feel closer to the gift-giver, says Chan, assistant professor of marketing at University of Toronto Scarborough.
To choose an experience that rates high on the happiness scale, consider such factors as the beneficiary’s age, interests, hobbies, tastes and lifestyle. Chan also suggests not locking the recipient into a specific date, event or location that may be inconvenient, or off-loading extra expenses such as tips or babysitting.
A gift card for a meal out, service or shopping spree will be more useful if it’s for a mall, chain or parent company rather than a specific venue, she says.
While most retail business gift cards and certificates in Onta- rio aren’t allowed to have an expiry date, those for a specific service, such as a massage can attach a time frame. Beware, too, of possible terms and conditions such as non-refundable or non-transferrable. Acouple of ideas to get started: One-year membership to the Toronto Tool Library and Sharing Depot is a gift that keeps on giving, with borrowing privileges for a wide range of tools, toys, camping gear and sports equipment. Memberships of $55 to $110 are available online torontotoollibrary.com or at three locations in the city.
Budding chefs of all ages can learn culinary skills at The Chef Upstairs’ locations in midtown Toronto and Vaughan. www.thechefupstairs.com Prices for a single cooking class range from $85 for kids and teens to $99 and $125 for adults. Fees are higher for courses and camps. Gift certificates are available in any denomination for an event and date of the recipient’s choice.