Jun 04, 2002 08:39 PM
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(Updated Jun 04, 2002 08:44 PM)
Buying gifts for a newly married couple is really very easy. You simply look at the wedding registry they have chosen at the different stores. That’s the easy part! The hard part is deciding on what to buy them from their selections.
Most couples will choose a variety of items that they would like to have at stores that offer a wedding or bridal registry. And those stores will provide you with a list of what has been purchased and what has not!
But on the chance that some couples do not select a wedding/bridal registry what to do? Or if you don’t want to decide from a registry list? Most newly married couples need everything! From pots and pans to dishes, to towels, to sheets, to kitchen gadgets, to tables and chairs and the list is endless.
As a mother who’s oldest got married, of course I felt obligated to make sure she had what she needed. In fact I made many trips over to Mississippi when she first got married, moving her belonging and taking things that her Great Uncle left for her. And I made sure she had a good set of pots, a good set of dishes, towels and things like that.
But when I buy for someone other than my child I will sometimes buy a laundry basket. Yes, you read correctly. A laundry basket! I will buy a white one, average size and I will put the following things in it. A box of washing powder, a box and/or a jug of fabric softener, some clothes pin and clothes hangers. I will also put various soaps, candles, air fresheners, a box of salt, a bag of flour and sugar. Buy them some Pop Tarts, some soups, some tuna!
I sometimes will put some place mats or some motor oil in there. I have also been known to put kitchen utensils, dishcloths, hand towels or bath towels. I will also cover a photo album for the newly married couple to be and put that in there as well. Of course the photo album will be wrapped separately so that it will not get messed up.
A broom, a mop, a dust pan, a duster, some duck tape, masking tape, can of white and black spray paint, some snack cakes, some lotions, deodorants, toothpaste. Some pin sol or other cleaners. Things like that!
You see, these are things that most people don’t think about for a newly married couple. They, the newly married couple won’t even think of them until after the fact. And then they have a huge expense in trying to set up their home.
These little items will help them to save a little money. Find out if they have a vacuum cleaner or if someone is buying them one. Get the model number and buy some vacuum cleaner bags and belts. Find out if they are going to have a coffee maker, and buy some coffee, creamer and filters. If you know what type of appliances that they are going to have perhaps you could buy any type of replacement items that they may need down the road.
But some trash bags, sandwich bags, aluminum foil, and/or gallon bags. Some canned goods, boxed goods, buy them some movies to watch. Buy them some shampoos and conditioners, or some bubble bath. Some toothpaste and toothbrushes would do as well.
At the lingerie shower, if there is one, think of things that the new bride will need on a personal level and buy those things for her. The same for a guy at his bachelor party. Try to be creative for them for their home!
And of course there will be the mixers, the blenders, the coffee makers, the pots, the pans, the dishes, the towels, the sheets, the lamps, the bowls and all the others that you can buy as well.
Cash of course is always a good gift. As are gift certificates. With this they can go and buy what they want or need. Shoot, you can even get them gas certificates now a days and a tank or two of gas is always helpful.
Find out if they have to pay any deposits on getting their electricity or cable or water hooked up and pay for that deposit. But make sure it’s in their name and not yours. Give them a short term or long term CD from your local bank or their bank.
You can even have it set up for them to go and have their picture made months down the road. You can purchase them an oil change or two, or a tire rotation will do. There are all sorts of little things that no one thinks of that will be very helpful to them. Think about it, when you first started out, wouldn’t these things have done for you? Or if you are thinking about the married thing wouldn’t like some of this stuff?
The bottom line is, think of things that they can use, stay within your budget and give them something from your heart no matter what that may be. The newly married couple will appreciate most anything and if not, they can take it back.
I hope that this has helped in some kind of way.
God Bless!
©LKD 2002
