I keep records of gifts I have given (for any occasion, with a special separate list for Christmas), and gift ideas. Usually the presents and ideas are on the same list. I'll have the names of people, such as DS, MIL, BIL, friends, DB, etc. They are bolded and underlined. Underneath the names, I write what I currently have on hand for them, and what I might get if I plan to get more. If I have already bought something, I put (b) next to the item. So I can write for DS, "sports gloves (b)" to help me remember I've bought him those. For MIL and BIL, always very hard to think of ideas for, I write down possibilities, and if I later get them, I put (b) next to the item. If I decide not to get them, I delete what I wrote. I have some gifts of a more general nature in reserve, in boxes I call my Stash. If there is something in the stash I expect to give to someone, I put (S) next to the item. This tells me to check the stash to be sure what I have in mind is there, and to get it from the stash and move it to where I'm storing the other gifts. I do hope to decrease the things in the stash, so as to have less to store. It has come in handy, though, since sometimes you need a generic gift, say for an office party or something, and I can occasionally draw on the stash for that.

I save the lists of Christmas presents for several years. This helps me prevent duplication. Birthdays are less of an issue, I think because I'm not giving so many presents at a time, so they are easier to remember. And individual people themselves help me recall what I gave. I know I'd give something golf-related only to DB, for instance.

What systems do you all use to keep track of gifts? Or do you just buy them, wrap them, and give them away so quickly that storing them isn't a problem, and you trust your memory to help you recall what you gave to whom?

I use an Excel spreadsheet that contains the names of recipients, and a column for each year for birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas. Easy and quick to see at a glance what we've given a particular person for various holidays each year - helps me to not duplicate!

Good topic!

I use my calendar. About 2 weeks before an occasion, I note
"Get and mail gift to xxx." Sometimes, I have it in my gift closet already but sometimes I do not. I do try to note what I bought then next year, when I set up my calendar, I insert the reminder for buying and mailing the gift along with the note saying what I sent last year.

Like CountryOrg I use Excel spreadsheet to note gift ideas or someone mentioning they would like a "_____." I have a small gift stash some of which are items I received but will not use. I have written the givers name on a bit of masking tape so I don't accidentally give to the wrong person. I try to buy gifts items when they are on sale or when I see something unusual. For those who are really hard to buy for, I'm finding that gift cards are really appreciated by seniors and teens.

Cyd, those gift cards can be a lifesaver, especially with teens. They are a great idea that gives the recipient the opportunity to pick up something that is really useful to them.

When my MIL was having to carefully watch pennies we gave her grocery store gift cards as gifts. She really appreciated the opportunity to splurge on a treat she normally would have passed up. Now that her situation has changed we've switched to bookstore gift cards which she loves. My DM appreciates the gift cards to the Christian bookstore also. Gives her a chance to buy the Gaither videos she likes.

My grandsons really like shopping for themselves too so sometimes they get a gift card. Gives them a feeling of independence to shop for their own things.

Gift cards are great. Our neighbor and friend gave us a couple to restaurants we wouldn't have gone to otherwise.

Not everyone will use a gift card. I gave one to MIL a few years ago, to a store less than a mile from her house, where I know she had bought things in the past. If she ever used it, she never told me about it. A similar situation happened with BIL. So you have to know that the person will indeed USE the card you give him/her. Teens will surely use their cards, but for others, consider if a gift card works for them.

I got a card once, for a store the locations of which weren't close, and which didn't sell anything I needed. So (I hope for the only time in my life) it went unused - it also expired quickly. CHECK THOSE DATES, TOO! I've heard that with the current economy, some cards don't last a long time.

If you know someone really would like a card, give them that instead. Every year we get food from people (mostly candy and other dessert-type things we aren't crazy about and don't need to eat), or more than we can consume quickly. I recycle most of it to others, but a couple of times have had to throw some of it away. Yet people who know me should know that I'd be happy with a restaurant card (even for $5), or for that matter, a Starbucks card. Or, the ideal for me, a gift card for a bookstore.

Sometimes I think people take the easy way out. They get some random idea and just pick it out, without thinking who the recipient will be, what their interests are, favorite activities, etc. But if you know the person you're shopping for really would like a card, and would like the place the card is for (movies, for example), then go for it.

When I was married, the gift list was ridiculous. I had, and still have it, a small bound journal that everything was logged into.

The top of the page would detail the year, down the left side the name of the recipient and then I would just list out the gifts given. I also did this for gifts received as well.

Now that I am single, I am really only giving very few gifts so it is not so hard to track. I am still using the same book and it sits in my top left desk drawer with post it notes, claculator and checkbook and the like.

BL, I had the same problem when first married. Seems like the list went on forever. The hardest part was buying for people I didn't know (the new in-laws). Have pared it down to only our mothers, our children and grandchildren. I don't have a notebook but use a spreadsheet to track gifts given in the past.

In California, they passed a law that if someone purchases a gift card, they can never expire because the person paid money for it. Ones that the stores donate can expire. So, if you win one in a raffle or are given one because you purchased something, those will.

I think one should consider carefully to whom one gives either a gift card or a check. I've sent checks to people who never either cashed or deposited them. Once I even sent a replacement check to a person who said the first had gotten misplaced - and never cashed the second one, either! Seems to me that if someone doesn't care enough to cash or deposit it, he/she doesn't care much about the money. Another time I gave a gift membership, and (amazingly) was notified by the company the membership was for that the recipient had never used it. It was about to expire, and the company wondered if I wanted to use it for myself instead - pretty good, huh? But the point is, you can wind up wasting money on folks who will never get around to using the cards/checks/memberships/subscriptions, etc. I even heard from a relative of a relative that a family member wanted ONLY money, not gift cards, so he could use them for anything, anywhere, and not be "tied" to a certain store.

Be sure the recipient really wants what you are giving. I always though money was the most flexible gift, but for some folks, even that doesn't work as well as we might like.

If you send a check, it doesn't hurt to follow up. We appreciate money as gifts (we appreciate other things as well, but checks/money was the subject brought up in previous posts).

When my family put on a baby shower for me, one aunt who was out of state sent a check. She typically crochets afghans for each baby, and for weddings. Short on time, she focused on my cousin's wedding afghan and simply ran out of time to make one for our baby, so sent money instead. The problem was that she sent the card and check to an old address. I thought it odd that we did not get a gift from her - but it felt rude to call and say, "Where's my gift?" She, in the meantime, thought I was offended that she didn't make me the usual afghan and was not cashing the check as a result. We connected at the aforementioned cousin's wedding, where she asked about the check. I explained we'd never received one and was not at all offended if she could not make an afghan, and a check of her address book when she got back home after the wedding explained what had happened. As it turned out, she decided to make an afghan for my baby after all, which we love.

More recently, some family friends sent gifts to DD in Christmas cards. Things were very hectic for us in December and we were out of town on vacation during that time as well. There were many cards that we didn't open until February when I was cleaning off the desk pile. (Given the forum we're on, I'm sure you can all understand!!) I was so apologetic when I discovered the checks and gift cards. I felt very bad, but what can I say? With a baby not sleeping through the night and everything else that was going on, thank you notes and opening cards and things I'm normally on top of simply got away from me. The checks were cashed, cards used, but not in a timely manner!

When you send such gifts, don't always assume the worst. It's not necessarily that the gifts aren't appreciated. There may be extenuating circumstances or other priorities. (If it's a chronic issue, that's another story entirely, though!)