5 Inexpensive Gifts to Satisfy Everyone on Your List

Receiving Gifts

In sum: Many people view receiving physical gifts as messages of love, but it doesn’t make them mercenary—it’s just that hearing the words “I love you” doesn’t have as much impact as the delight they feel when they are handed a wrapped present or a bunch of flowers.

Signs that your loved one speaks this language: These folks may find sentimental meaning in physical objects, such as a locket passed down from a grandmother, an old baseball or a seashell found on the shore. They may collect things, or appreciate designer or quality objects. Another easy way to identify her? She’s the type who tends to buyyou small gifts to show how much she cares.

Great gifts: For this type, it’s more important that the object is thoughtful, not expensive. When buying for this person, think less about price and more about figuring out what she wants or needs. Pay attention to what kinds of brands she likes, what her taste is or anything she’s mentioned recently. This person will feel touched if you remember to get her that little brooch she mentioned several months ago when you both walked past it, even if it only cost $10, or a new yoga mat since she mentioned hers is falling apart. For this person, just don’t forget to wrap it nicely—part of her pleasure is in opening a gift!

To find out your own primary Love Language, take the quiz here.

Once you’re able to identify the Love Languages of those you, well, love, you’ll be prepared to start figuring out how much you can spend on each gift.