Does the stress of deciding what to give and the cost of it ruin what should be a happy occasion? Events such as weddings should be joyous and happy times but people often feel the need to buy gifts they can't afford and, as a result, spiral into debt. I know in the past few years how I have felt when another birthday or Christmas rolls around and I'm still no better off. I ask what the person would like, knowing full well it's usually something out of my price range, but buying what I can afford is never something they actually want, therefore, a complete waste of money. Also, I've often been the receiver of such gifts that I'm never going to use and have been a waste of someone else's money. There must be a better way to do this, I thought... So, I've come up with a site that's fun and easy to use and won't be a strain on your mates' pockets. The idea came to me around the start of the recession; it's still pretty tight for a lot of families out there. Many people still feel obliged to buy gifts they often can't afford. My site provides a solution. It means they can contribute what they can afford and still feel like they got the person what they really wanted. This beats using the same amount of cash to purchase an unwanted but affordable gift. The site is www.beyondwishlists.com and it's about combining the 2 concepts - wish lists and shared gift buying. It allows anyone to have a wish list for any occasion and receive contributions towards their gift from family members and friends (even if their friends don't know each other and have never met before). The result is that you get the gifts you want every time without putting a strain on everybody's pockets. How the site works: Well, for example, as my birthday is coming up I have created a wish list, added the items I would like and shared it with my friends and other people I have invited to my party. They can browse through my list and contribute whatever each of them can afford. The more family members and friends you share your lists with, the more awesome presents you will receive! You can share your lists through social networks such as Facebook and Twitter and also via a link found at the bottom of your list. Alternatively, you can ask your mates and family to visit the site www.beyondwishlists.com and search for your name then they can browse all your lists. Making a contribution is easy and doesn't take away the magic of a surprise gift. The surprise will be which items from your list your family and friends went for. You don't need to have an account with beyondwishlists to make a contribution. As a contributor, you can even write your mate a personal message. You can make as many lists as you like for the gifts you really want for any occasion and share these with family and friends. You will never hear the excuse 'I didn't know what to get you' ever again. And the best part is your gifts are delivered directly to your doorstep! The benefit for family members and friends is it allows them to pool funds together and contribute what each of them can individually afford. This removes the pressure and stress of worrying what to buy you and how much to spend. I hope this helps relieve some of the pressure of gift buying and makes organising your next function a fun and enjoyable experience. |
||