How To Write A Wishlist For Christmas: My Practical Guide

Christmas is coming, and with it, my annual habits. A quirky one not many I know have is to update my wishlist. Yep. This wishlist, over the years, was for parents, family friends, and siblings as a reference so they didn’t have to guess what we wanted as gifts for Christmas and birthdays. I recently pulled it out, and paused. In my current life season, which is micro-retirement, I suddenly realised that I was way more aware of what I added to it than usual. Call me whimsical –or maybe opportunistic? –but over the years, I’ve come up with my own strategy on how to maximise crafting one, considering the factors of Need-To-Have versus Nice-To-Have, and on my current micro-retirement budget, this was more pertinent than ever. But here’s my strategy. Maybe it could help you with some Christmas wishlist ideas for that office party, or even some Christmas present ideas for your girlfriend.

Should I Ask For Practical Gifts Or Just My Hopes And Dreams?

The first thing I’d do is visualise myself opening every gift I wrote on the list. If it was a practical gift, would I actually be happy? Or could I have bought it with my own money and be happier? I once actually put socks I needed on the list, and when one of my close friends gave it to me as a Christmas gift, it turned out that unfortunately, I did not, actually, feel joy. Lesson learnt.

On the opposite side of that, if the item was something totally based on a want, like earrings from that Singapore atelier, would the practical side of me be squirming with regret at the missed opportunity to ask for that branded humidifier for my sinuses? That was the challenge.

This was the weighing scale I used now for every present. Each item I put down I balanced between the lines of practical with the fanciful, because for me that’s the fine line between being happy, and being happy with money saved.

I paused, remembering something else. 

How Much Can My Giver Afford?

Putting in a price scale of presents into a wishlist for Christmas to fit every budget is another ingredient I developed after 5 years of participating in my ex-company’s Secret Santa. Everyone took part, from interns with a below-RM1K allowance, to the bosses. The lower end of the budget made things trickier because I don’t want to end up with something cheap or totally not worth the money, eg. a low cost portable keyboard, when I could get something nice for the same price eg. a graphic tee from a local brand. The secret here is to use what I call the ‘How Much Can RM30 Get Me?’ trick: I could get 10 packs of nasi lemak, a basic cooler bag from Parkson, a Typo mug, or a fancy bar of chocolate imported from Belgium. Which would be more worth it for me? It’s all about a flexible perspective. Just plug in whatever amount of ringgit and start brainstorming –it’s also a great exercise for figuring out unisex Christmas gifts on a budget.

I rounded out my list for the year. Admittedly very few were actually going to see it, but I also like to use it as a self evaluation. Yep. Although a voluntarily-made Christmas wishlist can come off as narcissistic, for me they’re a reflection of how content I am during that season, how ‘rich’ I was feeling (because I already bought it for myself), and a material regulator of sorts. Sometimes, I’m surprised at how little things I have my eye on –or how much I could already afford. This year, it was especially helpful since I was living on a much lower budget. The list was longer than usual, but I ended up pretty satisfied with myself. For me, wishlists are more than wrapping-deep, they’re a litmus test of my inner self and financial health.  

Plus, it’s a handy little catalogue for those people who never know what to get you, totally ignoring the fact that people buying your gifts have free will, of course.