Do you have a Wish List? Why not? Because you aren’t 5 anymore and still writing letters to Santa? That’s no excuse!
I just updated my Amazon.com Wish List and asked my family to do the same. I use my own list primarily for myself, all year, to keep track of what I want and either don’t need right now, or might need to budget for. I don’t necessarily expect to receive any of the items as gifts (Christmas, birthday, or just because) but it does happen sometimes, and it’s really fun to receive an unexpected delivery!
Conversely, your Wish List (if it’s up to date) gives me a better idea of what you like, need, and want. With my family spread out across the country it’s a nice time-saving tool for great gift ideas, easy shopping, and stress-free shipping. I might not order directly from a list if it triggers another idea I like, or that suits my budget better. As a professional organizer, I favor “experience” gifts (movie, theater, or airline tickets; gift certificates to restaurants, etc.) because they don’t add to the clutter in one’s home. (Where am I going to put that?) But if I can get a loved one a thing that they actually want, that works too! Actually I’m a fan of gift certificates of all types…as long as they are wanted, kept track of, and used.
Wish List Organizing Tips:
- Create your list – why not? Start by going to Amazon.com, locating an item you’d like to have, and clicking the Add to Wish List button. (No, I’m not on Amazon’s payroll!)
- Update your list a few times per year, otherwise you risk getting something you no longer want, or already have. If you receive something on your list that was not ordered directly from the list, remember to go in and delete it. When looking at someone else’s list, note the dates of the most recent and oldest items added to get an idea of whether it is sufficiently up to date to order from.
- Add an identifier such as your birthday, or middle initial, so that loved ones can be sure they have the right list. Your name may be more common than you think!
- Add a ship-to address to make it as easy as possible for others to send you gifts! (Note: Only the city and state show up publicly as helpful identifiers.)
- Add notes such as: “I still want this – 2011,” or, “I like the blue one,” or, “Used paperback copy OK.”
- Add a variety of things to your list in different price ranges if you are sharing it with others with different gift-giving budgets. You probably already know that Amazon.com sells stuff from a plethora of sources. It’s not just about books anymore!
- Ask your friends and family to start their own Wish Lists. Search for their lists and save them for future reference. You can find your list of Remembered People under the Gift Organizer tab. Keep in mind that Amazon likes to make suggestions, so look for the person’s actual Wish List, not “Most Wished For”, which is just a popular item (usually an expensive one) in the store.
- Add gift certificates to your Wish List, in varying denominations. Of course, anyone can send you a gift certificate anytime they want to. But if it’s on your Wish List they will know you actually would appreciate one.
- Did you know you can add stuff from other websites to your Amazon.com wish list? Click this link to learn more: http://www.amazon.com/gp/wishlist/get-button
Like I told my family, I can’t promise I’ll get you something on your Wish List, but your chances are much greater (now and in the future) with an updated list. And If I don’t get you something from your list, perhaps someone else will!
Copyright 2011 by Hazel Thornton, Organized For Life.
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Tags: clutter-free, DIY, gifts, stress-free, wish list
