I really hate people who say “I bought you this because I didn’t know what to give you”. And they come with a piece of crap. If you really don’t know the person, there are always “safe bets”: a bottle of good wine, a beautiful flower bouquet, a signature art craft, or –if your budget allows it—a branded ornament object.

When you really know the person, there is absolutely no room for excuses. Even if the person is extremely wealthy (and you are not), there are small things that she might actually not have. The best gifts ever have come from persons that had thought about what I might be missing after analyzing my day to day activities and preferences (and with a small budget):

-A Swiss Army knife card

-A good quality runners T-shirt

-A good novel I had missed

-An original (and fun) mouse pad

Of course, expensive (and good taste) gifts are always appreciated.