Why spending less this holiday season will delight everyone

Last summer I celebrated my fortieth birthday. My wife wanted to really wow me with the perfect gift. She canvassed her male colleagues at work and they were full of suggestions: an expensive watch, the latest drone, or a Ferrari for the day (even the guys recognized some limits).

Gift giving can be fun and rewarding, but can also create anxiety about whether we’re picking presents that please those we care most about. And we often miss the mark during the season. Economists estimate that between 10 and 30 percent of the value of a holiday gift is lost due to a mismatch between what we buy and what people want. To compensate, we buy the biggest, most expensive gift we can afford.

But does giving more really mean delighting more?

To find out, see my full article on Medium.com and share your own thoughts.