The holiday season has finally come around and it is time to shop for presents.  Since you have been senior dating, you might have someone very special to buy for this year.  However, you should be careful because even in retirement there are still some limits that you must place on your gift giving.  Some factors that you have to have in consideration when you buy your partner a gift is how long you have known each other for and an accordance to your budget.  You never want to give too much or too little on this special day.

The first question you need to ask yourself is for how long have you been going out for?  If you have only been going out for a few weeks, then you really should not invest too much in your holiday gift.  This does not mean that your gift should be cheap but rather inexpensive.  And YES there is a difference between cheap and inexpensive.  Cheap gifts are apparent as they look crappy and fall apart in seconds.   Inexpensive gifts are quality presents that have a low price.  You can find great hand massagers and books for a low price yet they are not cheap gifts and they demonstrate that you put thought into your gift.

If you have been senior dating exclusively with one person for less than three months you should be spending anywhere from $15 to $35.  If you have been going out a little longer such as 4 months to a year then you can up the ante with a present from$40 to $100.  For those of you out there in a long term and committed relationship, you are probably comfortable enough now to discuss how much you would like each partner to spend on this year’s holiday present.

Regardless of how much your present costs, you should always make sure that there is a lot of thought that goes behind the present as this is the most important aspect of gift giving.  Find something that your senior dating partner will enjoy and be grateful for this year.  It does not have to be anything spectacular but enough to show your senior partner that you care.  If you spend too much on your gift, your partner may feel embarrassed because it is obvious the difference in price or it might reveal more about your personal finances than you would like to give out at this time.  Play it safe because you can always make it up later.