My “Level Up” Rule Helps Me Buy the Perfect Present Every Time (It Never Fails)

One thing I didn’t inherit from my mom is her thriftiness. Don’t get me wrong, I like saving money, but I am nowhere close to her determination to lower grocery bills using coupons or price-matching guarantees. Still, something my mom has never skimped on is buying gifts for me and my sister. 

After my dad passed away, my mom wanted to make birthday and Christmas gifts extra memorable. It’s hard to imagine now, but back in the ’90s, having a portable device to play music was a big deal. I had a Discman all picked out when my mom surprised me with an even more expensive model than I could have afforded for my 11th birthday. I have it 26 years later, and it still works! 

My mom’s idea to “level up” a gift by giving something nicer than someone would buy for themselves has always stuck with me. It feels special to receive a gift that seems like it was made for you, only with a little more zhuzh than you imagined. And over the years, I’ve stuck to this level-up rule to much success time and time again. 

Here’s how I go about choosing gifts to level up and some ideas on how you can use this method to find the perfect gift for someone in your life. 

There are two steps I follow when using the level-up gifting method. First, I ask myself if the gift meets one of the following criteria:

• It’s something the person already has
• It’s something they had previously
• It’s on their wish list

Some people are harder to shop for than others, but buying something I know someone already has or wants — in an upgraded version — is a surefire way to find the perfect gift. For instance, if I know my friend loves hand soap, I might buy them a fancy brand like Byredo or Aesop. Upping the “nice” factor can make a simple present feel so special.

Once I have an item in mind, I level up by choosing a more luxurious version of the gift. Or, if I’m treating them to a larger quantity of that thing (say, a jumbo pack of their favorite nail polish), I think about whether they’ll actually use the gift or if it’s something they have too much of already. The more you can personalize the gift, the better. But even if it’s a new friend, coworker, or someone you started dating recently, you can do some research by chatting them up, asking mutual friends, or gathering intel from social media. 

Another consideration is the occasion and whether it calls for exchanging gifts. Unless both of you agree to a budget, it’s possible that one person will splurge a bit and end up receiving a gift that’s less pricey than what they doled out. If I’m worried about budgeting, I try to focus instead on upping the “nice” factor of the gift — which doesn’t always mean spending a lot more.

Here are a few gift ideas that are prime for leveling up.